Upper Huddart Loop

Huddart County Park in Woodside is my most frequent destination for running, but I enjoy it every time and it is one of my favorite places to run and hike. The trails are almost entirely under a lush canopy of redwood and hardwood forest. There are numerous nearby parks for expanded options, including Purissima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve, El Corte de Madera Open Space Preserve, Phleger Estate, Teague Hill Open Space Preserve, and Wunderlich County Park. All told, there is well over 120 miles of trails to explore in this heavily wooded area. A two-year resurfacing project was recently completed making the trails fast and non-technical. The biggest perk is the lack of mud in rainy periods. The nearby parks offer more technical, steeper trails.

On this day Serena and I did a loop of the upper portion of the park, entailing the Dean Trail and the McGarvey Gulch crossover, Upper Crystal Springs Trail, the Skyline Ridge Trail, and finally the Chiniquapin Trail. The Chinquapin was the last completed segment of the project and it looks good. The portions that were completed last year are already starting to fade back into the surroundings as leaves and redwood needles fall on top, but the compacted surface underneath is still effectively preventing water build-up and mud. When the rains come you will find me at Huddart!

More photos after the jump!