The Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve is the largest thing in Palo Alto and the least talked about. It covers 1,940 acres and is the largest tract of undisturbed marshland remaining in San Francisco Bay — a genuinely significant piece of California, sitting at the end of a city better known for venture capital.

It is free, it is open, and it holds fifteen miles of multi-use trails across a mixture of tidal and freshwater habitats. It is also one of the best birdwatching sites on the West Coast.

What the Baylands actually is

Most of San Francisco Bay’s original marshland was diked, filled or developed over the last century and a half. The Baylands is what survived — which is why “largest undisturbed marshland remaining in the Bay” is a statement about loss as much as about size.

The preserve spans both Palo Alto and East Palo Alto and is owned by the city of Palo Alto. Its 1,940 acres take in salt marsh, tidal channels, mudflats and freshwater habitat, and the mixture is precisely what makes the birdlife so rich.

For migratory shorebirds on the Pacific Flyway this is an important stop, and for anyone who has never watched a tide go out over a mudflat and seen thousands of birds arrive to feed, it is worth the trip on its own.

Lucy Evans, and why the preserve exists

The Baylands survived because of a campaign, and the campaign had a name attached to it.

Lucy Evans was a local schoolteacher and a member of the Audubon Society who fought to preserve the baylands with enough determination to earn the nickname “Baylands Lucy”.

The preserve’s nature centre — known locally as the birdhouse — opened in 1969, and in 1978 it was renamed the Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive Center in her honour.

It is a good story and a useful corrective: the largest surviving marshland in the Bay is not an accident of geography. Somebody argued for it.

The trails

Fifteen miles of multi-use trails run through the preserve, and they are flat — this is marshland at sea level, so there is no climbing involved. That makes the Baylands unusually accessible: good for walking, running, cycling and pushchairs alike.

The trails move between habitats rather than through one landscape, which is the thing that makes a long walk here interesting rather than repetitive. Boardwalk and levee sections give you the water; the inland stretches give you freshwater habitat and a completely different set of birds.

A word on the weather, because it catches people out. The Baylands is open, flat and on the bay, which means wind, and it is consistently cooler than downtown Palo Alto a couple of miles inland. Bring a layer you would not think you needed.

Birdwatching

This is what the preserve is best known for among people who know it at all. It is considered one of the best birdwatching spots on the West Coast, with important habitat for migratory shorebirds.

The practical advice for anyone new to it:

Go at the right tide. This matters more than the time of day. A falling tide exposes mudflat and concentrates feeding birds close to the levees; a full high tide pushes everything out of view. Check a tide table before you drive out — it is the single biggest difference between a good visit and a quiet one.

Autumn through spring is the migration window. Shorebird numbers on the Pacific Flyway peak well outside the summer, which is the opposite of when most people think to visit a nature preserve.

Early morning gives you the calmest air and the best light, and the wind usually builds through the day.

Bring binoculars. Obvious, but the birds here are frequently at middle distance across water rather than at your feet.

Getting there and practical notes

The Baylands sits at the bay end of Palo Alto, out past the residential city, and it is a drive or a decent cycle from downtown. There is parking at the preserve.

It is free.

Dress for wind and cool air, even on a warm inland day.

The trails are flat and long — fifteen miles of them — so decide your distance before setting out rather than discovering it.

Check tides for birdwatching, and check the nature centre’s current opening arrangements directly rather than through a listing, since those change.

Combine it with the rest of the city. A morning at the Baylands and an afternoon on California Avenue or at Stanford Shopping Center is a full and varied day. See also the Palo Alto parks guide.

Why almost nobody visits

It is worth being direct about this. Palo Alto is internationally known for Stanford and for technology, and visitors arrive with a mental list that does not include a marshland. Residents drive past the turning for years.

The result is that a nationally significant piece of wetland with fifteen miles of trail, free entry and world-class birdwatching sits ten minutes from one of the most expensive commercial districts in California, and is quiet on a weekday morning. That is unusual, and it is the best argument for going.

The Baylands through the year

Unlike most of the attractions in this part of California, the Baylands has genuinely different seasons, and knowing them changes the visit substantially.

Autumn is when shorebird numbers build as migration comes through, and it is frequently the clearest, warmest weather of the Bay Area year. For a first visit, this is the season to choose.

Winter is the peak for waterfowl and for sheer numbers of birds, and the marsh is at its greenest after rain. It is also the coldest and windiest — dress properly and it is the most rewarding time of year here.

Spring brings the return migration and nesting activity, and the light is long into the evening.

Summer is the quietest for birds, which is exactly when most people think to visit a nature preserve. The trails are still excellent for walking and cycling, but if birds are the point, come outside summer.

Walking, running and cycling

The Baylands works as everyday exercise infrastructure as much as a nature destination, and that is how many residents actually use it.

Fifteen miles of flat, unobstructed multi-use trail with no road crossings and no elevation is a rare thing anywhere, and it is the reason you will see as many runners and cyclists here as birdwatchers. For a long steady run or ride it is considerably better than the residential streets inland.

Two practical notes for that use. The wind is directional and consistent, so an out-and-back is frequently easy in one direction and hard in the other — plan to head out into the wind and return with it. And there is very little shade, which matters more on a warm afternoon than the flat profile suggests.

Baylands questions, answered by neighbors

How big is the Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve?

It covers 1,940 acres across both Palo Alto and East Palo Alto, and is owned by the city of Palo Alto. It is the largest tract of undisturbed marshland remaining in San Francisco Bay.

How many trails are there at the Baylands?

Fifteen miles of multi-use trails run through the preserve, across a mixture of tidal and freshwater habitats. They are flat — this is marshland at sea level — which makes them suitable for walking, running, cycling and pushchairs.

Is the Palo Alto Baylands free?

Yes, the preserve is free and open, with parking on site. Check the nature centre’s current opening arrangements directly, as those change.

Who was Lucy Evans?

A local schoolteacher and Audubon Society member who campaigned to preserve the baylands with such determination that she was nicknamed “Baylands Lucy”. The preserve’s nature centre, known locally as the birdhouse, opened in 1969 and was renamed the Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive Center in 1978.

Is the Baylands good for birdwatching?

It is considered one of the best birdwatching spots on the West Coast, with important habitat for migratory shorebirds on the Pacific Flyway. Check a tide table before going — a falling tide exposes mudflat and brings feeding birds close, while a full high tide pushes them out of view.

When is the best time to visit the Baylands?

Early morning, for calm air and good light before the wind builds. For birds, autumn through spring is the migration window rather than summer. And check the tide, which matters more than the time of day.

What should I bring to the Baylands?

A layer more than you think you need — the preserve is flat, open and on the bay, so it is windy and consistently cooler than downtown Palo Alto a couple of miles inland. Binoculars if you are there for the birds, since much of the interest is at middle distance across water.