A few miles over the ridge from downtown Oakland, Redwood Road leads into a forest of coast redwoods.
History
The park holds the largest remaining natural stand of coast redwood in the East Bay, according to Wikipedia. In 1826, British navy Capt. Frederick William Beechey used two especially tall redwoods on the ridges, the "Navigation Trees," to help navigate San Francisco Bay. Logging from 1845 to 1860 wiped out the original trees. A second logging after the 1906 earthquake took the second-growth redwoods and the old stumps, and the site is California Historical Landmark No. 962. The park district says a forest of 150-foot coast redwoods has since grown back. Winds through the Golden Gate are channeled into the valley, helping create coastal conditions.
The name
The district says the park was renamed in 2019 for Dr. Aurelia Henry Reinhardt, president of Mills College, who was one of five civic leaders elected to the district's first board in 1934.
Right now
As of Oct. 28, 2026, sections of Stream Trail from Trail's End through Fern Trail have been closed for repairs since Aug. 24. Through Oct. 31, a section of Stream Trail is shut at the Old Church Picnic site. The drinking water system serving Piedmont Stables is under a boil-water advisory. Gate hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. in October and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. in November and December. The main entrance is at 7867 Redwood Road. The district notes there's little or no cell service in the park.