easy
Activities
Grasshopper Loop Information
This wide, easy trail winds through working ranchlands, coastal grasslands, oak woodlands and redwood forests.
Watch for:
Look for the trail's two grassland-dependent namesakes: the grasshopper and the grasshopper sparrow.
Hiking Details for Grasshopper Loop Trail
NOTE: This trail is seasonally closed to dogs during calving season from August 1 through December 15.
Distance: 1.3-mile loop
Elevation change: Mostly flat
Hiking time: Less than 1 hour
Trail surface: Packed dirt
Best season: All year
Managing agency: Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
Parking lot location: Click here for directions
Overview: This trail’s minimal elevation gain and generous width make it accessible to visitors of diverse ages and abilities. Bring the whole family, and catch some expansive viewpoints along the way!
In addition to vistas, you’re likely to catch a glimpse of some cows. Around 170 cattle graze the preserve year-round. Be aware that during calving season, between August and December, dogs are not permitted on the trail.
Once you’ve left the grasslands, you’ll find yourself in a shaded oak woodland amidst Douglas firs, bay laurels and pacific madrones, before dipping into a stretch of redwoods and pacific yew. If you see a three-to-six-foot high pile of debris, odds are it’s a wood rat’s nest!
Grasshopper Loop Photo Gallery
More About La Honda Creek Preserve
First opened to the public in 2017, this large and diverse preserve includes a historic ranchland with grazing cattle, views of the San Mateo County Coast and Santa Cruz Mountains and pockets of redwood forest.