Brookside Orchids

Went on a Thursday morning and no entrance fee was required. Parked in the Orchard Glen Picnic Area, where there is usually plenty of parking. The trail was mostly damp, with a few muddy areas. Not too many wildflowers. The view from Vista Hill was excellent as usual.

This was my first hike in the area. I have recently moved here and joined my coworkers for a weekend hike. We did an easy trail and then started a slightly harder trail after. I returned midway and decided not to overdo at once. It was a wise decision. I was sitting by a bench entertained by the sounds of birds and nature things. It is centrally located for most. Fun Saturday morning! Nature friendly!

Ordered a few orchids online from them. They came very carefully and expertly packaged. Orchids had multiple flower spikes and were very healthy. Couldn’t be happier with my purchase.

The orchids are healthy and well-curated and the staff is friendly! The shop is a pleasant place to be full of blooming plants. (If you want to purchase from the selection on their website, be sure to place the order on the website beforehand as it takes them a couple hours to get the plants ready. If you don't want the plant after seeing it they will refund you).

Beautiful and very large park with plenty of wildlife (deer, coyotes, etc.). Very extensive network of trails with incredible views of the Bay from the upper ridge area. Nice nature center too, with some stuffed critters and live snakes!

My uncle and I decided to start hiking (mostly for health). This was our second hike. I'd never been to the preserve before (even though I used to live in PA), and he hadn't been in YEARS. So we drove there and learned no entry fee is required, but there is a place to leave a donation.

You enter near the lake. Trails do start around it, but my uncle and I didn't see any parking that wasn't labeled 10-min-only, so we drove up to the information center. There, we met two rangers who were SUPER nice and answered our questions and showed us to the maps.

From there, we set out on the Los Trancos trail, which was directly across a wide field from the center. The hike begins immediately, going across a charming wood bridge and then up, up, up a steep and windy trail. I have to admit it was a little freaky in parts because the ground was a little slippery (loose soil), and there were patches that competed with tree roots, making a wobbly beginning walk for newbie hikers (such as we).

However, we persevered and soon found the trail MUCH more bearable. And it was a LOVELY day for the hike. Perfect conditions. We met only a one hiker on the beginning portion, then met quite a few more toward the end. (I'm forgetting trail names and don't have my map handy. I'll try to remember to consult my map and put the correct names in later.)

Anyhow, it was a beautiful hike. Saw wild turkeys at the picnic tables and information center (SO cool!) and small lizards on the hike. We also HEARD plenty of birds on the hike, though I only saw a woodpecker.

I would absolutely recommend to anyone to try out this preserve. Great trails and splendid views.

BTW, I thought the pictures were loading from back to front, so I put them in starting at the end of the trail (the information center building) to the beginning of the trail (the trail marker WAY across the field from the information center). So if you want to "follow" the hike, you'll have to view the pics from the last to the first posted. Sorry 'bout that!

Brookside has a great selection of orchids purchased online. They can ship to you or you can pick up at the store. The orchids are healthy and the price is reasonable. It is fun to visit the store to see what is available on a weekly basis. They also have a huge selection of mounted orchids in the store.

Pretty nice place for hiking or picnic. Went there twice.. on one side there is a vista point you can view the bay, the other side has a valley with big meadow which reminds me the Yosemite valley. There is also a lake you can see water birds and people fishing. $6 to enter but it is much less crowded than Rancho where we could not find a parking spot on Sunday.

Im very Happy with my Orchids, very healthy and in full bloom after 1 week. The Guy at the Nursery has great costumer Service. Thank u!
I chose the type of orchid I wanted on their online website and showed UP at the nursery to pick it UP. Satisfied!

I am hollering! My orchids arrived and they are HUGE. Look at the pictures! I know I ordered 4" pots and read the details of the miltoniopsis in spike. 2 spikes! 2! My laelia--huge! I don't think I even have a pot big enough for it. Awesome! Shipped in time. Very well-packed. My new favorite orchid seller.