Skyline Gate at Redwood Regional Park

Encompassing 1,829 acres of the canyon carved by Redwood Creek and its surrounding ridges, Redwood Regional Park sits stately above the city of Oakland providing an instant oasis of natural beauty and recreation for residents of the East Bay. The expansive forests of coastal redwood trees for which the park was named are still majestic, despite the fact that they are all adolescents considering the centuries long lifespans attained by these amazing resilient sequoia trees. The area was made of logging camps with rail transport during the 1800s and, unfortunately for us, every last one of the old-growth trees was chopped down during that time. Apparently there was a tree so enormous in the Oakland hills that sailors knew to line it up by site with Treasure Island in order to safely navigate their way through the Golden Gate.

Skyline Gate is the main trailhead at the Northern end of the park along Skyline Blvd. The three trails that begin here are the West Ridge Trail, the East Ridge Trail, and in between them the Stream Trail. The Stream Trail will take you down into a wonderland of secluded nature with several beautiful trails off-shooting from that main one. On this particular trip, oaktownman took the West Ridge Trail which is scenic and full of local dog-walkers and bicyclists.

Looking east towards Contra Costa County from the West Ridge Trail

A native madrone tree - also known as a "refrigerator tree" due to coolness of the inner bark even during hot weather.

The edge of one of many redwood forests scattered about the park.

The French Trail — another gateway into a deeper more fairy-like area of the park.

A big rock formation off the West Ridge Trail.

The cool and sweet-smelling Sequoia Sempervirens

Skyline Gate at Redwood Regional Park

www.ebparks.org/parks/redwood

8500 Skyline Boulevard, Oakland