Stanford Dish Area

A popular jogging and walking area next to Stanford University is the Dish Area. It is a large area of open space southeast of the Stanford Campus. It is owned by Stanford, but is open to the public, with restrictions. It is called the Dish Area because of the large antenna dishes that dominate the hilltops. The Dish Area is along Junipero Serra Blvd. It has 3 entrances along the road, across from Stanford Avenue, Frenchmans Road, and Gerona Road. It has a west entrance on Alpine Road.

At the entrance, a sign explains the rules and lists the trail mileages.

Jogger and walkers by the entry trail at Stanford Avenue and Junipero Serra Blvd. The hay sculptures are called "Makin' Hay" by Jim Otterness. They were installed on the hill in 2005. Moffett Field is in the background.

The east end of the Lower Road trail near the Dish Road junction

Walkers on the Lower Road trail, Stanford Stadium, and downtown Palo Alto (upper left)

Heading up the east side of the Dish Road trail

Walkers halfway up the Dish Road climb

Near the top of the Dish Road. Hoover Tower and Stanford University are in the center.

View looking towards Moffett Field (upper left), Veterans Administration Hospital by Foothill Expressway (center left), Page Mill Road (center), Coyote Hill Road (right)

View looking up the Peninsula along the length of the Dish Area

Antennas along the east side of the Dish Area

Small dish antenna

The Big Dish

"The Dish" was buit in the 1960's by SRI International, which still operates and maintains it for the US Government, which owns it. It is 150 feet in diameter. It has been used for spacecraft communications and radio astronomy.

'
View south towards I-280, Felt Lake, Arastradero Preserve, and the Santa Cruz Mountains

The trail behind the big dish leads to Alpine Road

I-280 (left), trail to Alpine road (right, center)

View from the Big Dish of the Dish Road Trail, Hoover Tower, the Dumbarton Bridge, the East Bay hills, and Mt. Diablo.

Joggers heading down the west side of the Dish Road trail

View west of the Stanford University Golf Course, the Peninsula, and the San Mateo Bridge

Water tank with solar panels

Heading down the west side of the Dish Road Trail

Looking west towards Alpine Road, I-280

The lower part of the west Dish Road trail, approaching the Gerona Road entrance

Looking back up the hills towards the Big Dish from the Lower Road trail

Looking east down the Lower Road trail

The slopes above the Lower Road trail

Approaching the east end of the Lower Road trail, by the Frenchmans Road gate, which is off to the left. The junction with the east Dish Road trail is at the upper right.

Pictures taken by Ron Horii in February-March, 2007. Page created by Ron Horii, 11/17/08.