LAHills Aerials

Following is a series of aerial images of Los Altos Hills. There are two distinct sequences - first viewed from Highway 280 and looking west toward the hills, then secondly flying back north along 280 and looking east towards the bay.

We start by flying south, starting roughly at Page Mill and 280, and continuing to the southern border of town. Then we make a right-hand 180° turn which brings us back over the Neary quarry and Foothill College, and so back to 280 to head north again to Page Mill Road.

Each image overlaps with the next to some degree, so there is a lot of redundancy bewtween one image and the next, but they have all been included here as any given image may be preferable to its neighbor depending on what exactly you are interested in.

To view a given image, click in the blue boxes to the right of each description. Clicking on "Screen size" will show a picture that is 1000 pixels wide (will fill the screen of the most common computers) and it is recommended you choose this size first to get an idea of what you are looking at. If you want to look at a given picture in greater detail, click on the "Full size" and an image 3 times the width and height (i.e. 9 times larger) will be shown - this will not fit on your screen and you will have to scroll around to see the whole image. In either case, if you do not have a broadband internet connection (e.g. DSL or Cable) it is not recommended that you do this, as the image could take quite some time to download.

These pictures were taken in the fall of 2005 (just before the start of the rainy season) so grassy hillsides are not green but rather "California Gold" in color.

7262	Starting just north of Page Mill Road and flying directly over 280, the main feature in this picture is the Arastra property (note the parking lot with the new buildings) with the brilliant green of the Palo Alto golf club just above it. Page Mill Road can be seen snaking its way into the hills - if you look carefully you can see "The Hill" of Byrne Preserve with the Oak Tree cluster at its summit (upper part of picture, about a 1/3rd of the way in from the left). At the exterme upper left of the picture we can just see a piece of 280 near Foothill College.
7263	Almost the same picture as the previous, but we are a little further south and now you can see the "Liddicoat Lane" area and more of Page Mill Road just after the 280 intersection. The Byrne Preserve summit with its cluster of Oak trees is remarkably prominent at the top of the picture (bare circle of ground with trees in center).
7264	Taken from nearly the same vantage point, but now our view is in a more southerly direction - looking down 280 which is on the left of the picture. The road coming in from the left about 1/4 of the way up from bottom of picture is Saddle Mountain. This road disappears briefly as it loops round the summit of the hill and then reappears further on. To the left we can make out a horse arena with large associated barn. This is is an easy landmark to spot and useful as a reference point in some subsequent pictures.
7265	Near the top right of the picture we can see the right-hand curve of Page Mill just before Alexis, and where Three Forks exits to the left. At the botton of the picture slightly left of center, we can see the V-shaped "Flying Wing" house on Saddle Court with Moon Lane just beyond it. Beyond that we can make out Lupine Road and Via Feliz which runs just below the bare hillside to the left of the curve in Page Mill.
7266	Almost the same picture as before but now zoomed in slightly. The prominent bare hillside in the middle of the lower part of the picture is located at the end of Fawn Creek Court. Lupine Road comes into the picture about half-way up the left edge.
7267	A little further south and with a wider angle, we can see 280 on the left, Saddle Mountain Drive enters the picture at the middle of the bottom edge and makes a left-hand jog at the summit of the hill. Just to the left of this we can see a large piece of clear hillside property and almost directly above that (about half-way up the picture) the riding arena and associated large barn make an easily recognizable landmark.
7268	Looking from just a little bit south of the previous image, the riding arena and large barn help orient us again. To its immediate left we can see Elena Rd curving up the hill. Above it in the middle distance, the bare patch of ground with Oak trees is the "crown" of Byrne Preserve.
7269	Bottom left we can see the Little League baseball fields just east of Highway 280 - and just east of that the swimming pool at Fremont Hills Country Club and tennis courts beyond that. Using the riding arena and associated large barn again as a reference point, we can see Elena Road curving to the left and Natoma branching right to go past Poor Clare's and on to Black Mountain. Altamont Road can just be made out in the distance where it skirts Byrne Preserve.
7270	At the bottom of the picture we can see Elena Road just as it come out from under 280. There is the start of a long driveway to the right, and Elena curves to the left past the cul-de-sac with the large barn and riding arena clearly visible in the middle of the picture. Elena Road continues to the left past its junction with Natoma which heads off into the distance with Poor Clare's on its left. Near the top right of the picture we can still see the curve in Page Mill Road as it passes Three Forks and goes on towards the junction with Alexis.
7271	Now we turn our view more southwards where we can see the stretch between Page Mill and El Monte. Top right we can still see Byrne Preserve, but now we can also make out the orchards on the Packard property. Just off 280 is a sunken area with a service-road access - I have no idea what this is about and wasn't really aware this existed. Anybody know what this is about? Probably something to do with Caltrans...or a CHP hidey-hole where they can take a lunch break.
7272	Very similar to previous image, but now we are closer to the Packard property with its orchards (Slightly grey-colored terrain). The stretch of Altamont Road that goes along the summit of Byrne Preserve is visible, as is the "Hidden Villa" valley beyond it and slightly to the left. At the bottom of the picture (about 1/3 rd of the way from the left) we can see La Barranca coming out from under 280 to join Elena just before the latter makes a wide meander on its way to Foothill College.
7273	Moving slightly further south, bottom left corner we can see the end of Purissima Road where it approaches 280 to form a "T" with Robleda which goes under the freeway. To the right of this we see La Barranca again, coming up from the bottom of the picture to meet Elena whose wide "S" bend is clearly visible just below the Packard Orchard. The green patch near the left-hand edge of the picture is the Foothill College baseball field.
7274	Again we move slightly further south to where La Barranca is now at the extreme right bottom of the picture and in the left bottom corner we can more clearly see Robleda where it has passed under 280 on its way to meet Elena. The tortuous path of the latter can now be made out along its length from La Barranca to Robleda and then going on towards Foothill College. The Packard orchards now also feature prominently in the image - they appear as two distinct orchards on two distinct hills separated by a forested valley.
7275	Now we are opposite Foothill College and the green of the baseball diamonds is now in the center of the picture. We can see Moody Road curving around the College on its way to Hidden Villa, and beyond it in the distance to the left we can now see the former "Neary Quarry".
7276	Bottom feft we can see the green of the main athletic field at Foothill College. Just above and opposite this field we can see Stonebrook Drive where it starts at Moody Rd and makes its way to Kate Drive just this side of the former quarry which is filled with water. Note the closest ridge of the coastal range which is very distinct and forms the backdrop to this part of town.
7277	Almost the same picture as before but zoomed in slightly. The circular road just this side of the quarry and to the left is Oak Knoll Circle.
7278	We have now moved south of Foothill College whose car parks can still just be seen bottom right. We are now looking at the section of town between El Monte and Magdalena with Stonebrook Court forming the main thoroughfare. On the ridge behind the quarry we can just make out the houses at the very fringes of the town's southern boundary - at the very furthest reaches of Magdalena.
7279	A closer view of "Neary Quarry" and environs. The circular road is Oak Knoll Circle which comes off Stonebrook Drive. The latter continues on to Kate Drive which skirts in front of the quarry and to the left. Stonebrook Drive goes on to pass the quarry on the right and then loops behind it to the left, to eventually go on and meet with with the upper reaches of Magdalena.
7280	Moving south of the quarry, we can see the houses situated along Magdalena which is coming up from the bottom of the image.
7281	Finaly at the very far southern reach of the town, we look back along the ridge that forms the backdrop to the rest of Los Altos Hills, the main part of which has now disappeared behind us.

7329	Before actualy reaching 280, we get the opportunity to look at the Neary quarry from the opposite side - this time looking approximately north toward 280.
7330	The area just below the center of this picture is dominated by Foothill College, stretching from the green of the main athletic field on the right to some parking lots on the left. Just a little bit closer to us we can see Stonebrook Court (formerly Morgan Manor)
7331	Now we cross over the northernmost parking lot of Foothill College. Across the highway we can see the O'Keefe Open Space that abuts the highway. Notice also that this flight occurs just as the Pistachio tree have turned fiery red - they are very noticeable all over town in a number of subsequent pictures.
7332	Bottom right we can just see the last parking lot of Foothill College, and bottom right we can see where Purissima ends at Robleda just before the latter goes under 280. The "Little White Church" can just be made out on this side of the highway.
7333	Glancing back as we fly over, we can see most of the central core of the Foothill College campus.
7334	The two roads forming a "V" here are Purissima (top) and Highway 280 (bottom). Leading away into the distance off Purissima is La Paloma with Concepcion just visible further to the left on its way to Town Hall..
7335	Here we take a closer look at where Robleda goes underneath 280 with Purissima leading into it from the left. The "Little White Church" with its steeple is clearly visible just to the right on this side of 280.
7337	Near the bottom of the picture we can see La Barranca going underneath Highway 280, while the road immediately to its right is Concepcion curving to the left on its way to the junction of Fremont and Town Hall. On the left we can now see the tennis courts of the Fremont Hills Country Club.
7338	Looking back a bit, we can now make out a considerable stretch of Purissima, all the way from its intersection with La Barranca (extreme left) as it passes Concepcion and La Paloma on to where it meets Robleda and 280 (extreme right)
7339	Clearly visible in the lower part of the picture are the Fremont Hills tennis courts, the pool and their riding arena. Just below this and to the left are the Little League baseball fields and the town ring.
7340	Leading off the largest of the baseball diamonds (at bottom of picture) we can see Viscaino Road leading up to La Cresta. In the distance we can just make out Pinewood School on Fremont, and the yellow patch of ground beyond that is Esther Clark Park on the border with Palo Alto.
7341	Almost the same view - beyond Esther Clark Park in the distance we can just make out Alta Mesa Cemetary with Arastradero/Charleston Road just to its left. In the distance is the bay.
7342	Bottom Left where Highway 280 curves round, the lighter-colored road surface is where Arastradero goes under the highway and climbs up towards Saddle Mountain. Beyond that are the bare hills of the Stanford property along Arastradero Road and abutting the industrial park.
7343	Bottom right is the top end of Purissima where it goes past the Little League fields and the junction with Viscaino. Check out all the Pistachio trees in this part of town...
7344	Almost the same view but now we can make out the green of Pinewood School more clearly on Fremont with the yellow of Esther Clark Park behind it.
7345	Finaly we pass over where Arastradero goes underneath Highway 280 on its way to Foothill Expressway and Gunn High School opposite Alta mesa Cemetary with Stanford Industrial Park on the left.