Woodside

Woodside is a small town on the San Francisco Peninsula in California. It is considered one of the wealthiest towns in the United States, and is home to many celebrities and executives. Despite its small size, Woodside features many local attractions.

Get in

SR 84, SR35 and I-280.

Get around

Public transportation is not available within Woodside due to its small size. However, SamTrans routes 78 and 278 make some stops not far from the town center, and route 85 stops at Alice's Restaurant.

See

• 1 Filoli, 86 Cañada Rd, ☏ +1 650 364 8300, info@filoli.org. 10AM-5PM daily. A country house known for its formal gardens. It was donated to the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1975 and added to the National Register of Historic Places the same year. Epicurean Group operates a café called the Quail Café and a bar called the Bluebird Bar on premises, but be aware that they have mixed reviews. $34 general admission; $32 for adults 65 and above; $24 for children 5-17; $27 for students, teachers and military personnel; under 5 free. (updated May 2023)
• 2 Woodside Store (Tripp Store), 3300 Tripp Rd, ☏ +1 650 851 7615. Tu Th: 10AM-4PM; Sa Su: noon-4PM (closed other days). A historic store built by Robert Orville "Doc" Tripp and Mathias Parkhurst in the 1850s. Features a small gift shop that sells books and candy sticks. Free. (updated May 2023)

Do

• 1 Huddart Park, 1100 Kings Mountain Rd, ☏ +1 650 851 1210. Open 8AM daily (closing time varies). A good place for hikers, Huddart Park contains 24 miles of trails over 973 acres. It also has picnic areas, a playground and facilities for equestrians. $6 per car. (updated May 2023)
• 2 Wunderlich Park, 4040 Woodside Rd, ☏ +1 650 851 1210. Opens 8AM daily (closing time varies; see website for details). A 942-acre protected area donated to San Mateo County in 1974 by former owner Martin Wunderlich. Features hiking trails of varying lengths through redwood forest, picnic areas, and equestrian facilities. The trails are pretty quiet as Bay Area parks go. Free. (updated Oct 2023)

Eat

• 1 Alice's Restaurant, 17288 Skyline Blvd (at the crossroads of Skyline and La Honda). A restaurant at the intersection of SR 35 and 84 that has become associated with Arlo Guthrie's song of the same name. Despite being thousands of miles from Alice Brock's original restaurant in West Stockbridge, Massachusetts, this out-of-the way eatery sports its own Group W Bench to tickle the fancy of Arlo Guthrie fans. Due to its popularity among motorcycle enthusiasts, the menu is full of motorcycle-themed entrées. For example, a "Yamaha" is a chicken breast sandwich with pineapple and teriyaki while a "Harley" burger comes with bacon and sausage (a play on the "Hog" nickname often given to Harley-Davidson motorcycles). Despite the gimmicks associated with its theme, Alice's retains a cheerful and pleasant atmosphere, accessible to visitors on four-wheeled vehicles just stopping in for a bite. It's not unusual on a Sunday morning to see dozens of motorcycles ranging from restored antiques to the newest and fastest sport bikes, all polished up for an informal bike show. To motorcyclists, the term "Alice's" refers both to the restaurant and the Skywood Trading Post (a general store with a deli and coffeehouse) directly across Skyline Boulevard. Even on weekdays, the parking lots on both sides of the street are filled with bikes, riders and the curious. (updated May 2023)
• 2 Bucks, 3062 Woodside Rd (Downtown Woodside in the Cañada shopping center), ☏ +1 650-851-8010. M-Th 8AM-8:30PM, F-Sa 8AM-9PM. $20-50 per diner item. (updated Oct 2023)
• 3 Skywood Trading Post, 17287 Skyline Blvd (at the crossroads of Skyline and La Honda), ☏ +1 650 851 0914. M-F: 7:30AM-7PM; Sa: 8:30AM-7PM; Su: 8:30AM-6PM. A popular grocery store that also features a deli and various alcoholic drinks. It is common to see motorcycles here when the parking lot at the nearby Alice's Restaurant is full. (updated Apr 2023)

Go next

Woodside is located fairly close to a few other communities on the Peninsula:

• Portola Valley
• Redwood City
• Menlo Park and Atherton
• Palo Alto and Stanford
• Los Altos
• Los Altos Hills

Routes through Woodside

San Francisco ← Hillsborough ←

N  S

→ Los Altos → San Jose