Edgewood Nature Preserve Loop

Dogs No Dogs

Features Views · Wildflowers

The serpentine grasslands of Edgewood Park and Natural Preserve are famous for their magnificent displays of wildflowers each spring.

Restrooms are available near the parking lot, but strangely enough they are a few steps up in the woods. Make sure to check the map or ask fellow runners/hikers for the directions.

A perfect blend of fire-roads and singletrack trails makes climbing fun, but keeps flat segments easy and safe, allowing you to enjoy wonderful views of Peninsula Watershed.

Wetland, Grassland, Oak Woodland, and Chaparral plant communities offer varied habitats for living creatures. Deer, Coyote, Bobcat, Raccoon, and other small animals are frequently sighted. The cool, wooded gullies of the eastern slope of the park are rich in ferns and mosses, and a thick layer of woody and herbaceous plants.

The grasslands and warm summer climate make Edgewood home for several species of snakes and reptiles including rattlesnakes. Skunks, yellow jackets and bees are also found there.

Ten rare or endangered plant species have been identified in the park, including the San Mateo Thornmint. Many majestic trees and colorful plants adorn the Park.

The Bay checkerspot butterfly, once an inhabitant of the entire Bay Area, and now listed as an endangered species.

The geologic history of Edgewood is traced back 35,165 million years ago when the rock that underlies much of this region was formed by two converging tectonic plates, the Farallon and North American. The Farallon plate was forced under the American plate and large amounts of rock were left behind. One, serpentinite, is a very rare rock type that is found at Edgewood. This underlying rock is a very unique feature of the Park that can be observed in the serpentine grasslands and rock outcroppings.

The vegetative history of Edgewood reflects numerous geologic and climatic changes. Relics of Neotropical forest (California Bay Laurel, California Buckeye), Actotertiary forest (Coastal Redwood, Douglas-fir) and Madroteriary forest (Madrone, Manzanita, and Poison Oak) are found there.