Completed: July 1, 2023 | Elevation: 1,619′ | Trail: West Ridge Trail to Redwood Peak | Distance: 1.1 miles
The weekend leading up to July 4 was a warm one across the Bay Area but that didn’t deter us from getting out there and trying to knock off a few more Nifty Ninety peaks. Fortunately, there were still a few well-forested hikes remaining on our list, and Redwood Peak fit the bill perfectly. We didn’t have to drive far – it’s located in Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park, a relatively short 30-minute drive across the bay in Oakland – and the entire hike was under the canopy of towering coast redwoods.
We started from the Redwood Bowl Staging Area, which had ample parking, and headed out on a paved walkway. It quickly turned into a dirt trail that continued alongside the Redwood Bowl picnic area. When we reached the far end of the field we arrived at the junction of the West Ridge and Madrone Trails and turned left towards Redwood Peaks Trail.
Instead of turning onto the trail, we followed a spur toward the summit. We made a gradual ascent and ended at a cluster of boulders which marked the top of Redwood Peak. It had been an easy 1.1 mile hike to the summit, taking us less than 30-minutes. Considering that’s how long it had taken us to drive here, we decided to tack on a 1.3-mile loop before heading back to the car.
We retraced our steps to Redwood Peak Trail and this time, turned onto it. The trail descended steeply into the canyon. A half mile later we finally reached the bottom. The redwoods towered over us in all directions and we wondered if we had stepped back in time.
Since we had come down pretty far, we had dreading the hike back, but surprisingly, the Madrone Trail didn’t feel as steep as expected going up. It was still a good workout, though, and despite the shade, we were both soaking by the time we exited the canyon. At the trail junction, we followed the sign back to Redwood Bowl, and as soon as we left the forest and stepped out onto the parking lot, we could feel the temperature rise by several degrees. After airing out the car, we hurried back to the cooler climes of San Francisco.
Follow our progress bagging the Bay Area’s Nifty Ninety here.
Coda
We could have kept this as a relatively easy out-and-back hike, but I’m glad we ventured deep into the canyon. It felt like we had entered into the heart of the forest. Standing among these young giants, we could only imagine what this place must have looked like before the original old-growth trees were logged. Anywhere that redwoods are found is a special place, and this one was no different. It’s definitely a park worth coming back to.
