Buteo jamaicensis -Shoreline Park-8.jpg
Don DeBold · CC BY-SA 2.0

A3W–A2E, 5 lakes is a 13.1-mile out-and-back in Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge near The Greenhouse, CA. The route passes A2E, Sunnyvale WPCP East Pond and Sunnyvale WPCP West Pond before reaching A3W at the turnaround, 6.5 miles in. It is mostly level, with 0 ft of elevation gain. It scores 1/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi0 – 23 ft13.6 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 37.43200, -122.08760
Nearest town The Greenhouse, CA

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

A3W–A2E, 5 lakes

13.1 mi · ▲ 0 ft · 4 hr 22 min

Elevation -0–22 ft

Out & Back · Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge

Trailhead: 37.43200, -122.08760

Weather Aug 4: sunrise 6:16 AM · sunset 8:15 PM

Toilets at the trailhead · Drinking water at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading NE.
  2. 50 ftContinue straight onto San Francisco Bay Trail, heading E.
  3. 1.2 miTurn left, heading SE.
  4. 350 ftSharp right onto Stevens Creek Trail, heading SE.
  5. 1.6 miPass A2E.
  6. 2.5 miPass Sunnyvale WPCP East Pond.
  7. 50 ftPass Sunnyvale WPCP West Pond.
  8. 250 ftSharp left onto San Francisco Bay Trail, heading NE.
  9. 1.2 miReach A3W, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  10. 1.2 miSharp right, heading NE.
  11. 4.1 miSharp left, heading S.
  12. 1.2 miArrive back at the trailhead.

Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.

Trail surface

45% gravel19% dirt18% paved1% boardwalk17% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:16 AMSunset 8:15 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 5.4 mi in (~129 min). Leave by 5:45 PM for the 8:15 PM sunset. Back at your car by 10:39 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Toilets at the trailhead
  • Drinking water at the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Other ways to reach this destination

More from this trailhead