By Sam Stow, Path Projects family. Huddart Park is the home of some of my favorite trails on the Bay Area Peninsula. This park is a gateway to a massive network of trails off of Skyline Boulevard and the heart of trail running in Silicon Valley.
Summary
Located just next to Woodside, California, a short drive from Redwood City and Menlo Park, you will find Huddart Park and its neighbouring Phleger Estate to the north. This park is a gateway to a massive network of trails off of Skyline Boulevard and the heart of trail running in Silicon Valley. It has a page on Strava.
Having resided in Redwood City this was and continues to be one of my favorite local trail running locations, with beautifully well maintained, soft, flowing single track under the cover of old redwood forest, which makes it an ideal option for avoiding heat exposure on a warm sunny day. Of course as with any trail running location, there is no shortage of elevation gain since most routes run up towards Skyline Boulevard starting from around 500 feet above sea level to topping out around 2000 feet.
Here are a couple of my favorite routes - be warned that if you choose to tackle lonely trail via Phleger Estate, there are some pretty decent pitches that will leave your lungs and quads burning. The Whiskey Hill route takes a more sensible path up to Skyline.
Strava Activity 1 - regular 14 mile route
Strava Activity 2 - Whiskey Hill trail marathon
Park access, parking and camping
There are many ways to access this network of trails, from parking at El Corte de Madeira on Skyline if you want to start at the top, or Woodside at the bottom if you want a short quiet road / roadside trail warm up, but the main entrance is off Kings Mountain road about 5-10min drive from Woodside, and there is a fee at the gate of around $6. Plenty of parking to be had here and this is where many of the races start.
There is camping nearby off Skyline at a hike in camp, Black Mountain camp, and there are also 3 camp sites for large groups available in Huddart park itself. There is also plenty of paid accommodation in the area.
Trail races
There are several trail races held here each year. Twice a year there is the Whiskey Hill Redwood Run trail marathon (this year also a 50k) by Bay Trailrunners, there is also the Woodside Crossover by Inside Trail racing, and I’m sure there are more that I am forgetting to mention. These cover distances from short 5-10k up to 50k races, so there’s bound to be one suitable for your experience and competitive urges.
Trail safety and wildlife
Standard trail etiquette and safety precautions apply. I’ve only ever run in here in the day but it’s a very safe area to run. As with the whole range along the Silicon valley, there are mountain lions living in the area, however I’ve yet to see one and I believe they’re more common in the more open areas such as Montebello and Rancho San Antonio. These animals are reclusive and shy of humans and as such encounters and attacks are rare, but it’s worth being aware of their presence and knowing what to do should you encounter one.
Additional info
County site with maps, also for Phleger estate.
Plenty of photos from Whiskey Hill here and from results page here.
This is the home of some of my favorite trails on the Bay Area Peninsula. If you are ever in this area, I highly recommend these trails. Have fun out there!
