Trail Name: Palos Colorados, Big Trees, Redwood Peak, French, Stream, & Castlepark
Date Hiked: 11/7/20
Area: San Francisco Bay Area, Oakland
Mileage: 12.1 total
Elevation Gain: 2,293 ft
NOTE: This is a great way to connect many trails for a nice, long experience through Joaquin Miller and Reinhardt Redwood Regional parks. There are many intersecting trails, so be sure to follow the AllTrails for this route. It’s also easy to cut this loop short with a variety of connector trails, so get creative if you’re not feeling it and you just want a shorter experience. Multiple picnic areas are readily available along the way, but the best lunch spot is the start of the French trail since it has the best redwoods on the hike.
It’s easy to look at something like Mt. Tam and say that the North Bay has all the great hiking in the San Francisco Bay Area, but that’s simply not true, the peninsula and the East Bay have all sorts of great hiking trails. This East Bay hike is definitely one to put on your list, it has tons of redwoods, some classic California landscapes, and a few beautiful creeks.
The trail starts right next to 13 and offers parking both at the trailhead, and on the west side of 13 (trailhead is accessible via a pedestrian tunnel). As we typically do for most of our hikes, we packed up our vegan cinnamon oats and almond milk and enjoyed breakfast at the trailhead. We’ve found that by eating breakfast at the trailhead we get on the trail quicker and we really get hyped up by enjoying the scenery before we set out.
The adventure begins!
The trail quickly winds upward through a gulch, including a number of stairs, and gives you some small redwoods to ogle.
You quickly start to reach multiple intersecting trails, make sure you’re consulting AllTrails to stay on the right path. The redwoods begin to deepen until you start to reach picnic areas and criss-cross your way through Joaquin Miller park.
The lighting is gorgeous as the redwoods deepen.
You’ll find yourself crossing a number of roads throughout the trail walking through open meadows, bouldered peaks, and getting a few opportunities for beautiful shots of solo redwoods next to open spaces. All of the trails have this wonderful Santa Claus-Cowboy emblem on them, we loved the caricature.
Santa Claus-Cowboy Trail Markers 
Reach toward the sky!
Don’t miss the best spot for lunch… after you make your way down from the bouldered Redwood Peak, you’ll find yourself in the best redwood grove on the trail, right before you start the French trail. Find a nice spot of dirt and stop for a well-deserved lunch!
Don’t miss this spot for lunch, you’re really surrounded by a beautiful redwood grove.
We highly recommend Primal Spirit vegan jerky, the texture is just right and the flavors are spot on.
After you hop on the French trail, you’ll be treated to a big incline that eventually tops out and from there the trail reaches a distinct new area where you will wind your way on a hillside trail. The next few miles will see you traverse one side of the valley in Reinhardt Redwood Regional. After that you’ll steeply descend through some classic California landscapes to the very popular valley floor next to Redwood Creek, which offers a great meadow to take lunch in, if you haven’t already done so.
From the meadow you’ll make your way onto the very popular Redwood Creek hike and join a bunch of your closest friends as you follow a wooden fence next to the creek. It’s a lush area with a classic redwood tree and fern environment. Keep on the lookout for the bridge to cross Redwood creek, it’s easy to miss it and AllTrails can be a little off in the valley. You’ll need to get to the other side of the creek to follow the trail up your last major incline.
Classic redwood environment as you follow Redwood Creek along the valley floor.
To finish off your adventure, climb the incline, pass multiple roads, take in a few views of the distant hills, traipse through a few cypress groves, and descend back to the beginning.
One of the few views on this trail, it’s nice in the fading light.
Upward & onward!
Cypress in the fading light as you complete the loop!
There’s so much to like about this hike, we really loved it and would definitely recommend it if you’re looking to string together a lengthier hike in the East Bay!