Toward the trails near Wild Horse Valley, two Palo Alto residents, who declined to provide their names, said they opposed opening the park to nonresidents on the grounds that the city's residents are the ones who pay the taxes for the park's maintenance and that it isn't fair for everyone else to use the space without paying.
Several other park visitors from Palo Alto didn't express opposition to the park going public as much as apprehension about sharing a beloved place with newcomers.
Verdant moss-covered trees await hikers on the Steep Hollow Trail at Foothills Park. Photo by Kate Bradshaw.