Bedwell Bayfront Park - Menlo Park, CA
Posted by: 
DougK
N 37° 29.197 W 122° 10.724
10S E 572605 N 4149173
Bedwell Bayfront Park is Menlo Park's largest park, and its only open space on the San Francisco Bay.
Waymark Code: WMCHB1
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 09/08/2011
Views: 7
Bedwell Bayfront Park is Menlo Park's largest park, and its only open space on the San Francisco Bay. The park's 160 acres are surrounded on three sides by the
Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Bayfront is home to some 160 species of birds, including the Great Egret. The park’s hills are popular with birdwatchers, hikers, dog walkers and bicyclists.
A former landfill site, Bedwell Bayfront Park was created after the landfill was closed and capped off in the mid-1980s. The park opened to the public soon afterwards. Bayfront’s hilly terrain, specifically designed for passive receation, now serves as a landmark high point along the edge of San Francisco Bay. One of the newest attractions at the park is a permanent orienteering course created by Philipp Kopisch from Boy Scout Troop 109.
Various development proposals have threatened the park’s open space and wildlife, including development of a golf course and playing fields. These proposals have since been withdrawn or defeated by voters, and the park today remains as public open space.
Formed in 2005, Friends of Bedwell Bayfront Park is an all-volunteer organization is dedicated to protecting and enhancing the unique open space that is Bedwell Bayfront Park, now and for future generations. The group sponsors guided nature walks, introductions to park birds, and other educational activities.
The park brochure is available as an online PDF.