Sawyer Camp Trail

Located in San Mateo County, the Sawyer Camp Trail runs above the Crystal Springs Reservoir. The trail is mostly flat and marked for two-way traffic and it has mile markers every half -mile. There are two handicap parking spots and there is an accessible bathroom at the beginning of the trail and another one a couple of miles further down.

There are no water fountains on the trail, so bring your own water. There are also benches located at different spots along the trail, most of them giving you a panoramic view of the reservoir.

The trail is multi-use ... joggers, cyclists, parents with strollers, and is wheelchair accessible. Because this trail is so popular, during the weekends the trail can be very crowded and you have to keep aware of cyclists that at times can come zipping by.

Weather can be tricky. Fog at times comes over the mountains and the trail can be cast in a light mist, so plan ahead with extra clothing, just in case.

Overall, I really enjoyed cruising along this beautiful trail, but the best time to enjoy this trail is on a weekday so that you can avoid the crowds.

To see more of the Sawyer Camp Trail,

please watch my video.

San Bruno Mountain State Park

San Bruno Mountain State Park has several hiking trails including a wheelchair-accessible trail - Bog Trail. As I traveled along this trail, though, I could see that it was no longer accessible. It became too narrow and I got stuck a couple of times and I eventually had to turn around and go back.

Old Guadalupe Trail is a wide, paved trail. The reason it isn't labeled an accessible trail, though, is because it goes uphill for about 0.4 miles and doesn't meet the ADA trail guidelines. However, in a power chair this is trail is fine, but for someone in a manual wheelchair, it could be quite the workout.

I also did a hike on Saddle Loop Trail. This is a 2.9-mile trail that winds around part of the mountain and has a great view of San Francisco. This trail, though, is a rough, dirt trail and traveling along it in my power chair became very bumpy at times. Power chairs with small wheels could have trouble in some places and I wouldn't recommend a person in a manual wheelchair to hike it.

I have informed the San Mateo Park Department that Bog Trail is no longer accessible. They replied to let me know that because of budget issues, they aren't able to fix the Bog Trail at this time. Bummer!

To see more of San Bruno Mountain State Park,

please watch my video.

Capitola By the Sea - 2013

Capitola is one of my favorite places to visit.  It is easy to get around in a wheelchair.   During the summer, a wheelchair-accessible walkway is built and it juts out onto the beach.  Most of the restaurants have wheelchair access, and Mr. Toots Coffee House has a specially-made elevator for wheelchair access.

It can get crowded, especially during the summer months, so I've always had tried to go there in the morning.

To see more of my tour of Capitola,

please watch my video.