Not too long ago, I went hiking with some friends at the Edgewood Park, a smallish park off of Highway 280 in Redwood city. With 467 acres of woodlands and grasslands, Edgewood Park is supposed to have a magnificent display of wildflowers in spring. As part of the Bay Area Trail Running series that I started this past summer, I decided to go back there and map out a 9-mile crisscrossed loop that touches most of the trails in this park. It was early AM on a weekend and maybe because it was a little cold and foggy, I didn’t have any problems finding parking.

Edgewood Park and Preserve

This 9-mile loop with a total elevation gain of 1,322ft is a moderately difficult run. Many of the trails on Edgewood Park are equestrian friendly, except for the Sylvan Loop Trail. In order to minimize repetitive runs on the same trails (in the same direction), this crisscrossed loop takes you out of the park briefly on a short stretch of blacktop along Cañada Road.

 

From the entrance, start on Sylvan Trail which is a nice shaded single track. The Sylvan Loop starts to climb up in earnest with a series of switchbacks that lead up to Franciscan Trail. Cross the service road on Franciscan Trail to connect up to Edgewood Trail. With beautiful vistas of the Bay Area, Edgewood Trail is a series of rolling hills. From here make a left onto the service road leading up to Serpentine Trail and then head up the Ridgeview Loop. This takes you to the highest point on this park which is around 800 ft and then back again to Edgewood Trail.

Follow the trail under the overpass (Highway 280) and make a left on Cañada Road. I didn’t realize that the Filoli Gardens are right here. The Clarkia Trail entrance is a bit hard to find, but it’s to your left, immediately after you go under the freeway. Make a left on Serpentine Loop which runs along the freeway at the base of the hills. From here take a right for a second pass through Ridgeview Loop, only in the reverse direction. For the home stretch, hop on Old Stage Road (a service road) which connects up to Edgewood Road to get back to the park entrance.

Have you run in Edgewood Park before? What’s your favorite route?

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