My mountaineering friend Emilie invited me to go on a day hike with two of our friends at Huddart Park, a county park in San Mateo near Woodside, California. I haven’t done much Peninsula hiking and have never been to Huddart Park, so I thought it would be nice to start the new year with a hike in a new area.
The weather was nice and foggy with a little mist—perfect for hiking in redwood trees. With the moisture came lots of fungi, moss, lichen, and banana slugs. We even saw two rough-skinned newts cruising around with each other. We did have to dodge some horse apples, but the trails were remarkably root-free and not too muddy. Some trails where even paved, which was a bit odd, but minimized my normal stumbling on every rock and bump.
Overall it was a nice park, worth the small entrance fee, and a pleasant way to start the new year!
Trip Stats:- Location: Huddart County Park, Woodside, CA
- Trailhead: Ranger Station Parking Lot
- Mileage: 8.14 round trip, figure-8 loop
- Elevation Gain/Loss: ~1,760 ft; low point 666 ft, high point 2,010 ft
- Trails Traveled: Dean Trail, Chinquapin Trail, Archery Fire Road, Dean Trail, Crystal Springs Trail
- Terrain: Well-maintained single and double track, some trails with asphalt. Good sturdy trail signage. Only a few obstacles—a couple downed trees, a few locked horse gates.
- Flora & Fauna: Redwood forest and mixed evergreen with lots of madrone and tan oak. Lots of moisture, fungi, banana slugs, fog, spider webs, newts.
- Facilities: Bathrooms with water at various picnic areas in park. $5 entrance fee. Maps available.
- Flickr photo album
EveryTrail GPS Track with Photos: Huddart Park: First Hike of the New Year
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