San Bruno Mountain: The Ultimate In-Our-Backyard Escape

Perhaps the most obvious getaway in the area, San Bruno Mountain State and County Park, is also surprisingly easy to overlook. Although it is hard to believe we can forget about this giant mountain that sprawls across multiple cities, it has become such a fixture of the landscape in the Bay Area that we sometimes forget about all the accessible beauty that sits atop it.

The mountain can be accessed through a variety of trails in different areas, or to make an easier trek, head to the main park entrance off Guadalupe Canyon Parkway. From there, enjoy a picnic lunch or lay in a sprawling meadow while native butterflies flutter around you. For those who want to get a workout on their day off, take a hike up one of the many trails leading out from the park’s main entrance.

The quiet, open space on the mountain offers a feeling of being away on a camping trip miles outside the city, only minus the long drive. This scenic natural reserve is truly right in our backyard, giving us a place to take in views of the Bay Area and get some peace, even in the middle of industrial and urban sprawl.

Stand along a hiking trial high atop the mountain and see how quickly all the noise of the city and stresses of work and daily life disappear, at least for a few hours.