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Laurelwood Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 815 Google reviews · Running trail in San Mateo, California · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Natural surface
- Distance
- 1 mi
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Tree cover
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from Laurelwood Park's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
The city's largest park (225 acres) offers trails leading to Sugarloaf Mountain & scenic picnicking.
What runners say about Laurelwood Park
“Beautiful scenery, picnic tables, playground, easy trails, and clean restrooms: this free park was a perfect meeting place for my siblings and I to meet with our niece's family.”
“Beautiful scenery, picnic tables, playground, easy trails, and clean restrooms: this free park was a perfect meeting place for my siblings and I to meet with our niece's family.”
“In October at about 5pm the playground is completely shaded.”
“Beautiful scenery, picnic tables, playground, easy trails, and clean restrooms: this free park was a perfect meeting place for my siblings and I to meet with our niece's family.”
“We love the playground and always take our kids and dogs (yes it’s dog friendly which is amazing) there.”
This little park in the middle of the San Mateo is good option for a little hiking. The park is well maintained and clean. It does have clean bathrooms, and parking is easy to find on the streets nearby. The forest is very scenic and during the hiking we have very nice views. Dogs are allowed. I high recommend.
The park can be deceiving because it’s fairly manicured near the entrance with a nice sprawling lawn with beautiful oaks, picnic area, playground etc..and then start hiking and before you know it your hiking up a narrow path that is anything but manicured.
It's a nice, easily accessible park, with a mixture of recreational spaces. There's a playground and some groomed lawn, where you could picnic, or just lounge. And then there are some trails if you want to do some exploring. The Sugarloaf summit trail was fairly short, but had a moderate grade the whole way up.
Laurelwood is one of our favorite places to hike with our dog. There is a large variety of trails to choose from and great views from Sugarloaf Hill. Some of the trails are very steep - take Natural Amphitheatre Trail for the easiest way to the top.
Trail conditions & character
“Beautiful scenery, picnic tables, playground, easy trails, and clean restrooms: this free park was a perfect meeting place for my siblings and I to meet with our niece's family.”
“Beautiful scenery, picnic tables, playground, easy trails, and clean restrooms: this free park was a perfect meeting place for my siblings and I to meet with our niece's family.”
“You get some nice views of the bay, and surrounding neighborhoods as you climb 400-500 ft.”
“However, there's no parking lot, though there is plenty of street parking available as it's a residential area.”
“We love the playground and always take our kids and dogs (yes it’s dog friendly which is amazing) there.”
“In October at about 5pm the playground is completely shaded.”
“Since this is open nature, so the trails can get extremely muddy after the rains.”
Plan your run at Laurelwood Park
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- SurfaceNatural surface — easiest on the joints and the most fun, but expect roots, rocks and mud after rain
- Distance1 mi as reported — check whether that is one way or a round trip before you commit
- ShadeRunners describe real tree cover here — it makes a summer afternoon workable
- At the trailheadparking, restrooms — reported by runners
- DogsWelcome, per reviewers. Leash rules vary by park — the trailhead sign is the authority.
- Websitecityofsanmateo.org
- Social Instagram · Facebook
Hours
| Monday | 6 am–10 pm |
| Tuesday | 6 am–10 pm |
| Wednesday | 6 am–10 pm |
| Thursday | 6 am–10 pm |
| Friday | 6 am–10 pm |
| Saturday | 6 am–10 pm |
| Sunday | 6 am–10 pm |
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