Bay Area Weekend | Exploring Shady Trails and Marveling at Giant Stones
This past sunny and partly cloudy Saturday, we headed over to the Redwood Forest Reserve, El Corte De Madera Creek Open Space Preserve, located close to Redwood City. The majestic redwood trees provide lots of shade, with the most stunning feature being the layered sandstone landscape and the Tafoni sandstone - a large rock created through millions of years of formation. The journey from the South Bay was breathtakingly beautiful, with the road winding through the woods, a particular stretch overlooking the Bay Area on one side and the sea on the other.
🎫 Admission is free, but visitors need to cross the road from the car park to reach the Preserve. The road is flanked by tall trees, contributing to a beautiful sight. Beware of the fast-driving cars while crossing the road, especially if you're with kids.
👉✅Tafoni Trail: This is a 4.3-mile loop with shaded paths covering over 90% of the route. We ensured we applied sunscreen despite the shadow. The elevation changes were subtle, making it a relaxing walk of about 2.5 hours. Both sides of the trail are adorned by dense redwoods with the rustling of pine trees and flowing streams for company. The lush clovers and blooming tiny blue wildflowers were a sight to behold.
👉🪨Tafoni Sandstone: Located along the Tafoni trail, a short detour allows you to see the Tafoni Sandstone up close from a viewpoint. 'Tafoni' is an Italian word meaning 'caves.' Millions of years ago, this rock was formed underwater due to tectonic activity. Its primary component is calcium carbonate, and rainwater would easily seep into the rock cracks, causing weathering over time, thus creating numerous honeycomb-like caves on the stone - a masterpiece of nature.
👀 Sun protection is advised. On hot days, the trails might swarm with non-biting flies.
The trail wasn't overly crowded. We crossed paths with cyclists and families enjoying the space. If you're looking for a nice trail to walk on a hot summer day, this is a great spot.
📍Skeggs Point Parking Lot, California 35 Redwoods City, CA 94062
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