Home to heroes of Joaquin Miller. That’s what I think about when I see this place. Welcome to Joaquin Miller Park. It is a large open space in the Oakland Hills. The city of Oakland owns and operates it. This park is named for the early California writer and poet Joaquin Miller. He bought the land in the 1880s. Miller called it “The Hights”. His house is preserved here as the Joaquin Miller House.
Miller built his home here. He also planted hundreds of trees. Joaquin Miller placed monuments to his heroes on the property. These heroes include Moses. Also, John C. Frémont. And Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning. The monuments remain here to this day.
Joaquin Miller Park spans 500 acres. It is heavily wooded. Coast redwoods thrive here. So do coast live oaks and pines. Miller himself planted many of these trees. The Oakland Hills location gives panoramic views. You can see the San Francisco Bay area.
The park has miles of trails. They are perfect for hiking. Also for biking and horseback riding. There is an off-leash dog area. A children’s playground invites families. The amphitheater hosts events. Picnic tables dot the landscape. Fitness enthusiasts use the stairs below the cascades. These cascades flow from the Woodminister Amphitheater. The Friends of Joaquin Miller Park care for the park.
Pinkflower currant grows here. Evergreen huckleberry too. Look for creambush. You might spot gooseberry. Several picnic areas offer relaxation. Walking trails invite exploration. Try the Sinawik Trail. Or the Sunset Loop. The Palos Colorados Trail is lovely. So is the Chaparral Trail. And the Cinderella Trail.
Joaquin Miller Park has the Woodminster Amphitheater. It seats 2000 people. The Cascade is an outdoor amphitheater. It is used for musicals and plays. The Oakland Recreation Department once staged musical comedies here. They used mostly amateur performers. The current management took over in 1967.
The Cascade is the amphitheater’s waterfall feature. It was built in 1941. It is dedicated to California writers. Water still flows here. Howard Gilkey designed it. He also designed the Cleveland Cascade at Lake Merritt. That one is now dry.
Joaquin Miller Park is remarkably green. It has dense redwood groves. These are second-growth redwoods. But the park is not all redwoods. The landscape is varied. Sequoia Bayview and Sunset Trails are popular. They are at relatively high levels. It feels vast when you hike here.
The Palos Colorados Trail is excellent. It climbs a steep gorge. Small redwoods line it. Invasive ivy covers the ground and some trees. The gorge deepens as you ascend. Turn left at the first intersection. Climb the steep trail past old house foundations. Meet the Sunset Path. It is a dirt road. Go to the Cinderella Trail on the left.
The Cinderella Trail is steep. Mountain bikers often use it. It climbs to a plateau on a hilltop. There is a beautiful redwood grove here. No ivy grows here. This upland grove feels ordinary. The redwoods expand in a wide band. They parallel Skyline Boulevard. This goes on for nearly a mile.
The Big Trees Trail’s highest point is a flat field of redwoods. The redwoods are small. The old alluvial flat looks like a redwood grove. It is appealing. A unique East Bay view unfolds here. Unfortunately, the Big Trees Trail only passes a few yards through the flat. It goes down again. It leaves the unusual grove behind.
Take the Sequoia-Bayview Trail to the west. This broad, level road is famous. Redwoods grow in the canyons. But the trail is mostly non-redwood.
Turn onto the downhill Sunset Trail into the redwoods. The Sinawik Trail is more interesting. It runs along the dirt road. It is only a few meters away. Its lush canyon environment makes it worthwhile.
Back on the Road Palos Colorados. Visit the wonders of Oakland’s urban wilderness. Joaquin Miller Park is a testament to nature’s beauty. Also to one man’s vision. His legacy lives on in this Oakland treasure.