Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park

Playground
Picnic
Accessible Restrooms
Accessible Parking

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Features

Playground
Picnic
Accessible Restrooms
Accessible Parking

Information

Website:: ebparks.org
Address:: 7867 Redwood Road, Oakland, CA,
Region:: San Francisco Bay Area
Phone:: Info: 888-327-2757
Hours:: 5 am-10 pm unless otherwise posted. Gates open at 8 am.
Dogs:: On leash
Last Visited:: August 2022

Reviews

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This extraordinarily lovely park, located a few miles over the ridge from downtown Oakland, has several entrances. Once the site of extensive logging, this thickly wooded canyon is a pale shadow of what it was in the days of the Ohlone. Although the redwoods are second or third growth, some are 3-feet in diameter and 100-feet tall. Gigantic pines, oaks and eucalyptus grow interspersed with madrone, and bay trees thrive in gorgeous, fragrant mixed woods. The easiest and most accessible trail is the Stream Trail accessed at the Redwood Gate, but the East Ridge trail at Skyline Gate, while much less accessible, is worth a visit for a vastly different experience. Even if you can only go 0.1 mile, you can linger and soak up the view between tall trees and over the thickly forested canyon. There are few parks so close to the city that feel this peaceful and remote.

** This trail was reviewed while using a rear-wheel motorized wheelchair

Trails and Pathways

Trail:: Stream Trail
Trailhead Location:: Canyon Meadow Staging Area
Trail Length:: 2-4 total miles

Typical Width:: 4 ft. & above
Elevation Change: 145 ft.
Typical Grade:: Gentle
Typical Terrain:: Hard

Trail Overview: The Stream Trail stretches several miles to the parks other entrance at Skyline Gate, yet only the first 1.3 was comfortably accessible to me. (only the first .8 is paved, then it gives way to compacted earth) It parallels Stream Creek through a second-growth redwood forest past inviting picnic areas and a children's playground. Thickly shaded in places, it can be a refreshing escape from a hot day; otherwise, plan on layered clothing since there’s lots of shade. If possible plan a mid-week visit; weekends and summer can be very crowded.

Open space and limited views of the surrounding hills quickly give way to a shade filled forest in a fern-filled canyon alive with birdsong. You will first pass a few picnic areas and a moderately accessible play structure. After .3-mile an accessible bridge crosses the creek; an interpretive panel tells of the native rainbow trout, and immediately following is a junction to Bridle Trail, an enjoyable half-mile trail that hugs the hillside and is worth doing on the return although we had to turn back after .4 miles because the low clearance of my wheelchair wasn’t able to navigate some rough terrain.

At .4-mile you reach the Reinholdt Redwood Grove. To avoid the short incline take the firm packed earth dirt spur trail to the right. They quickly meet up and the paved trail continues another .1-mile to Old Church (an interpretive panel tells the history of this site) where there is a lovely shaded picnic area. Further along at Big Bend Meadow is the steepest (less than 8%) incline of the described route. A compacted dirt spur trail to the right gets you a little closer to the creek and quickly reconnects to the Stream Trail however, I had to backtrack to the junction due to a very steep incline at this trails end. Back on the main trail the pavement gives way in .1-mile to compacted dirt and gravel. You next reach a picnic area with a covered structure and can take a break and decide whether to continue on since the terrain becomes more bumpy. The restrooms here are not accessible.

From here the trail increasingly becomes more rutted and bumpy-a harbinger of more difficulty to come. At 1.3 mile you reach a trail junction where to continue on the Stream Trail, turn right across the bridge and then left, uphill. I quickly turned back after crossing the bridge due to the difficult terrain. If instead of crossing the bridge you continue forward, you are now on the Mill Trail and I again turned back after a few hundred feet because of the rough terrain. It was such an enjoyable hike up to this point that I wasn’t disappointed turning back—I had a leisurely stroll back inhaling the forests intoxicating smells.

A few benches are scattered along the route.

More Info: The steepest grade is at .5 miles but is still less than 8% (a typical compliant ramp is 8%). Asphalt ends at Trail's End (.8 mile) so can be muddy in wet weather.

Accessibility Features

The facilities listed below meet all of our access criteria unless otherwise noted.

Accessible Parking:: Yes – designated accessible parking, van accessible, firm, level or slope no greater than 2%;
At Skyline gate and Canyon Meadows at the Redwood gate; none of the overflow parking along the entrance road has designated accessible parking.
Accessible Restroom:: Yes – The most accessible restroom at Canyon Meadows is at the start of the Stream Trail; the one near the play area has limited access. All others are inaccessible. An accessible restroom is at the parking lot at the Skyline Gate Staging Area.
Accessible Picnic Table:: Yes – firm & stable path to tables, firm & stable surface, 27" or greater knee clearance

Good to Know:

A Play with Nature zone where natural material from the park is available to create things with is at .2 mile. The best accessible route to it is the entrance past the restrooms but once at the nature zone the opening between the logs that define the area is only 24 inches wide.

There is no designated accessible parking for the Bridle Trail entrance at the Wayside parking lot and you might have to wheel on the road a short distance (traffic is very minimal and goes slow) to reach the trailhead. Cross over the cobblestone bridge and turn right. This trail heads into the park where in .5 miles will connect to the stream trail however I had to turn back after .2 miles due to trail erosion.