TrailStompers.com: San Francisco Bay Area Trail Running

Set in the wooded hills above Woodside, Huddart Park & Phleger Estate offer some of the best singletrack running trails in the area.  The climbs range from moderate to gut-wrenching, but the temperature is always mild under the shade of the redwood trees.  A word of caution: while it is difficult to get permanently lost in Huddart Park, it is very easy to get on the wrong trail, since there are many spurs leading off the main trails.  Often these spurs appear to be the main trail, while the main trail turns off to the right or left.  Be careful to read signs carefully at each trail junction!

The Dirt:

• For the official Huddart Park web site and (crappy) park map click here.
• For the official Phleger Estate web site click here.
  
• A much better topographic map of both Huddart & Phleger can be purchased for $1 from Virtualparks (I highly recommend buying this map if you're going to run here!).
• For driving directions via Google maps click here.
  

This run is the great tour of Huddart park, from the lowest creek to the highest redwoods along Skyline Blvd.  If you are not up for the full run, you can shorten the run to 6.0 miles (and about 1000 feet of climbing) by following the short-cut listed in the directions.  This run starts at the Werder/Zwierlein picnic area.  After you pass the entrance kiosk, continue straight through the stop sign.  When you see the volleyball nets, you're there!

In the following directions, a * denotes intersections where it is particularly easy to get lost!

• 0.0 mi: From the south end of the parking area, start out down the Bay Tree Trail
• 0.7 mi: When the trail ends, take a hard left onto Richards Road Trail
• 1.1 mi: Continue on Richards Road Trail past the first intersection with Crystal Springs Trail
• 1.5 mi: Turn left at the second intersection with Crystal Springs Trail
• 1.6 mi: At the bridge, turn right and start climbing up Crystal Springs Trail.
• 1.9 mi: Left at Chapparal Trail intersection to continue on Crystal Springs Trail
• 2.1 mi: *Pass Canyon Trail intersection - be careful to stay on Crystal Springs Trail
• 2.5 mi: *Two spurs come off the trail here - be careful to stay on Crystal Springs Trail
• 2.9 mi: Cross Campground Trail (fire road) and continue on Crystal Springs Trail
• 3.7 mi: Pass Dean Trail - continue on Crystal Springs Trail.  (Short-cut: Turn left onto the Dean Trail if you want to take the short-cut.  After 0.8 miles you'll intersect the Chinquapin Trail.  Veer left onto the downhill part of the Dean Trail and then skip to mile 7.4 below)
  
• 4.4 mi: Crystal Springs ends.  Take a right and then immediate left onto Richards Road Trail (fire road)
• 4.7 mi: Turn left onto Skyline Trail (singletrack).  (Note: If you continue just past the Skyline Trail, you can turn right on the Lonely Trail which will take you to the King's Mountain Fire Station in 0.3 mi.  There is a water hose out back.  After filling your bottle, retrace your steps on the Lonely Trail to get back to the Skyline Trail)
• 5.2 mi: The Skyline Trail singletrack will dump you out onto the Skyline Trail fire road.  Continue on the fire road away from Skyline Blvd.
• 5.4 mi: Turn left onto Chinquapin Trail, start decending!
  
• 7.2 mi: *The trail will run along the left side of Archery Fire Road, but stay left on the singletrack and then around a left-hand switchback.  The Chinquapin Trail will then end on the Dean Trail.  Continue across the fire road to a singletrack doing downhill to the right.  This is actually another part of the Dean Trail.  If you find yourself on a fire road, you went the wrong way!
• 7.4 (4.7) mi: Cross the Archery Fire Road - continue on Dean Trail
• 7.8 (5.1) mi: Cross the Archery Fire Road again - continue on Dean Trail
• 8.0 (5.3) mi: At the paved road, turn left to stay on the singletrack Dean Trail
• 8.3 (5.6) mi: Again, continue past the paved road and stay on the Dean Trail
• 8.5 (5.8) mi: Turn right when the Dean Trail ends on the Crystal Springs Trail
• 8.7 (6.0) mi: Back at the parking lot!  Congrats you made it!!
  

 

This run explores both Huddart Park and Phleger Estate.  Phleger is less traveled than Huddart, and so the trails can be rocky and rough.  In addition, parts of the Lonely Trail are very steep.  But, the effort is rewarded with an awesome climb and beautify scenery!  If you want an easier run, you can do a great out-and-back: follow the directions to mile 3.0, then retrace your steps back to the car.  This run starts at the Werder/Zwierlein picnic area.  After you pass the entrance kiosk, continue straight through the stop sign.  When you see the volleyball nets, you're there!

In the following directions, a * denotes intersections where it is particularly easy to get lost!

• 0.0 mi: From the south end of the parking area, start out down the Bay Tree Trail
• 0.7 mi: When the trail ends, take a hard left onto Richards Road Trail
• 1.1 mi: Continue on Richards Road Trail past the first intersection with Crystal Springs Trail
• 1.5 mi: Continue on Richards Road Trail past the second intersection with Crystal Springs Trail
• 1.6 mi: Veer right onto Miramontes Trail and enter Phleger Estate
  
• 3.0 mi: Turn right at the intersection with Mt. Redondo Trail, head downhill briefly, then turn left onto Raymundo Trail.  Get ready for some climbing!!
• 4.6 mi: Turn right onto Lonely Trail.  More climbing!!
• 5.2 mi: Pass the first bench
• 5.5 mi: Pass the second bench
• 6.1 mi: The trail flattens out and reaches an intersection.  Turn left to continue on the Lonely Trail.  (Note: If you turn right, the trail will take you to the King's Mountain Fire Station in 0.1 mi.  There is a water hose out back.  After filling your bottle, retrace your steps on the Lonely Trail)
• 6.4 mi: The Lonely Trail ends at Richards Road Trail.  Turn left, then immediately turn right onto the Skyline Trail (singletrack)
• 6.9 mi: The Skyline Trail singletrack will dump you out onto the Skyline Trail fire road.  Continue on the fire road away from Skyline Blvd.
• 7.1 mi: Turn left onto Chinquapin Trail, start decending!
  
• 8.9 mi: *The trail will run along the left side of Archery Fire Road, but stay left on the singletrack and then around a left-hand switchback.  The Chinquapin Trail will then end on the Dean Trail.  Continue across the fire road to a singletrack doing downhill to the right.  This is actually another part of the Dean Trail.  If you find yourself on a fire road, you went the wrong way!
• 9.1 mi: Cross the Archery Fire Road - continue on Dean Trail
• 9.5 mi: Cross the Archery Fire Road again - continue on Dean Trail
• 9.7 mi: At the paved road, turn left to stay on the singletrack Dean Trail
• 10.0 mi: Again, continue past the paved road and stay on the Dean Trail
• 10.2 mi: Turn right when the Dean Trail ends on the Crystal Springs Trail
• 10.4 mi: Back at the parking lot!  Congrats you made it!!