Address: (Approx. to free parking lot at Redwood Bowl): 10199 Skyline Blvd, Oakland, CA
(Approx. to main entrance/fee to park): 7701 Redwood Road, Oakland, CA
(Approx. to free parking at Trudeau Center parking lot): 37.803424, -122.177555
(Approx. to free parking lot at Skyline Gate Staging Area): 37.831405, -122.185647
(Approx. to free parking in the pullout at Pinehurst Staging Area): 37.801072, -122.135984
(Approx. to free parking lot at Big Bear Staging Area): 37.799037, -122.154041
Parking: See above for options to park at 3 (free) spots or the lower main entrance (paid lot). Fee at paid lot is $5 per vehicle and
$2 per dog (Apr-Oct on weekends/holidays)
Hours: 5 A.M. to 10 P.M. (Redwood Bowl Parking lot closes at 5PM)
Type: Hike (moderate)
Regulations: Dogs allowed off-leash if under voice control on most trails, but must be leashed on Stream Trail and Serpentine Prairie Trail. Fine is $300+ for off-leash dog.
Best time to visit: Anytime; you can find a shady trail to hike even during Summer
Don't miss: The ladybugs! Foggy mornings! The mushrooms! And French/ Tres Sendas Trails! More info below.
Description: Redwood Regional Park is one of my all-time favorite hiking spots, and I've been hiking it for over a decade! This park has over 1,800 acres of forest and so many trails that you'll have to come back quite a few times to explore them all. In one hike you can go from grasslands, to sunny trails on the ridge, to shady redwood-lined trails that snake down into the valley floor. This park has several entrances and it's main entrance on Redwood Road leads to family-friendly BBQ pits, picnic tables and grass fields. Once you leave the picnic area, your dog is free to roam off-leash for miles. Should you choose to start at the main Redwood Road entrance, it starts out flat and you can take the Stream Trail, which goes on for miles. The trail starts out paved and then opens up to a dirt trail. You can take just about any of the trails that merge with it, and make a loop back to where you started. There are a lot of redwood trees along the trail, and it also runs along the stream, so it’s a scenic, mostly shaded, easy hike.
I prefer to park near Redwood Bowl, as there is a safe, free parking lot there. From this entrance, you can walk down to Redwood Bowl and play ball with your dog in a huge, open field. Several trails branch off from this point. One of my favorite routes is down Madrone, up French Trail, to Tres Sendas. From there, you can follow the West Ridge Trail back to where you started. This is a challenging hike but well worth it. It is mostly shaded and looks incredible after a rain.
If you're hiking in the evening, I recommend starting at the parking lot at the Trudeau Center, as the Redwood Bowl parking lot closes at 5pm. The parking lot at the Trudeau Center is safe because they have security cameras. The surrounding trails are wide open and have less tree coverage, which makes it easier to see as the sun is going down. It also has some great views of the bay. I always run into plenty of other hikers up until at least 6pm, and I've never felt unsafe hiking here in the evening.
I recently discovered the Pinehurst Staging Area, which starts at the bottom of the East Ridge Trail and leads to Skyline gate or down to Stream Trail. This entrance has a pullout off of Pinehurst Rd, past the main entrance to the park. It also has beautiful views of Lake Chabot.
Mushrooms: In January and February I often find mushrooms in Redwood Regional Park. I've seen them every year along Graham Trail. If you start off of Skyline Blvd and take Dunn Trail up, then make a left up to Graham Trail, you should find them to your left of the trail after about a quarter mile.
Ladybugs: During winter, you may be in for a treat if you find the millions of ladybugs that cluster all over trees, logs and bushes. I've heard that you can spot them from November until February, but I usually find the most ladybugs around December. However, this varies by year. The ladybugs come from the coast every year to hibernate and breed, but no one is sure why they come to this exact spot. You can find clusters scattered throughout the park, but I usually find the most on the Stream Trail, between Eucalyptus and Prince. On my most recent hike, I found them above Eucalyptus, right before the Girl's Camp. The quickest way to get to that spot is by starting at the Skyline Gate Staging Area. Unfortunately you will have to leash your dog on the Stream Trail, but if you start your hike at Redwood Bowl you can give your dog a couple miles to run off leash before then.
Fog: Our favorite hikes are early mornings on foggy days. Hiking through the towering redwoods, half enveloped in fog, and a light mist, is really a surreal experience. We were lucky enough to have some of these days in July this year. If it's a gloomy morning, look up in the hills, and if you see fog, the trails are going to be amazing! We always start at Redwood Bowl and find that Redwood Peak Trail is one of the more scenic trails to experience the fog. You can also find a foggy section of the West Ridge Trail, past Madrone Trail, which is lined with trees that seem to eerily encircle you as you hike down the trail.
This park has restrooms, running water and plenty of trash cans. Not all entrances have restrooms or running water near the parking area, so check the EBParks map. Running water and flushing toilets are available in Redwood Bowl.
(Approx. to main entrance/fee to park): 7701 Redwood Road, Oakland, CA
(Approx. to free parking at Trudeau Center parking lot): 37.803424, -122.177555
(Approx. to free parking lot at Skyline Gate Staging Area): 37.831405, -122.185647
(Approx. to free parking in the pullout at Pinehurst Staging Area): 37.801072, -122.135984
(Approx. to free parking lot at Big Bear Staging Area): 37.799037, -122.154041
Parking: See above for options to park at 3 (free) spots or the lower main entrance (paid lot). Fee at paid lot is $5 per vehicle and
$2 per dog (Apr-Oct on weekends/holidays)
Hours: 5 A.M. to 10 P.M. (Redwood Bowl Parking lot closes at 5PM)
Type: Hike (moderate)
Regulations: Dogs allowed off-leash if under voice control on most trails, but must be leashed on Stream Trail and Serpentine Prairie Trail. Fine is $300+ for off-leash dog.
Best time to visit: Anytime; you can find a shady trail to hike even during Summer
Don't miss: The ladybugs! Foggy mornings! The mushrooms! And French/ Tres Sendas Trails! More info below.
Description: Redwood Regional Park is one of my all-time favorite hiking spots, and I've been hiking it for over a decade! This park has over 1,800 acres of forest and so many trails that you'll have to come back quite a few times to explore them all. In one hike you can go from grasslands, to sunny trails on the ridge, to shady redwood-lined trails that snake down into the valley floor. This park has several entrances and it's main entrance on Redwood Road leads to family-friendly BBQ pits, picnic tables and grass fields. Once you leave the picnic area, your dog is free to roam off-leash for miles. Should you choose to start at the main Redwood Road entrance, it starts out flat and you can take the Stream Trail, which goes on for miles. The trail starts out paved and then opens up to a dirt trail. You can take just about any of the trails that merge with it, and make a loop back to where you started. There are a lot of redwood trees along the trail, and it also runs along the stream, so it’s a scenic, mostly shaded, easy hike.
I prefer to park near Redwood Bowl, as there is a safe, free parking lot there. From this entrance, you can walk down to Redwood Bowl and play ball with your dog in a huge, open field. Several trails branch off from this point. One of my favorite routes is down Madrone, up French Trail, to Tres Sendas. From there, you can follow the West Ridge Trail back to where you started. This is a challenging hike but well worth it. It is mostly shaded and looks incredible after a rain.
If you're hiking in the evening, I recommend starting at the parking lot at the Trudeau Center, as the Redwood Bowl parking lot closes at 5pm. The parking lot at the Trudeau Center is safe because they have security cameras. The surrounding trails are wide open and have less tree coverage, which makes it easier to see as the sun is going down. It also has some great views of the bay. I always run into plenty of other hikers up until at least 6pm, and I've never felt unsafe hiking here in the evening.
I recently discovered the Pinehurst Staging Area, which starts at the bottom of the East Ridge Trail and leads to Skyline gate or down to Stream Trail. This entrance has a pullout off of Pinehurst Rd, past the main entrance to the park. It also has beautiful views of Lake Chabot.
Mushrooms: In January and February I often find mushrooms in Redwood Regional Park. I've seen them every year along Graham Trail. If you start off of Skyline Blvd and take Dunn Trail up, then make a left up to Graham Trail, you should find them to your left of the trail after about a quarter mile.
Ladybugs: During winter, you may be in for a treat if you find the millions of ladybugs that cluster all over trees, logs and bushes. I've heard that you can spot them from November until February, but I usually find the most ladybugs around December. However, this varies by year. The ladybugs come from the coast every year to hibernate and breed, but no one is sure why they come to this exact spot. You can find clusters scattered throughout the park, but I usually find the most on the Stream Trail, between Eucalyptus and Prince. On my most recent hike, I found them above Eucalyptus, right before the Girl's Camp. The quickest way to get to that spot is by starting at the Skyline Gate Staging Area. Unfortunately you will have to leash your dog on the Stream Trail, but if you start your hike at Redwood Bowl you can give your dog a couple miles to run off leash before then.
Fog: Our favorite hikes are early mornings on foggy days. Hiking through the towering redwoods, half enveloped in fog, and a light mist, is really a surreal experience. We were lucky enough to have some of these days in July this year. If it's a gloomy morning, look up in the hills, and if you see fog, the trails are going to be amazing! We always start at Redwood Bowl and find that Redwood Peak Trail is one of the more scenic trails to experience the fog. You can also find a foggy section of the West Ridge Trail, past Madrone Trail, which is lined with trees that seem to eerily encircle you as you hike down the trail.
This park has restrooms, running water and plenty of trash cans. Not all entrances have restrooms or running water near the parking area, so check the EBParks map. Running water and flushing toilets are available in Redwood Bowl.
Recommended Loops (with trail stats):
West Ridge>Redwood Peak>Starflower>Madrone>West Ridge
Length: Approx. 2.5 miles
Elevation Gain: Approx. 500 ft
Park at Robert's Redwood Bowl. This loop is almost entirely shaded, includes some breathtaking trails, and can be hiked in about an hour (or faster if you're in great shape). I love that that loop takes you down into the beautiful valley and then back up, for a steep hike to the ridge. It's a short hike but a great workout.
Length: Approx. 2.5 miles
Elevation Gain: Approx. 500 ft
Park at Robert's Redwood Bowl. This loop is almost entirely shaded, includes some breathtaking trails, and can be hiked in about an hour (or faster if you're in great shape). I love that that loop takes you down into the beautiful valley and then back up, for a steep hike to the ridge. It's a short hike but a great workout.
Serpentine Prarie>Dunn>Baccharis>West Ridge>Graham>Dunn Trail
Length: Approx. 3 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,600 ft
Park at the Trudeau Center. This hike starts up on the ridge, goes down into the valley and back up. It has several steep stretches.
Length: Approx. 3 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,600 ft
Park at the Trudeau Center. This hike starts up on the ridge, goes down into the valley and back up. It has several steep stretches.
