Huddart & Wunderlich Park: The short loop

 If you are wanting to do a trail & road combo in the mid distance range this is the run for you. It is a bit dangerous on some of the narrow winding roads. Cars and motorcycles like to fly through these curves and this is something you have to be aware of when you are out here. I have never had a close call but maybe that is because I am acutely aware of the dangers whereas other people may not be so aware. The route is a 14 mile loop from Wunderlich to Huddart and back. This route has 4200' of elevation gain with the high point of 2450' coming just after the halfway point. Many variations of this route could be made to make it a bit longer and a bit more difficult but this is the shortest loop possible.

This route starts at about 500' above sea level in Wunderlich Park in Woodside. Start by climbing Bear Gulch Trail located behind the horse stables at Wunderlich Park. Run that about 2.5 miles up the mountain. Next, turn right onto Alambique Trail and follow it for 2.5 miles to the top of the park at Skyline Rd (Hwy 35). This is where you leave Wunderlich Park and start to cross a combination of private and public land on the Bay Area Ridge Trail. Most of the trail is located on Cal Water land and the public has been given free use of the trail. Know normally I would stay on this trail for nearly 6 miles until I run into Huddart but this route takes a left just over a mile outside of Wunderlich. I don't know the name of the trail, it may be Madrone trail but in any case, it is not long. It brings you back up to Skyline and just across the street is a trail head for El Corte Madera OSP. Turn right and head north on Skyline Blvd. This is an easy 4 mile road run. Be sure to stop and take a look at Methuselah, an 1800 year old Redwood tree that is absolutely spectacular. Turn right onto Kings Mountain Rd and continue for a half mile until you come upon a trail on your left. This is the 9 mile mark and the entrance to Huddart Park. Run up this trail for a quarter mile and turn right onto the Archery Fire Rd. This is the quickest way to the bottom of the mountain. Stay on this Fire Rd running sharply downhill until you come out at the Miwok Picnic Area at just over 10.5 miles. Follow the road downhill and take a right at the "T" intersection. Follow this downhill and to the right towards the East Meadow Picnic Area. Turn left at the Redwood Picnic Area parking lot and continue downhill until the roads takes a sharp left. Stay running straight ahead and pick up a trail that skirts behind the meadow picnic area, across a bridge and out onto Greer Rd. Just past the 12 mile mark turn left onto Kings Mountain Rd and within 100 yds turn right onto Tripp Rd. Come back sometime and visit the historical landmark on this corner. It is awesome! Tripp Rd is about a mile long and it merges you onto Woodside Rd. Follow this for just under a mile to end the run back at the Wunderlich Park parking lot!

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