French/Stream Loop | Bonjour Redwoods!

If you live in Oakland you probably already hella love Redwood Regional Park! We are so blessed to have such easy access to awe-inspiring Redwoods, fairy rings and groves, the intoxicating scent of Bay Laurel leaves crushed into the forest floor, mighty Oaks, naked Madrones, turkeys roaming amongst the hillside ferns. All of this nature and wildlife, resides just moments away—offering respite and refuge from the gritty, noisy, concrete urban jungle.

There are literally endless trail combinations to be hiked and explored in this 40-miles of East Bay Park District. For a really woodsy workout hike, we like the French/Stream Loop. Parlez vous français? This sweet, somewhat steep and sweaty trail takes you deep into the forest, walking alongside the Redwood Creek. The creek was a little dryer in September than it was in spring time—when it was fast, furious, overflowing and causing trail damage. Sacré bleu! Nature reminds us about changes, everything has a season, an impermanence. Pleasant or unpleasant, it too shall pass. Merci beaucoup!

ROUTE

Moon Gate Parking Lot > West Ridge Trail > French Trail > Orchard > Bridle Trail > Stream Trail > West Ridge > Moon Gate

STATS & FACTS

Distance: 8 Miles
Hike Style: Loop
Elevation Climb: 1,700 ft
Hike Level: Moderate
Redwood Regional Park website
East Bay Regional Parks maps (Redwood Regional Park map)

Trail Notes

Begin at West Ridge Trail from either Moon Gate or Skyline Gate
Wendy and I started at Moon Gate just to add a little extra mileage to our hike. Plus, it’s a lot less crowded. After a short and easy hike on the West Ridge Trail we arrived at the “It’s nice to be nice” bench, that marks the entryway to the French Trail.

This is the bench that leads to the French Trail from West Ridge. Bonjour Wendy! It’s nice to be nice.

Stay on the French Trail (or not…)
Wendy and I love the French Trail because it offers some butt-kicking inclines that seriously get the heart and sweat glands pumping. We power through to about the Redwood Peak junction, at which point we need to catch a breath, wipe off the sweat from our faces, and chug down some water. And then boom, onward, more alive then before!

After the heart-pounding Redwood Peak junction, everything else is just a glorious stroll through the deep, majestic forest. Become one with the trees. Notice how the roots make your path easy, by creating staircases…. Thank the leafy canopy for sheltering us from the sweltering, late summer sun.

There are many paths that splinter off from French Trail. If you have a map, no worries — by all means take detours and alternate trails back to your car. Getting off the beaten path is fun, but it’s always best to know how to get back on track should you get lost.

If you want to cut the loop shorter, you can get off on the Mill Trail. Within 15-minutes of easy downhill stepping, you will land right at the 5/mph bridge, on the Stream Trail.

Orchard > Bridle Trail
French Trail abruptly ends, leaving you no choice but to catch the Orchard Trail, to connect to Bridle, to meet up with Stream Trail— a main thoroughfare of a trail.

5/mph bridge. A a major junction, along the Stream Path.

Stream Trail to West Ridge
The Stream Trail around Fern Dell is a wide and easy stretch of park, made for family fun. Picnic meadows, Camp sites. Warming huts. Bathrooms, Water fountains. Once you get past Old Church, the trail narrows up again and offers some gentle slopes to climb.

At the Prince Trail junction we saw some ladybugs hovering around, but nothing like the swarms we saw earlier in the year. If you want to see freakish hordes of ladybugs crawling all over everything, come back to this junction, around January!

A tranquil resting spot along the Stream Trail