Bounded by Mountain View and East Palo Alto, the 1,940-acre Baylands Preserve is the largest tract of undisturbed marshland remaining in the San Francisco Bay. Fifteen miles of multi-use trails provide access to a unique mixture of tidal and fresh water habitats.
Baylands Nature Preserve Facilities
Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive Center, 2775 Embarcadero Road Byxbee Park Hills (Art Park), 2375 Embarcadero Road Wildlife observation platforms and benches Emily Renzel Wetlands, 2900 block of East Bayshore Road Baylands Athletic Center (baseball and softball), at the end of Geng Road Picnic facilities and barbecues (adjacent to the Ranger Station), 2500 Embarcadero Road
Some of the facilities can be rented and reserved.
Many consider this area to be one of the best bird watching areas on the west coast. The preserve has a substantial resident population of birds as well as being a major migratory stopover on the Pacific Flyway.
Things To Do include walking, running or biking on 15-miles of trails, bird watching, wind surfing, and boating (non-motorized such as canoes, kayaks or small, hand-launched boats and sailboards). The City also offers a variety of nature walks and programs on ecology and natural history.
Preserve RulesPark in designated parking areas.
Dogs are permitted on leash, unless posted in special nesting areas. If you would like to exercise your dog off-leash, please visit the Mitchell Park Dog Run, located behind 455 E. Charleston Road, Palo Alto.
Speed limit 15 MPH.
Because roadways are narrow, skates and coasting devices are only allowed on paved, off-road preserve trails (along East Bayshore Road and behind the Baylands Athletic Center).
Please do not feed wildlife! Please don’t abandon pets or birds such as rabbits, geese or ducks.
Special Needs The Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive Center is completely handicapped accessible. All exhibits and displays have been produced according to Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines. All exhibit text is presented in both English and Spanish.
Baylands Conservation Plan The Open Space & Parks Division is in the process of developing a comprehensive conservation study of the Baylands. [more]
Recycled Water Information Recycled water is wastewater that has been purified through a high level of treatment. Reducing the amount of treated wastewater discharged into the South Bay decreases the impacts on saltwater marshes. (
visit the water quality home page )
[more]
Call of the Rails On the Bay Trail in the Palo Alto Baylands - Discover where you can find Clapper rails, black rails and other rare birds and animals among the marshes near the Nature Center. Item Dated: 06/07/2007
Diatoms Learn about Diatoms, a type of algae Item Dated: 06/12/2007
From Marsh to Mudflats Learn about the plants and animals found within the sloughs, salt marshes, mud flats and shallow waters of the Baylands Item Dated: 06/12/2007
Glimpse into the Past A snapshot of the Baylands from Ohlone roots to the present. Item Dated: 07/13/2006
Harbor Seals Learn about Harbor Seals found in the San Francisco Bay Item Dated: 06/12/2007
Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive