Edgewood, Ridgeview & Franciscan trails

March 16, 2017

Edgewood Park & Natural Preserve is a small park that is particularly popular in spring for its impressive display of wildflowers. And on other seasons, this compact park can be a fine hiking location for the variety of grasslands, woodlands and scenic views it packs from its various trails.

The main entrance to the park is located on Edgewood Road, off Hwy 280. Due to its growing popularity, parking may be a challenge, especially on weekends and spring. There are alternate options to park should that be the case.

My outing here today can be thought of as a scouting trip to visiting the park later this spring when wildflowers are in full bloom. It was damp, chill, misty and foggy when I started my hike early in the morning; and pretty much stayed that way throughout the couple of hours I spent there, with the mist and dew really feeling like light drizzle on occasion. 

I started by hiking Edgewood trail, a single track dirt trail that goes from the main parking lot to the ridge line by Hwy 280. The trail goes through woodlands as it climbs gradually before coming up on some expansive grasslands and meadows.

The preserve is packed with informational placards of the flora and fauna in the park. For a small park, it has an impressive variety of plant and animal life within its boundaries.

I continued by Ridgeview trail that goes through the open grasslands with some fantastic views of the entire park. It is specifically called out as a “scenic trail” and it sure did live up to the billing. 

While there was only the occasional bunch of wildflowers along my path today, there was ample evidence of the colorful season ahead with buds yet to bloom across the park. 

At trail marker 17 where Ridgeview & Live Oak trail intersect, you will get your first glimpse of the bay eastward. I turned left by Live Oak trail here. I stayed on this trail for half a mile until the Franciscan trail junction. 

By now, most of the elevation gain was done and the walk was pretty much on ridge lines and grasslands. 

Turning right on Franciscan trail at marker 12, I continued the hike with some more fine views of the bay. In this segment, I also came across of a group of young deer munching on the lush green grass, indifferent to my cautious and gentle walking by the trail. 

Intending to explore as many trails as possible, I took the Bayview Glen trail next, a hiking only single track segment with rapid switchbacks for about 1/2 a mile. And wrapped up the hike by taking Sylvan trail to the main parking lot. 

Today’s hike was just shy of 4 miles with about 700 feet elevation gain.  I will most certainly be back here later this spring on a sunnier day with more wildflowers in bloom.

Here is the complete album of photographs from my first hike at Edgewood Park and Natural Preserve.