From my Hikes column at the Mercury News.

Early birds get the trails to themselves at Sanborn-Skyline, the popular Santa Clara County park just west of Saratoga.

While the early hikers get the best rewards at pretty much any park, Sanborn-Skyline is notable for the contrast between getting there when the dew’s still wet on the grass and showing up later in the day.

A typical Saturday afternoon at Sanborn-Skyline might see a wedding reception, a family reunion and a half-dozen large cookouts all happening on the park’s main grounds. Busy, crowded, noisy. With an 8 a.m. sharp start, however, you might get to see a couple of young deer casually grazing within a stone’s throw of the park’s visitor center, as I did the last weekend in June. Quiet, calm – you know, what you go hiking to find.

More Sanborn-Skyline coverage here and here.