Waterdog
Lake Park,
City of Belmont Parks,
San Mateo County
In brief:
1.5 mile out and back through Belmont canyon.
Getting there:
From Interstate 280 in San Mateo County, exit CA 92 East (exit 33). Drive east
and exit Ralston (exit 9a). Drive east about 1 mile, and turn right onto Hallmark
Drive. Continue a short distance downhill and turn left onto Lake Road. Park on
the side of the road before the gate.
Trailhead details:
No parking or entrance fees. Limited side of street parking, and additional parking
nearby in residential neighborhoods. There is a map under glass, but none to take
with you. No restrooms, but there is a drinking fountain near the gate. No designated
handicapped parking, and trails are not suitable for wheelchairs. There is no
direct public transportation to this trailhead, but SamTrans buses 260 and 262
service the trailhead via Ralston Avenue and Continentals Way.
Gas, food, and lodging:
Gas, pay phone, restaurants, and stores: you'll have to drive a while for any
services, as there are none in the vicinity. No camping.
Rules:
Open sunrise to sunset. Trails are multi-use, but you're not likely to see horses
here. Dogs are permitted on leash.
Distance, category, and difficulty:
The trail is well-graded, and this 1.5 mile out and back hike is
easy. Trailhead elevation is around 535 feet. Lakeside elevation is around 345
feet.
The Official Story:
City of Belmont Parks and Recreation 650-595-7441
Map Choices:
• Use AAA's San Mateo, Redwood City and Vicinity map to get there
(this map also shows the main trail at Waterdog).
• The Trail Center's Trail Map of the Central Peninsula has a fantastic
map of Waterdog (order
this map from Amazon.com).
• Peninsula Trails, by Jean Rusmore, has a simple map and park descriptions
(order
this book from Amazon.com).
• Call Belmont's Parks and Recreation department at 650-595-7441 and ask
to have a map mailed to you.
Waterdog
in a nutshell -- a printable, text-only guide to the featured hike.
• View photos from this hike.
Small wooded bay 
area
canyons shelter more than birds, wild skunks, raccoons, and deer. They also are
generally passed over for development as cities grow. Developers reluctant to
build on steep rocky terrain focus their attention elsewhere, and often agencies
and towns purchase the land and preserve it for primitive recreational use. Thus
we have canyons of open space in suburban and urban areas, such as Mills
Canyon in Burlingame, Big Canyon in San Carlos, Glen
Canyon in San Francisco, and Waterdog Lake Park in Belmont. Waterdog Lake
Park is a heavily wooded canyon with an obstructed stream, once dammed to provide
domestic water to Belmont in days past. The park is now comprised of a wide fire
road descending from Hallmark Drive to the lake, and then continuing to Lyall
Way.
Since parking near Waterdog is always described
as "limited," I figured that starting
from the vista point exit on Highway 280 was the easiest and most scenic way to
get to Waterdog, until I tried it. I got a parking ticket (you can't park anywhere
except at the vista point lot), and although Sheep Camp Trail was nice, the easement
path down to Waterdog rates pretty high on my creepy index. Better to park closer
to Waterdog, where parking isn't all that limited (I consider limited parking
room for 3 cars; there's a lot more parking than that here).
Start at the gate at the end of Lake Road.
The wide fire road splits almost immediately. Bear left. (You might see
a sign for John S. Brooks Memorial Open Space; the trail initially winds through
this open space preserve, and Waterdog Park picks up where the open space leaves
off.)
Poison oak is prominent, and you might also see
buckwheat
and clematis (both conspicuous in summer), along with California sagebrush, toyon,
sticky monkeyflower, coyote brush, and honeysuckle. You may also notice plants
usually found in "wilderness" locations, such as bush lupine, pitcher
sage, and hollyleaf cherry. There are nice views east out of the canyon, and on
a clear day you may see across the bay. As you descend on the gently graded road,
trailside vegetation shifts to tree cover from coast live oak, California bay,
elderberry, and buckeye. Some rough paths and steps lead left and uphill to houses
on the canyon rim. To the right, look for a glimpse of the lake. At about 0.69
mile, a trail breaks off to the right at an unsigned junction. Turn right.
After a few steps downhill, you'll reach the lake
(a man-made reservoir really). Broom and yellow star thistle, two invasive plants,
are common. This is the turnaround point of the hike. There are new trails, some
of which are visible from the lakeside, but I was reluctant to explore without
a map, especially considering all the poison oak in this park. Retrace your
steps back to the trailhead.
Total distance: about 1.48 miles
Last hiked: Wednesday, June 13, 2001
Go to Bay Area Hiker Home page
area
canyons shelter more than birds, wild skunks, raccoons, and deer. They also are
generally passed over for development as cities grow. Developers reluctant to
build on steep rocky terrain focus their attention elsewhere, and often agencies
and towns purchase the land and preserve it for primitive recreational use. Thus
we have canyons of open space in suburban and urban areas, such as Mills
Canyon in Burlingame, Big Canyon in San Carlos, Glen
Canyon in San Francisco, and Waterdog Lake Park in Belmont. Waterdog Lake
Park is a heavily wooded canyon with an obstructed stream, once dammed to provide
domestic water to Belmont in days past. The park is now comprised of a wide fire
road descending from Hallmark Drive to the lake, and then continuing to Lyall
Way. 
from the vista point exit on Highway 280 was the easiest and most scenic way to
get to Waterdog, until I tried it. I got a parking ticket (you can't park anywhere
except at the vista point lot), and although Sheep Camp Trail was nice, the easement
path down to Waterdog rates pretty high on my creepy index. Better to park closer
to Waterdog, where parking isn't all that limited (I consider limited parking
room for 3 cars; there's a lot more parking than that here). 
and clematis (both conspicuous in summer), along with California sagebrush, toyon,
sticky monkeyflower, coyote brush, and honeysuckle. You may also notice plants
usually found in "wilderness" locations, such as bush lupine, pitcher
sage, and hollyleaf cherry. There are nice views east out of the canyon, and on
a clear day you may see across the bay. As you descend on the gently graded road,
trailside vegetation shifts to tree cover from coast live oak, California bay,
elderberry, and buckeye. Some rough paths and steps lead left and uphill to houses
on the canyon rim. To the right, look for a glimpse of the lake. At about 0.69
mile, a trail breaks off to the right at an unsigned junction. Turn right.