Redwood Shores Bay Trail

Couldn't have chosen a more perfect day in the bay for this ride. Clear, perfect 78 weather, slight southerly 5mph wind, and the views were spectacular. Everyone was out enjoying the sun and surf. From kit surfing, on shore fishing, swimming at the beach, watching planes land anf take off at SFO, watching boats to and from the marina, flying kites, net fishing, bird watching, picnics galore, jogging, running, walking, golfing, naps by the water and under some shade...out was just the place to be this wknd. Segments of the trail were closed: 400 yard stretch by the Mariners Point Driving Range and another on both sides of the San Mateo Bridge. Great flat path for the most part. Numerous locations for picnics, not at all crowded. There is plenty of access to this trail (Google maps helps you locate ramps and parking). Restrooms present every few miles. Friendly passer-byers greeted by waves and smiles. Please remember trail etiquette, stay on the correct side of the bike path and always call out as you pass. Happy riding.

It is a very beautiful trail that is located amidst different neighborhoods of Redwood city. Visited it during the thanksgiving break and really enjoyed our walk there. Almost all folks were wearing masks and practicing social distancing. The bathrooms were really clean, well maintained, well stocked and had open windows at the top.

A lot of people were cycling and there was enough space to walk and bicycle in the area. The trail is very long so we didn't cover the entire route but walked a considerable amount and headed back. If you are bicycling then you can cover more acreage.

The views were beautiful and there were a lot of seats for sitting down while taking breaks. Parking lot had plenty of parking spaces too. There was a lot of exercise equipment that one can use. Overall a great park to get some walking or get some exercising done.

Across redwood slough, on the San Carlos side, there is a little visited walkway that's less populated but equally calm and beautiful. Near Adicet Bio and Nevro. There's a little parking area that's for the public. We visited here one Saturday Am and it was great. If you have big dogs that like to run and splash in water this is the place. It smells sweet from all the wild licorice growing by the trail.

Started in Redwood Shores not far from Foster City. Easy parking and a pretty flat paved trail. Not the most beautiful view, but there are lots of pretty flowers and no traffic. If you park at the end, you can do just under 4 miles round trip. Wish there was a loop though.

I discovered the love for cycling by accident. Mainly because my knees can no longer take the concrete pounding of jogging. So my doctor said one day, ever tried cycling? Note however - I'm a casual "cycler," you know - the Angela Lansbury type where we stop, sit, watch the leaf fall, enjoy the moment and maybe munch on a few dumplings from the local Chinese Dumpling house nearby the trail and watch the birds while munching on honey roasted peanuts from Trader Joe's. Oh I forgot, I also cycle with my dogs so they get to join in on the fun too! And when people sees us - they think we're nuts, but it usually puts a smile on their face! I hope?

The Redwood City Shores Bay Trail starts at Belmont Slough and the trail ends at Bedwell Bayfront Park (about 9 miles one way). Most of the trail has views of neighboring homes whereas the San Mateo/Foster City, you get the view of the Bay waters over looking San Francisco. However, you will still see plenty of nature and water views.

When you get to San Carlos, you will run into a baseball field on your right if you're heading towards Redwood City. The field is about 200 ft away from the trail. During the weekends and on late afternoons, we found the area to be pretty empty. It's a great place to exercise your dog. They even provide doggy bags too. Watch out for duck poop though as we saw many ducks marching the grassy field going about their business. :p

While cycling through the trails, we discovered a tiny park (between San Carlos and Redwood City) with a water fountain and clean restroom which was fantastic. This park even provided tables and benches to sit and relax. Heads up though - there are no shades, but there are plenty of breeze to cool you off. There is also a tiny garden some with roses. It was well kept. Not sure if that's the city or a neighborhood volunteer community who takes great care of the plants.

Lastly, the coolest part about this trail.... we saw plenty of wildlife. We saw a family of wild rabbits crossing the trails. In my experience, I saw more of this cycling through during sunset. Lizards were also hanging out sunbathing and we found quite a few of them. But, I think the main attraction here for us were the awesome native birds. They were fantastic to watch. Very relaxing.

So If you like to cycle, maybe even take your dogs with you on their trailer, or go for a nice walk, run and even bird watching, I suggest checking out the Redwood City Shore Bay Trail.

Cheers!

This used to be one of my favorite stretches of the Bay Trail, and holds a special place dear to my heart since I became a serious runner here a few years ago.

Pros:
Scent of wild fennel is always present. One of my favorite memories of the place.
Water birds for photography
Beautiful sunsets, bridges and jetties to visit.
Benches for breaks every here or there.
Borders the library and there's safe parking there.
Another parking area near Oracle, and the trail branches off at a bridge. Either go the right for more paved trail or go to the left by crossing the bridge where it leads to a paved trail with dirt elevated trail.
Good combination of dirt and paved areas. Some dirt areas are rocky (this is particularly true of a jetty near the library and some of the little corporate buildings like Storm8) and I've taken a fall running here -- watch your footing.
Dogs are allowed and typically people pick up.
Mostly temperate and reasonable for running mid-day.

Cons:
Not sure what's happening here, but the maintenance of the paved areas near Redwood Shores library is getting pretty bad. The bumps and raised pavement from tree roots has only gotten worse over the last 4 years that I have used it, and parts of this trail are bad enough that they are flooded out for most of the winter if it's rainy. My dog and I used to love walking / running here until it was impossible to pass some parts of it without getting on the main road.
Again, not sure what's up, but a large portion seems to be cordoned off for construction (is this for a school, it seems?). This makes me sad because the area used to be part of a 4 -5 mile run I would do from the Oracle lot, but times are a-changing.

Currently closed under construction. Very frustrating as we drove out there based on the good reviews.

Feeling reflective, thought it was time to take a step back from reviewing the Five Star dive bars, restos, and parties, and yelp something different. I'm a simple gal that does enjoy the beauty of the outdoors, but don't often yelp them (Lake Merritt and the Panhandle to name a few). Anywho, I will try to change that, starting now.

Growing up in Redwood Shores, I never did take the time to really appreciate its surroundings until, well, I moved north to San Francisco. Unfortunately, that's usually the case, but wanted to share with you lovelies this little trail behind the house that yours truly grew up in.

Behind Mariner Park was where this Redwood Shores Bay Trail started for me. I have fond memories of watching fireworks with my family, especially my late Grandmothers, on the 4th of July. The trail had some benches for those to sit, while others sat on the grassy area of Mariner Park. Bummed that RWC/RWS no longer has the budget for fireworks, so now, one must look to a neighboring city.

Ok, let's get back to the RSBT - mainly, you'll see locals walking, running, and riding their bikes on this combo dirt/gravel trail. Frequently, I'll see children running and playing and picking up rocks and checking out the marsh area. Along this 7+mi trail, not only will you find benches, but also tennis courts and playgrounds. Towards the end of the trail by the towers is the Shore Dogs Park.
*Note that part of the trail past the 4.4 mile point is currently closed to public access.

It's amazing the convergence of suburban life with the ecology, as there are trees, as well as marshes, salt ponds, and pickleweed flats. On this trail, are the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge and the Redwood City Ecological Reserve. Certain areas are home to endangered species. By the marshes on the slough side, you can find water birds, like stilts, egrets. Take the time to look up and if you have your binoculars, even better, to spot some of the endangered birds. If you look carefully on the ground level, the salt marsh harvest mouse is around here, too, but don't be afraid, they're harmless and usually scamper away quickly.

While on this trail, I've seen some incredible sunsets and cloudless crystal blue skies. Last weekend on my run, it was a bit cloudy, but there were specs of blue skies with the sun peeking through. It was absolutely gorgeous and peaceful. I find comfort knowing that I can always come back home to RWC, away from the sometimes chaotic SF city living. Here, I can clear my thoughts, get some fresh air, exercise, and truly see and appreciate the wonderment and beauty of this trail.

Come check it out for yourself, and you might find this dive bar diva, running there! Digaliciousness at its best!

Cheers!

The Bay Trail is 500 miles long so this is just a tiny section of it but it really is lovely. It's so beautiful, peaceful and has an abundance of wildlife.

This section of the Trail is one of my favorite places to come for Cycling / Running and I have never found it to be too busy. It really is just perfect and although I love my energetic runs here it is also so nice to come for a slow Sunday cycle with hubby taking in the views and wildlife spotting. I have seen so many animals here it's amazing - Squirrel's, Birds, Mice, Hare's ect.

One word of warning here though - those cheeky little Squirrel's love to play with Cyclists! They wait until you've got really close then dash right in front of you from one side of the path to the other. I've lost count of the amount of times I've worked myself up and almost given myself a heart attack worrying about hitting and hurting one of the poor things.

Also, if you're out for a good workout here the Oracle campus is a great place to use as around the perimeter of the campus is a Fitness trail so you can get in some strength training alongside your Cardio. It's right on the end of the Bay Trail and although it's on Oracle property it's open to public use.

an extension, or connection to the sf bay trail, which stretches from foster city to redwood shoes.

i've lived in rwc for nearly 5 yrs and have only recently discovered this trail, which is just a couple of miles north from where i live. i ran a portion of it for the first time in a half marathon last october, and a couple of months later, decided to venture out and run this trail on my own.

the pros:
+completely flat, except for a few small footbridges
+great for pedestrians, runners, cyclists, strollers, dog-walkers
+the stretch from the trailhead (near the bay club) to the end of oracle's campus is about 6.5 miles (can get ~13 miles roundtrip)
+foot traffic isn't that heavy (at least in the mornings when i've been here), so i never have to dodge/wind around other trail users
+a blend of compact gravel and asphalt road, a little something for everyone
+gorgeous views of the bay, slough on a clear day
+cover the entire island of redwood shores, residential areas and oracle's campus

the cons:
-trail can be confusing if it's your first time here, suggest studying the map or bringing a phone if you're not sure where to go (some turns are confusing)
-no water fountains
-no restrooms
-generally, no shade - need to wear a hat, sunscreen on a warm summer day

i always bring my own hydration whenever i'm planning to run long, so the lack of water stations doesn't bother me. also, i usually park at the redwood shores marketplace/shopping center, where i can use a restroom at starbucks or nob hill foods if needed, before starting on my run.

i really enjoy running this trail and it has served me well in many of my longer training runs!