Do you know waterfalls promote good health? Waterfall-induced negative air ions are known to reduce stress, improve mood, and boost immune systems. On a Monday evening in the middle of February, when I was cooking in the kitchen, my friend Glenda texted me: “I wanted to share this hike that we did today. A secret waterfall….” My mind was stimulated with excitement, and my eyes were switching in between monitoring the cooking pot and admiring Glenda’s photos and videos shared on the phone. What an amazing waterfall adventure! Looking at the joyous streams cascading through moss-encrusted rocks and redwoods, I texted back “Let’s plan a hike with our group next month!”
Click to watch the short videos taken by Glenda Chang in Feb 2025.
At the end of March, we made our way to this secret waterfall in redwoods. With an upper waterfall and a lower waterfall, Peters Creek Falls are named after Peters Creek flowing from Long Ridge Open Space to Portola Redwoods State Park on Santa Cruz Mountains. It’s truly a hidden gem, not yet listed by Midpen (Midpeninsula Regional Open Space) on their website. Our hike was about 2 miles long with 50 minutes moving time and 257 ft elevation gain. Within half an hour from the trailhead, we emerged from a grassland into a dense forest with towering redwoods and ferns thriving. Wouldn’t any nature lover want to be refreshed by such a forest adventure?
Location & Access Info
From Cupertino’s Blackberry Farm area, it takes about 30 minutes to drive to the Peters Creek Trailhead parking area. We carpooled and parked at the Peters Creek Roadside Parking, which can hold up to 20 cars. The GPS address we used is “Peters Creek Trailhead, CA-35, La Honda, CA 94020”. You can find more details on their website.
A large sign “Long Ridge Open Space Preserve” is posted at this pullout parking lot, and the pullout area is near the Palo Alto City Limit sign. If you are guided to a private gate, stay calm and get back to the road and continue to drive another 0.3 miles to reach the correct location.
Before you go, please check the weather condition for “La Honda, CA”. We made a mistake by checking our local forecast in Cupertino, but the “partly cloudy” forecast actually turned to foggy rains on Long Ridge mountains. Fortunately, we had one umbrella and several raincoats, and we all wore sturdy hiking shoes. Be aware of the following conditions:
- No restroom is available at this trailhead.
- The cell signal is very weak.
- This trail is only for hikers, not allowing dogs, horses, or bikers.
Highly recommend that you hike with a group, stay safe and keep moving on the trails.
Our Hike
We entered the trailhead marked by a sign “No PARKING ½ HOUR AFTER SUNSET To 6AM”, and walked on a grassy path parallel to the Skyline Blvd. The path gradually changed from grass to gravel, then it was covered with fallen leaves, branches, roots and trunks. Mushrooms, ferns and moss are growing abundantly on trees and rocks. We also spotted brown newts several times climbing on our path, new buds and baby pine cones developing on branches, and tiny flowers blooming quietly in the valley.
More Hiking Adventures at Long Ridge Open Space
As you can see from this full trail map, our hike was just a small portion of what Long Ridge Open Space offers. The Long Ridge Loop is highly recommended by Sempervirens Fund, a land trust dedicated to protecting the redwood forests of the Santa Cruz Mountains, and by POST (Peninsula Open Space Trust), another land trust for acquiring and transferring lands to Midpen and other agencies for long-term management. Following this route, you will pass by the Stegner Memorial Bench in memory of Pulitzer Prize-winning author and environmentalist Wallace Stegner.
More Waterfalls and Water Wonders at Midpen
If you love to hike more near the water, check out these adventures recommended by Midpen and POST.
Remember to take some photos as you explore the forests. Midpen is holding their 2025 Annual Photo Contest.
“Many of the photos you see featured in our eNews and other publications come to us through our annual photo contest. This year’s contest runs April 1 through July 31 with the winners to be announced in August. Winners from each category will receive a $100 REI gift card, a Midpen swag bag and bragging rights whenever your photo shows up online!”
Let Us Know
Hope you will find your way to reach the Peters Creek Waterfalls and get energized by all the negative air ions generated by the cascades! Looking forward to hearing your Water Wonders adventures. Email your stories to info@walkbikecupertino.org.