Walking Redwood Creek

While following Redwood Creek, the trail would establish a safe and easy walking and biking connection between downtown Redwood City and the east side of Highway 101. As originally planned, the trail would have started near the intersection of Main Street and Veterans Boulevard and ended on the east side of Highway 101. Later plans shifted the start of the trail to Bradford Street, and then, when the downtown parks project was conceived, planners envisioned starting the trail at the main branch of the Redwood City Public Library. Now, with the advent of the South Main Mixed-Use project, the trailhead may find itself at El Camino Real and Maple Street.

Starting in the 1850s Redwood Creek was key to the logging industry. Logs from the nearby hills were hauled to the mouth of the creek, to a place which today is in the heart of downtown Redwood City. The logs were then lashed into rafts and floated to San Francisco. It’s no wonder that, given all of the activity taking place at this one spot, a town — soon to be named Redwood City — soon sprang up.

Redwood Creek still exists, although it only flows during certain seasons. I’ve followed it on foot, starting along Alameda de las Pulgas close to Woodside Road and ending in the Bair Island neighborhood. Although much of the creek lies underground, in some places it can be seen flowing through open-topped concrete channels or dirt-lined ditches.

Maple Street and the creek form one edge of the South Main Mixed-Use project. Today the creek runs in an open channel next to the street, although a vine-covered chain-link fence largely hides it from view. Project plans call for a fence that will make the creek more visible, beside a wide concrete walkway situated between the creek and the project’s largest residential building. This walkway would extend from El Camino Real to another walkway that’ll be constructed on the neighboring property across Lathrop Street, resulting in a path that will wind up close to the library.

Although a trail segment from the library through downtown to Bradford Street is but a dream at this point, it is one that will hopefully become real once the city’s finances have recovered from the pandemic. From Bradford Street, though, three segments of the trail are currently on track to be added to one segment that exists today.

The affordable senior housing project nearing completion at 707 Bradford St. faces Redwood Creek, which here runs in a wide, curving ditch. Soon the building’s contractors will start work on a trail segment that runs alongside the creek from Bradford Street to Main Street near Veterans Boulevard. Like most other segments, expect this one’s wide concrete path to be well lit and equipped with the occasional bench, making it attractive for people of all ages and abilities.

Between this segment and the next there is a block-long gap that is bridged by public sidewalks. That next segment, however, is being built as part of the affordable housing project now underway at 353 Main St. It will connect the Carl’s Jr. parking lot to the rear of the Township apartments building, where today you’ll find the one currently existing segment of the trail (which is easily accessible from either side of the Township building). Sadly, Township’s segment terminates at a modern office building that likely won’t be rebuilt anytime soon — and thus may not see its own trail segment for years. Beyond that building is the final, nearly complete, segment, which becomes the Highway 101 underpass and leads to the Courtyard by Marriott hotel. Here the Creek Trail meets the Bay Trail, which extends north and south along the Bay.

One day I hope to begin at El Camino Real and walk along an official Redwood Creek Trail all the way to Bair Island. A number of key pieces are falling into place; now the city just needs to push developers and property owners to fill in the gaps. Until then we’ll have to play hopscotch as we walk along Redwood Creek.

Greg Wilson is the creator of Walking Redwood City, a blog inspired by his walks throughout Redwood City and adjacent communities. He can be reached at greg@walkingRedwoodCity.com. Follow Greg on Twitter @walkingRWC.