Redwood Regional Park

Near: Oakland
Distance: 5 miles
Elevation: 500 - 1,000 ft
Vegetation: Redwood Forest
Last Trip: August 2018

On warm summer days, Redwood Regional Park offers some the coolest most shaded paths in the East Bay.  It's not quite Muir Woods, but the park has several nice stands of relatively mature redwoods.  In particular the stream trail along the creek in the deep central valley of the park and the french trail along the southwest slope of that valley are almost entirely covered in redwoods.  On balance this park might be the best place in the state to get your fill of these stately trees with a dog.

Rules

Dogs must be on leash on some trails, marked as such.  Mostly around the creek running through the park.  Voice control is OK on most trails, though.  Day use fee required if parking in certain places, though not if you park outside the park.  Camping is allowed in select areas with a reservation.

Trailhead

There are a couple free trailheads for the park, but we usually start at Redwood Gate, on Redwood Road east of Skyline Ave in the Oakland hills.  There's a $5.00 parking fee and $2.00 dog fee at this gate.  The main parking area is at the very end of the entrance road, and lots of overflow parking in dirt lots along the road.

Route

Caltopo map https://caltopo.com/m/5EJ1
A nice trailmap is also available on the EB parks website.





The loop mapped here follows the busiest trail in the park, the Stream Trail, through the densest woods along the main creek for 2 miles of gentle climb, then turns and climbs steeply up the Tres Sendas and Star Flower trails to the French which returns back down the valley rolling up and down but staying about halfway up the slope in dense trees.  Return to the valley floor by the Orchard Trail.  On a busy day you can often avoid the crowds on the Stream Trail by following the Bridal Trail, a small track paralleling the creek about 20 feet up slope.  Both the Stream and Bridle Trails require dogs to be on a leash, though.

A side trail switchbacking up the valley from the French Trail.