Bedwell Bayfront Park Description & Information

Bedwell Bayfront Park

Spring Summer Fall Winter

Bayfront Park, looking east, October 2007 (Jennifer Rycenga)

Description

Area Habitats
Salt Marsh, Mud Flats

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Bedwell Bayfront Park (formerly Bayfront Park) is located in Menlo Park just north and west of the Dumbarton Bridge. The park is bounded on two sides by tidal marsh and on the other two by salt ponds. The results of creative land use are visible here. The hilly area was once a fill-and-cover refuse disposal area (a.k.a. a dump).

Visit at low tide to see the most species. A level trail circles the outer reaches of the area and several other trails undulate through the hills and open fields. This is a good place for a stroll at dusk on hot summer days to enjoy the cooling bay winds.

After entering the gates at the intersection of Marsh Road and Bayfront Expressway, park on the right and check the slough and marsh on the left as well as the diked tidal marsh on the right, for herons, egrets, ducks, gulls, terns and shorebirds. There are two paved parking lots farther along this road. Trails that lead into the park start from these parking areas. Plan to spend a couple of hours on foot - this will allow time to cover the various habitats. Enjoy the view of the bay from the hilltops - keep an eye out for raptors overhead and land birds in the grass at your feet. Scan the fence posts for American Kestrels, Say's Phoebe, Western Meadowlark and sparrows. Look for Ring-necked Pheasants and Jackrabbits on the slopes. Thank former Menlo Park City Manager Mike Bedwell for having the foresight to turn the local midden into a park. Mr. Bedwell died in early 2008, and the city has decided to rename the park in his honor. In 2005, an attempt to convert the park into a golf course was defeated; an active group, Friends of Bedwell Bayfront Park, spearheaded the effort and has continued their excellent efforts to build community support for the park.

Bedwell Bayfront Park is proving itself to be one of the best migrant hotspots in the county. Rarities seen here include, most notably, the Least Bell's Vireo that appeared in May, 2010, and sang as if trying to establish a territory! This was the first live sighting of this species in the county in over 100 years. Bedwell Bayfront Park is also one of the best sites in the county for the more unusual geese species, Lesser Yellowlegs, and uncommon sparrows (White-throated Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, and Lark Bunting among others).

Look For These Birds

Common Year-Round Residents
Mallard, Gadwall, Double-crested Cormorant, Brandt's Cormorant, Turkey Vulture, Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk, American Coot, Forster's Tern, Rock Pigeon, Band-tailed Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Ring-necked Pheasant, Barn Owl, Great Horned Owl (uncommon), Short-eared Owl (uncommon), Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Anna's Hummingbird, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, American Avocet, Black-necked Stilt, Killdeer, California Gull, Western Gull, Ring-billed Gull, Black Phoebe, Hutton's Vireo, Common Raven, California Scrub-Jay, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Oak Titmouse, Bushtit, Bewick's Wren, Marsh Wren, American Robin, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, California Towhee, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Western Meadowlark, Red-winged Blackbird, Brewer's Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Lesser Goldfinch, House Finch, House Sparrow, Common Yellowthroat.

Winter Visitors
Brant, Canada Goose, Ring-necked Duck, Barrow's Goldeneye (unusual), Red-breasted Merganser, White-tailed Kite, Least Sandpiper, Western Sandpiper, Sanderling, Dunlin, Long-billed Dowitcher, Short-billed Dowitcher, Wilson's Snipe, Willet, Whimbrel, Long-billed Curlew, Marbled Godwit, Greater Yellowlegs, Killdeer, Short-billed Gull, Western Grebe, Clark's Grebe, Pied-billed Grebe, Eared Grebe, Northern Shoveler, Canvasback, Bufflehead, Green-winged Teal, American Wigeon, Loggerhead Shrike, Say's Phoebe, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, American Pipit, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Lincoln's Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow

Spring and Summer Visitors
Olive-sided Flycatcher, Violet-green Swallow, Barn Swallow, Cliff Swallow, Tree Swallow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Bank Swallow, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (also in migration), American Goldfinch.

Infrequent Visitors
American White Pelican, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Glaucous-winged Gull, Caspian Tern, Elegant Tern (late summer-early fall), Ridgway's Rail, Sora, Virginia Rail, Black Oystercatcher, Black-bellied Plover, Semi-palmated Plover, Snowy Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, Black Turnstone, Northern Pintail, Common Goldeneye, Blue-winged Teal, Cinnamon Teal, Common Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, Surf Scoter, Common Loon, Red-throated Loon, Pelagic Cormorant, Horned Grebe, Brown Pelican, Green Heron, Black-crowned Night-heron, Lesser Yellowlegs, Osprey, Red-shouldered Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Bald Eagle (unusual), American Kestrel, Spotted Sandpiper, Red-necked Phalarope, Bonaparte's Gull, Herring Gull, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Vaux's Swift, White-throated Swift, Allen's Hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher, Acorn Woodpecker, Nuttall's Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Western Wood-Pewee, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo, American Crow, Brown Creeper, House Wren, California Thrasher, Hermit Thrush, Swainson's Thrush, Varied Thrush, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Wrentit, Red-breasted Nuthatch, White-breasted Nuthatch, Western Bluebird, Cedar Waxwing, Orange-crowned Warbler, MacGillivray's Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Townsend's Warbler, Hermit Warbler, Western Tanager, Grasshopper Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Black-headed Grosbeak, Lazuli Bunting, Tricolored Blackbird, Hooded Oriole, Bullock's Oriole, Purple Finch, Pine Siskin. Those of us who have been birding in fall are convinced that this location has great promise during migration, especially for sparrows and shorebirds. A Big Sit was held here in October 2007, yielding 71 total species.

Rarities Seen Here

In this guide, "rarities" are defined as those species given an County Abundance Code of 4, 5, or 6.
Cackling Goose, Ross's Goose (2009), Snow Goose (2016, 2017), Greater White-fronted Goose (many years), Eurasian Wigeon, Ring-necked Pheasant, White-faced Ibis (2013), Golden Eagle (2007), Pacific Golden-Plover (many years), Baird's Sandpiper (2010, 2012, 2021), Red Knot, Red Phalarope (2022, 2023), Thayer's Gull, Glaucous Gull, Black Skimmer, White-winged Dove, Black Swift (2011, 2012), Rufous Hummingbird, Willow Flycatcher (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018), Dusky Flycatcher (2010), Hammond's Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Western Kingbird (most years, in migration), Cassin's Kingbird (2011), Bell's Vireo (2010), Horned Lark, Purple Martin (2011, 2018), Sage Thrasher (2023), Red-throated Pipit (2013), Yellow-breasted Chat (2017, 2019, 2022), Tennessee Warbler (2020), Nashville Warbler, Palm Warbler (2011, 2017, 2022), American Redstart (2018), Northern Parula (2022), Blackpoll Warbler (2017, 2018), White-throated Sparrow (most years), Chipping Sparrow (2011, 2017), Brewer's Sparrow (2011, 2012), Clay-colored Sparrow (2010, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2018), Vesper Sparrow (2007, 2010, 2021, 2022), Lark Sparrow (2010, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2019, 2022, 2023), Harris's Sparrow (FB trail 2017, 2018), Lark Bunting (2004), Lapland Longspur (2010, 2014, 2017, 2021), Blue Grosbeak (2013, 2017, 2018, 2019), Yellow-headed Blackbird (2011), Great-tailed Grackle (2019), Rusty Blackbird (2005), Orange Bishop; Burrowing Owl wintered here a few years in the first decade of the 21st century, but had not been seen here since 2011, when the city exterminated the California Ground Squirrel population. In 2023, following the massive atmospheric river storms in January, a Burrowing Owl returned.

Directions

Take US 101 to Marsh Road. Exit east toward the bay. At the stoplight continue through the intersection and enter Bayfront Park. For sustenance head to downtown Menlo Park on the west side of US101.

Interactive Map

Red Markers: Parking Area or Trail Head
Hover mouse pointer over marker, or click marker, for pin identification.
Use + or - buttons to change map zoom. Click & Drag to pan.

Fees

The park is free.

Hours

The park gate is officially open from sunrise to sunset.

Hazards

Mud can sometimes be a problem on the trails, along with abundant goose droppings in winter. This park is very popular with dogs and their human companions; however, all dogs are supposed to be on leashes.

Facilities

Bathroom facilities are available at the first parking area.

Accessibility

Bedwell Bayfront Park is represented on the Birdability website. This site, sponsored by the National Audubon Society, seeks to crowd-source information on accessibility and birding. Consider submitting a review of your favorite park, and/or revising the review that exists to better reflect your experience. Thanks for helping to ensure that birding really is for everyone.

Avian Research Status

Bedwell Bayfront Park is a Hot Spot in eBird. Data has been entered for all calendar quadrants, recording over 200 species. Please record all your county peregrinations at eBird.

The data for Bedwell Bayfront in iNaturalist is nowhere near as robust as the eBird data. Look for a BioBlitz for this site sometime in the 2020s!

The San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory (SFBBO) is conducting a long-range study of gull movements in the Bay Area. California Gulls have been leg-banded with plastic colored bands. If you see any of these gulls, please note the leg and the color of the band; if it is possible to read the number on the band, record that also. This information can be shared directly with Carly at SFBBO (cschacter@sfbbo.org). If the birds also have a metal band, and you can read that number, too, please report that to the National Bird Banding Lab.

There have been 31 field trips to this site by Sequoia Audubon, first occurring in the late 80s and increasing to multiple times a year by the late 2010s. This has been a favorite spot to visit, particularly in the early 2000s and late 2010s, and there is an abundance of data on eBird.