Some places just make you feel good. Let’s talk about one of my favorites.
I was lucky enough to work for our city-run day camp for a couple of summers when I was a teenager. We took the little kids to our local beach, but the older kids came with us up to the redwoods in Oakland. Besides the good memories of really long hikes and lots of crafts and my friend Mir’s amazing vegetarian taco salad, the park is just a really lovely oasis in the middle of an extremely urban area (I’m absolutely positive that when I say “Oakland!” you don’t say “park!”)
Besides seeing all the amazing coastal redwood trees, this park has all the regular park things: hiking, picnics, new nature trails I’d never seen before…
From what I understand, Redwood Creek used to be a real, high body of water. People used rope swings to move from bank to bank! Sadly, the creek habitat has diminished over the years and fences have been put up to help protect it. You can see the tiny puddles which make up the creek in the area just off of Stream Trail (the main paved trail which leads from the parking lots through the park) in the picture below. Can you find the large puddle in the bottom right?
The current Old Church picnic area is built on the foundation of an actual old church that used to stand here when the park was a logging area. About 15 years ago you could cross a bridge to a larger grove across the creek with an amphitheater, but the area eroded along with the creek. They’ve created this new amphitheater just across the way which would be fun for an impromptu outdoor talent show along with your BBQ’d hot dogs!
The beauty of this park is the quiet, the smell, the isolation. It feels like you’re far away when, in fact, you’re close enough to grab some deli sandwiches from Safeway down the road on the way home.
TIPS:
– The entrance to the park can be difficult to find on the curvy road from Skyline Blvd since the brown sign blends nicely into the scenery. Look for the yellow sign indicating a road coming up on the left, the entrance will look like this:
– There are parking fees on the weekends/holidays from April through October. Make sure you bring some cash!
– If you’re looking to make a day of your trip, two of my favorite activities in the area: Woodminster (an outdoor summer musical locale in the park across the way) and the Chabot Space and Science Center (a planetarium!)
– The Stream Trail is easily walked by all levels, but you might want to leave the bike at home since they are only allowed for less than a mile. The Ridge trails (both East Ridge and West Ridge) are wonderful for amazing views of the area, but can be challenging. The French Trail is almost 8 miles and a great option for a day hike, with bathrooms and picnic spots at intervals along the way. (It’s been a while since I hiked all the trails, but a quick Google search will help you find CRAZY run/hikes and normal ones.)
Redwood Regional Park
7867 Redwood Road
Oakland, CA 94619
Open daily: 5am to 10pm
