Stanford University Neighborhood and Surrounding Areas

Below are pictures of some of the areas surrounding Stanford University, with an emphasis on parks and trails.

Stanford Shopping Center

Next to Stanford University is Stanford Shopping Center. It is an upscale outdoor shopping mall, with anchor stores Macy's, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's, and Neiman Marcus. It has 140 other stores and restaurants. It was built in 1954 by Stanford University on land that was once Leland Stanford's vineyards. The university sold the center to a management company, but still owns the land underneath it and receives a portion of the center's profits.

Stanford Neighborhood Trails

Below are pictures of neighborhood trails between Stanford Avenue, Page Mill Road, and Junipero Serra Blvd.

Trail along Stanford Avenue

Stanford Avenue trail

Trail along Raimundo Way

Water-wise Garden by Raimundo Way

Neighborhood playground

Dirt trail along Page Mill Road

Sound wall and planters along Page Mill Road and Junipero Serra Blvd.

Trail along the wall at the corner of Page Mill Rd. and Junipero Serra Blvd.

Juana Briones Park on Arastradero Road, Maybell Ave., and Clemo Ave. The park honors Juana Briones de Miranda, who owned and managed a 4000 acre ranch in this area in the 1840's. There is a plaque here that tells the story of her life.

This is a cross-section of a 150-year-old oak tree that grew on Juana Briones' property. Year markers point to tree rings signifying significant milestones in Juana Briones' life and ranch.

The trail from Bol Park to Hanover Street.

In Palo Alto's Barron Park neighborhood is Cornelis Bol Park, named after the former owner of the property. He was a Stanford professor and inventor of the mercury vapor light. The land was once a donkey pasture. Children were given rides on the donkeys. After Cornelis Bol died, the land was purchased by the residents of Barron Park through a bond issue and turned into this park.

Matadero Creek flows along the east edge of Bol Park.

A paved bike path runs along the southwest edge of Bol Park.

The Matadero Creek Bridge at the south end of Bol Park.

Next to Bol Park is a corral with two donkeys, named Perry (short for Pericles) and Niner (short for Miner-49er). Donkeys have lived in this area since the 1930's. The current donkeys are cared for by volunteers and supported by donations to Acterra's Palo Alto Donkey Project. (Acterra also manages the Pearson-Arastradero Preserve.)

Niner is a standard donkey and is the larger of the two. Perry is a miniature and was used as a model for Donkey in the Shrek movies. The donkeys are taken for strolls through Bol Park every Sunday morning from 9:30 to 10:30 by volunteers.

Gunn High School is southeast of Bol Park. Paved trails run along both sides of it. This trail above is on the east side of the campus and leads to the school's parking lots.

This is the paved trail that runs along the west side of Gunn High School, passing very close to the athletic fields and stadium.

The trail passes by the Barron Creek Diversion Dam and debris basin. It collects debris from storm runoff and diverts floodwaters into a tunnel that flows under the trail.

This is the trail bridge over Barron Creek as it flows into the diversion structure. The trail ends on Miranda Avenue near the corner of Arastradero Road and Foothill Expressway.

Starting at the corner northwest corner of Arastradero Road and Foothill Expressway, a paved trail begins on the north side of Arastradero Road. It runs between the road and an industrial park. The trail is shaded periodically by oak trees.

After it passes Deer Creek Road, the trail becomes more rural, running next to hills grazed by horses and along the shady riparian corridor of Barron Creek.

The trail continues through the hills and ends at the intersection of Arastradero Road and Purissima Road. You can continue on Arastradero Road to Page Mill Road. Arastradero Road begins again a little farther west and leads to the entrance of Pearson-Arastradero Preserve.

South of Arastradero Road at the end of Old Adobe Road, between Fremont Road and Foothill Expressway, is a monument to Juana Briones' ranch. The site of her ranch house is at 4155 Old Adobe Road, and is privately-owned. The monument is located at the edge of Esther Clark Park.

Esther Clark Park is a 21-acre plot of undeveloped open space, surrounded by large homes. It is a popular place for equestrians and dog walkers. It was donated to the city of Palo Alto by Dr. Esther Clark, a pediatrician and founder of the Palo Alto Medical Clinic and the Children's Health Council.

Southwest of Arastradero Road, north of the Alta Mesa Cemetery, is Terman Park. It is a 7.7-acre park with playing fields and trails next to Adobe Creek. The park was named after Stanford psychologist Lewis Terman, who studied gifted children. The trail above runs along the edge of the park and ends at a bridge over Adobe Creek.

A paved trail runs between Terman Park and the Alta Mesa Cemetery and ends at Arastradero Road.

In the other direction, the trail runs east into Los Altos and ends at Los Altos Avenue.

In Los Altos Hills, along Fremont Road, is the Los Altos Hills Town Hall. Next to is the Heritage House and a field with old farm equipment. Above them are advanced solar energy panels.

In the town of Los Altos, along University Avenue, is Shoup Park. The park has playgrounds, lawns, a senior center, and redwood-shaded picnic areas.

Shoup Park has this large bronze statue, called "Cradle of Liberty," which honors American soldiers.

Farther down University Avenue is the 5.9-acre Redwood Grove Nature Preserve. Boardwalks lead through the preserve between the redwood trees.

This bridge crosses over usually-dry Adobe Creek.