McLaren Park: Philosopher's Way Loop

2450 Visitacion Avenue, CA
5.0
2 Reviews
McLaren Park: Philosopher's Way Loop
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Details

Distance
2.25 miles
Elevation Gain
315 ft
Route Type
Loop

Features

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Wildflowers
Food Nearby
Dog Friendly
Family Friendly
Bathrooms
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About this place

Added by Outbound

Explore McLaren Park, the city's second largest park.

Beyond McLaren's family friendly playgrounds and picnic areas, there are miles of trail to explore. The Philosopher's trail is a well-marked loop (notice the stone markings along the trail with arrows etched into them). There are several parking lots available where you can jump onto the loop. Note that the trailhead off of Mansell street at Visitacion Ave is fairly exposed for about the first 1/3 mile before crossing back into a little more tree coverage. This trail is dog friendly (on-leash). 

Background:

The Philosopher's Way Trail was created by Peter Richards and Susan Schwartzenberg (staff artists at the Exploratorium). Per the signage for the trail, this loop includes rest spots to view the landscape (benches along the trail). The route was selected for personal thought and contemplation as it highlights the interrelationships between the area's ecology, geography, history, and experiences of the people who come to visit the area. 

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Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and be sure to follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly.
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Tyler Drake
10/4/2021
Philosopher's Way
Family friendly hike in McLaren Park. We had our daughter in a carrier and saw plenty of families along the route. This would be ...
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HBCUs Outside
11/23/2017
Trail Run
This was a beautiful run. I ran into a coyote that I scared senseless.
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