Bald Mountain Out and Back

The Bald Mountain Trail starts high in the rugged Santa Cruz Mountains. At the trailhead, one can look almost straight down into creek valleys that are 1,500 feet below.Bald Mountain Trail traverses an extremely steep, brush-covered hillside, for the first one third mile. The rugged ridges of the Santa Cruz Mountains are across a deep creek valley, to the right of the trail, making for a rather breathtaking experience. After rounding a bend to the right, the grass covered summit of Bald Mountain comes into view. From here, it is a short distance to the dome shaped summit of Bald Mountain at 2,387 feet.The summit of Bald Mountain is a gently sloped grass-covered dome. The views in all directions are amazing. Some of the Santa Cruz Mountains highest peaks can be seen - Mt. Umunhum to the west at 3,486 ft. and Loma Prieta to the southeast, the tallest mountain in the Santa Cruz Mountains at 3,786 ft. To the northeast, the Quicksilver Hills, San Jose countryside, and East Bay Hills can be seen. Almaden Reservoir is close by to the east. This is a great place to spend some time and marvel at nature's creations!When finished, return to the trailhead over the same route that brought you to the summit of Bald Mountain.