It had been several years since I last visited this park, but I enjoyed my recent run here on a Tuesday afternoon just before sunset. Parking was easy, and there's a restroom near the main lot for convenience. I appreciated the relaxing atmosphere while taking in the beautiful scenery and exploring the various features of the park. Waterbirds in the pond, lovely trees and vegetation, a few benches scattered throughout, and seemingly endless fields of rolling hills, as well as a creative pattern of trails weaving in and around the park, which made it ideal for running. I even revisited one of the most unique trails here, The Great Spirit Path, a collection of stone sculptures with a nature-themed poem by Susan Dunlap broken up into verses displayed throughout the park (see my separate review for more on "The Great Spirit Path"). I was a little disappointed to find that some of the sculptures, mostly near the parking lot, are missing or destroyed (as of December 2025). But further into the grassy hills, I was glad to see that a majority of the artwork still stands, some marred by vandalism, but most intact having withstood the passing of time. This trail makes for an interesting hike, discovering pieces of art that blend in nicely with the surrounding natural environment. read more

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Appreciate the large open space of several pebble and dirt trails. Good to get some air and exercise. Good therePlenty of parking! Not much of a view. Smells a bit from the marsh It's alright read more

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So beautiful here! I truly feel so thankful getting to meditate in this place that feels so far from the city. We live in such a jewel location, please be mindful of garbage and even pick some up if you see it! Very delicate ecosystem in tact read more

Bedwell Bayfront Park - Hiking Near Me - Menlo Park, California

Amazing park to walk through and it has many trails too and has lots of views to experience. Sometimes you can come across a Cayote or two. read more

Bedwell Bayfront Park - Hiking Near Me - Menlo Park, California

This review is for the folks that are coming out here for the first time that's not from here. I had a long week so I wanted to go visit this great spirit path in hopes of enjoying nature and just go through a reset if you get what I'm saying Bay Area folks. It's not that easy to find so just drive straight to the back of the parking lot. You'll pass the bathrooms but keep going until you see a sign that says "do not enter, road closed." Park in that area. You'll see a bench with some signs. Walk past the bench and make an immediate left. You'll run into a brown pillar that says great spirit path. It's a small brochure stand but expect it to be empty. The first pillar is pretty close to your right. The entire pathway has 53 pillars and is about .76 miles. It's not a hard hike at all, very tiny hills. I will admit it was a calming hike and I enjoyed it. Let me tell you why I would not come back. There were a ton of geese poop along the ladder part of the pathway. I'm OK with geese poop, it's their home. I am not okay with the ton of dog poop along the way and near the beginning pillars. It's like dog owners walk to read the poem and let their dogs poop without cleaning after them. I stepped on dog poop within the first five pillars and didn't even realize it until the horrid smell. The pillars are surrounded by shrubbery so it's hard to see. I was upset, I had to stop and dig dog poop out of my shoe with branches, and the smell just lingered for probably half of the hike. By the time I reached the end, instead of reading the book I took with me, I ended up grabbing another bench to dig the rest of the poop on my shoe. For the dog owners that did not pick up after their pets, shame on you! You don't deserve a relaxing, hike along spirit path. You need professional help! If you decide to go on this hike, be cognizant of poop all along the shrubbery. On my way down, I chose the gravel path because I can see everything in front of me. Just be cognizant, if you choose the gravel path, you will not see the pillars. Also, all the pillars are the same poem. Each individual line of the poem is a different pillar with a different rock design/picture. Don't expect 53 different poems. read more

Bedwell Bayfront Park - The trail to the end. - Hiking Near Me - Menlo Park, California

I have been going to this park with my dog for the past few months and I've never had any issues. However, yesterday afternoon I was walking on one of the main trails and was approached by two large coyotes they started approaching my dog and I getting within 10 to 15 feet of us bearing their teeth. I tried to make myself scary by waving my arms and yelling at them to back off. They eventually ran off and a maintenance man nearby was able to help deter them while we walked off in other direction, but it was no doubt scary. I have a large 90 pound dog, I didn't think they would go after large dogs, but they seemed unafraid. Be careful and heed the warning signs! I would be nervous to bring pets here. It's sad because the park is so beautiful. read more

I've been taking my dog here for a few months to enjoy the trails. I like that it's usually populated with a lot of people and in the open. I've noticed the signs for coyotes and always keep my dog on a leash and have seen coyotes at a distance in the past. Today that was different and changed my outlook. Near one of the main trails two coyotes were in the grass, less than ten feet from the actual trail. Once i noticed them i called my dog back on her long line and they saw us and definitely watched my dog and I. I turned to go the other way and take a different trail or head back- they were honestly too out in the open for my comfort but i was still far enough to think walking away was a good choice rather than yell or engage with them. I passed two middle aged women now walking toward them and gave them a heads up. I told them i was worried they were interested in my dog. Once we passed each other, i looked over my shoulder and saw one coyote taking steps towards my dog and i on the trail - i continued to walk the other way watching behind me. I saw it begin to trot down the main trail toward us and began to feel unsafe. It was closing the distance and at this point i turned, got big waved my arms and began to yell loud and aggressively to try to scare it off. It would stop but did not seem afraid whatsoever and when i would turn to try to give myself more distance it would begin to stalk us again. At this point i threw the bag of dog poop i had at it and continued to yell to deter it which spooked it but it remained on the trail. I would like to point out that the women who passed me looked over their shoulders multiple times at me seeing me yelling at it and continued to walk the other direction without offering to help scare it off or stay to see if i needed help. It was really disappointing because at this point i really was starting to feel unsafe. Other people were quite a ways away on the trails and I'm not sure my voice carried. But i distinctly noted them looking back three times at the noise i was making - it was clear i was in an unsafe situation. I really needed help and was scared. I think my yelling actually agitated the coyote and it bagan to arch its back and kind of take larger jumps toward me. This was very concerning. I pulled out my pepper spray and yelled and shot a stream of it toward the coyote which was just barely out of range. This is when i started screaming HELP to get more attention in the hopes that more people could intimidate it and scare it off with me. I think by chance a woman came over the adjacent hill with her dog and saw this taking place. I told her it had been following me down the trail and i needed help scaring it off. Between her presence and the smell of the pepper spray distracting the coyote i was able to put more distance between us by backing away. I headed back toward my car as quick as i could to get out of range. My dog at this point was agitated due to the commotion and my priority was keeping us safe and warning the few people i passed of the event. Especially those with dogs heading into the trails. At a distance i encountered the women who offered me no help. They looked my direction and i threw my arms up and one said "what happened? Ha ha" and i shouted back " you didn't help me!" To which she said, "I've been attacked!" ... i can understand how that would be triggering for someone whose been attacked but to be honest i can't imagine just leaving someone in distress in an unsafe situation without stopping to consider what i could do in any capacity. Even calling someone else or calling to other people they may have seen. And when i warned them of the coyotes she didn't make it known or seem to be concerned as they walked relatively close to them, that could have been a good time to offer the information that she had been attacked and maybe suggest we scare it off together idk. To see people consciously look over their shoulders and continue to walk away was the scariest part of the whole experience if I'm being transparent. So many ways that could have played out and to see people not care was so scary. Why would you leave someone to suffer the same way as you? To sum up, the trails are lovely but the coyotes are emboldened and i wanted to share this so at the very least people go prepared. Bring an air horn/ pepper spray/ anything to protect yourself. Or maybe we just stop going to the coyotes territory and let them have that land. I know it's not their fault but it will be difficult to coexist like this. read more

SUCH a beautiful place to walk and a ton of space. Fun fact, it was built on landfill so yes, beautiful things can emerge from literal trash! Pros: Dogs allowed!! LOTS of hills and trails, both dirt and paved, and in the spring and autumn it's absolutely lush and gorgeous. Plenty of space so you won't have cramped run-ins with other people's dogs. People seem respectful of the on-leash rules. Your dog will be plenty exercised! Lovely panoramic vistas of the Bay and salt marshes and also on the other side, the Meta campus. Tons of different combinations of walks, you won't be bored. Cons: Parking is a little cramped, can also easily get full on weekends. Very exposed for the most part. I've never gone in the summer because the area can be really hot, and there's very little tree shade at this park despite getting some waterfront breeze. Bring water for the kiddos and pooch. read more

The Great Sprit Walk, a Native-American poem, each word being represented by a rock formation, hidden in Bedwell Bayfront Park. The front area of Bedwell Bayfront is where most people go to run and hike, it's next to the water, there are different elevations, and you can see the free-way and the back of Facebook HQ. If you keep driving straight down the pathway from the front, past the 2nd parking lot with the bathrooms, and park right before the sign that says "no cars allowed" you will find the "Great Spirit Walk". Go up the hill until you find the first placard, the bold part is what part of the poem you are on and the rocks right next to the placard represent that word or those sets of words. Sculpture was built from 1980-1985 by artist Susan Dunlap. Partially restored since then with a significant restoration in 2015. You can find more pictures on her website. We like coming after the rain since everything turns green, there has never been anyone here around 8 am on weekdays. It is surreal and peaceful to walk through the paths and read along the poem. Do note there is someone living in the trees right near the beginning of the walk, they are not on the trail itself and in a home made tent/structure maybe 30 ft. off the trail if you happen to hear something in the trees. read more

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This is a wonderful bayside dog-friendly park with plenty of trails! When we went in March, there were lush, green hills and a variety of birds in the waterways. We saw egrets, sandpipers, and ducks on our visit. There is plenty of parking, restrooms, and drinking fountains available. The park borders Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The dogs had a great time there! read more

Bedwell Bayfront Park - Zoey on the trail. - Hiking Near Me - Menlo Park, California

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"Large park with Mostly Boring Trails." It's not as bad as it sounds. This is a large park with decent facilities. There are plentiful parking spaces, as well as decent restrooms. Most of the trails look pretty boring, since they are just dirt roads. There is one exception however--Do not miss the "Spirit Trail." It is a collection of rock formations, custom produced just for this park. Each station has a brief description, with a poem. The artist, Susan Dunlap, put a lot of work into setting this up. Today, since it was over a hundred degrees, I just hiked the first part of the Spirit Trail. The stones and boulders were in pretty good shape, but some seemed to be in disarray. There is a container at the front of the Spirit Trail that normally has brochures, but there were none today. I was disappointed. Aside from the unique Spirit Trail, probably not a whole lot of interesting sites. On the other hand, it's free. read more

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I came here in search of salt flats, but unfortunately was disappointed as they no longer seem to be here. However, it was still a nice spot for a walk -- I caught a nice sunset and the hills are currently very lush and verdant after recent rains. read more

Bedwell Bayfront Park - Hiking Near Me - Menlo Park, California

Nice spot for a walk or jog on the Peninsula. Most of the trails are pretty bare and exposed, but nice views of the bay and the nearby towns. Decent bathrooms and a reasonable amount of parking on the side of the road. read more

After dinner I went over to Bedwell Bayfront Park off Hwy 84/Marsh Rd. There is Free parking, 3 areas. The middle one has the separate bathrooms with flushed toilets, and outside sinks. I did the Perimeter Loop Trail 2.3 miles, and The Great Spirit Path. The Perimeter Loop is a flat walk around the park. It's ok, views of Flood Slough, Westpoint Slough, Former Salt Ponds, Don Edwards Wildlife Refuge, Dumbarton Bridge, Tidal Pond. This park used to be a former landfill. Supposedly there are burrowing owls in the squirrel holes, I didn't see any. The Great Spirit Path is a little uphill, with sign with poems and rock art. Nice to see. Saw many walkers, runners, people with bikes, families. Some with masks, not enough. Might be worth checking out if nearby. read more

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I love this place. It is one of the last gems of what remains of the original land that takes away from the eyesore that is Facebook HQ, and some random hotel and parking lot that stands across the street from its entrance. I grew up going to this park for leisure, and for training. It is safe but it is always wise to be mindful of your surroundings, have a friend with you, a pet, or maybe not have your earbuds and earphones up too loud. It is most enjoyable in the Spring and the cooler months because of the change of colors and the beauty of all the plant and wildlife that call this place home. They do have hours of operation, and I believe that the public restrooms are open again. It's a great place to walk, run, bike, talk, picnic, paint, and fly kites. Please be sure to respect the park and leave no trace. read more

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Great stroll to walk your dog! There is plenty of grass that our dog loves to sniff through. There's a good amount of parking that can get full on weekends. Be cautious of skunks!! My friend's dog unfortunately ran into a skunk and got sprayed! We saw a few more skunks afterwards. Despite the skunks, I'd come again for an easy stroll around! read more

Bedwell Bayfront Park - Sunset views - Hiking Near Me - Menlo Park, California

Easy hike ... many differ routes to take exploring the area. No shade, so don't go on a hot day :). November lots of greenery after the rain , very pretty scenic view along the trails. Parking can be a bit challenging .. there is only about little over dozen parking spots. So plan your visit off peak for better chance getting a spot. read more

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This park contains a 3.3 mile loop trail and is located in Menlo Park, California. The park features beautiful wild flowers while also providing great views of the Bay Area and is accessible year-round. Dogs are able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. Finding parking can be tricky on weekends and so I'd recommend coming in a little early during the day. read more

-Great location, easy to find -Restrooms with toilet paper, hand washing station, dog water bowls -lots of parking -get good cell phone reception Lots of trails here! Great for walking, light hiking, biking, running, with dogs and children. read more

Bedwell Bayfront Park - Hiking Near Me - Menlo Park, California

Came on a Saturday afternoon and place was pretty busy. There's free street parking, but depending on how crowded it is, you may need to wait. It seems to be a popular place amongst dog walkers. There are many hikes that you can do cutting across the middle, but we decided to do a nice leisurely stroll around the perimeter, which took about 1 hour. Not the most scenic view as you primarily see the marsh and highway. Also, some parts of the park did not have the most pleasant smell from the sewage. Overall, a fine place to take a stroll, but there are much more scenic places to hike in the area. read more

Updating review: I had previously only been to the park when it was desert-y and dry--but still beautiful. Today it was luscious and green and lovely in a different way. Plenty of parking. Access to a public restroom. A few benches for resting. Stroller-friendly, but bumpy. A nice place to wander aimlessly. Choose the more flat trails today rather than the steep hills; however, I did make it up one little incline and enjoyed the wonderful view. read more

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I went here in middle/late July and it was yellow - very dry!! This is a decent park to run in - the entire area isn't too big but there are plenty of slopes and trails to make it worth the exercise. My parents saw a skunk here and we also saw geese. The reason I didn't like it that much was because the smell was a bit bad coming from the marshland. The breeze helps a lot though! I also noticed plenty of people without masks so don't forget to bring your own along! read more

Bedwell Bayfront Park - Hiking Near Me - Menlo Park, California

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Crazy park where the closing hour change every month. Insane!! Found the park to be an unpleasant and to be a place of little peace. A dirt trail along a swamp would be a better way to describe it rather than the word "park". read more

Marsh Rd Exit EAST Family friendly Park Lots of neat trails. Good place to fly a kite. Very clean restrooms. Good parking. 3.3 mile loop trail. read more

We came out here for the first time, it is located basically off the Marsh Rd exit. Parking is decent and located at several different spots in the park. The park consists of various trails throughout. I found the history of one of the hills which is basically a trash fill that was converted into a hill. There is views of the bay and the bay marsh area which has salt deposits at the shoreline as well as bay marsh birds like cranes and ducks. It's a nice easy walk around the various trails.= The restrooms at the parking lot entrance were closed but I do not know if that is for all day, we were there around 4pm. read more

I am such a huge fan of this park, plenty of parking space even on the weekend. You can park off road too with it's really full. It's away from the city so you can really smell the fresh air especially when you hike to the highest point or close to the water. You can hike, bike, run around, play pokemon. Create your trail and explore the area! There is a flushable toilet near one of the parking lot. Dog must be on leash and I've seen dog owners not doing that. I personally love dogs but some dogs are just so vicious at times... I like taking my dog here for a long walk on the weekend. There is a dock at the north side of the park, currently the sea water are dried up and created a huge salt bed, very impressive scenery. read more

Close to home so we come here with our dogs often. I love how there is always plenty of parking, its a large space so there is plenty of room for everyone, and there are lots of different trails you can take without getting lost! (Its a big rectangle surrounded by water so it's easy to navigate without a map) Dogs must be on leash at all times, I HIGHLY recommend this as there are a bunch of critters running around. We've seen tons of cats, a skunk, and something larger then both roaming around in the bushes. Best time to go is in the morning or evening as there is very little shade. It gets very hot, even on nice days during the afternoon. We work with shelter dogs so we come in the afternoon cause there are few people there. It's a great place to take shy dogs who you want to slowly socialize! While it is surrounded by water, we don't let the dogs in. One the one side it's a steep drop to the water that might be muddy, and the other side is a salt pit or something. There is also a lot of goose poop everywhere. The dogs think it's candy :( The last thing is there are always people sitting in their cars there at all times of the day. I don't know if they live there or waiting for people, but it's weird. read more

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Nice park to take an easy stroll, walk, or run. There is plenty of parking and wide open spaces, perfect for scenic views and exercising your doggies. Being a birder I had a lot of fun identifying and looking for many types of birds, especially water foul. There are no large animals (except and occasional cat) but a lot of small rodents such as gophers, mice, and bunny rabbits which makes this park a great place to watch for different birds of prey as well. I noticed quite a bit of trash and litter along side and on the trails which was a little frustrating since the dog wanted to eat everything it saw on the ground. But other than that I thought this park was nice to walk. read more

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Nice park with trails and birding options. Enough hills for a good walking workout. Tons of cars but only saw a couple fellow trail walkers. If you turn off main road/trail area, it's very easy finding way back. read more

It's a dirt road and pretty expansive. I believe it's an old landfill? No tree cover so make sure you wear a hat/glasses/sunblock. Plenty of parking. You'll see the salt marsh from afar where it is all white. read more

One of my favorite parks to go to with my dogs. This place is just so amazing! Lots of space to walk around and lots of wonderful plants and animals to see. There are skunks here who are not afraid of people so I'd be careful of going too far off the trails. There are often off leash dogs at this park (even though it is a leashed only park) so I'd also be careful while walking your dogs there! read more

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I really love bedwell bayfront park, wonderful place for hiking , biking , bird watching etc read more

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This is a nice park and a perfect location if you're staying at the Nia Autograph Collection Hotel. There are some scenic views, it's a peaceful place for a pleasant walk, a jog if you're into that sort of thing, bird or animal watching or just unwinding far from the madding crowd. read more

I was in the area and had 20 minutes to burn, so I drove here and was pleasantly surprised. Parking is great, the area is clean and feels wild despite being right off 101, tons of birds, butterflies, bees and flowers, dog friendly, nice public bathrooms, and tons of trails with great views in just a few minutes of walking. Great time of year to visit too. read more

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I have driven past Bayfront Park countless times commuting back and forth on 101. When I used to work nearby, I had a coworker that jogged there and back during lunch. Recently I found out they allow dogs in the park. Because of these reasons I finally decided to stop by for a jog with my dog. There are two parking lots, one towards the front entrance and the second towards the middle of the park. Even though the lots were less than half-full, I noticed cars parked on the side of the road. From the parking lot, first thing anyone will notice are the hills. There are numerous rolling hills due to this park being an old dump site. There are also numerous trails that criss cross with each other. I don't think any of them are named but the park is small enough that you really shouldn't get lost. Jogging on the trail I noticed some wildlife; ducks, hummingbirds, geese and squirrels. At first I didn't think anything of the squirrels but my dog was extremely excited so I decided to approach a squirrel near a clump of grass. Usually the squirrel will just bolt away to the nearest tree and scamper up. But when we got closer the squirrel just disappeared. WTF was this a ninja squirrel?!?! Being intrigued at this point, we walked closer and found this burrow. http://static.px.yelp.com/bphoto/8B4jDbgPA9V_I2AmoINFvw/l Walking around some more I noticed there were dozens of these burrows scattered all over the hills. Jogging back on the trail I felt like I was being watched and I was. These squirrels kept popping out of their holes staring at me and popping back in when I got closer. After some research I discovered these are California ground squirrels. If you jog here, stay on the trails. The grassy hills have tons of burrows that are obviously booby traps set up by the local ninja squirrel clan. 3.5 stars (adding 1/2 star for the ninja squirrels) http://static.px.yelp.com/bphoto/Ykpi6cIoLnEWAeTO9cvNtw/l read more

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Another great hidden gem in the Bay. View stretches on for miles. Well maintained bathrooms on site; three different little parking areas; maintained trails. Great place for a walk. Allows dogs. Great place to check out some beautiful Bay Area Sunsets and snap some gorgeous photos! read more

I was debating between 3 and 4 stars but since I came on a beautiful rainy day I ended up choosing four stars. Bedwell Park is built on an old landfill and is a great use of what otherwise would be just a mountain of trash. I came I run the trails on a rainy winter morning which shows the park off at its best: cool, overcast sky sets the bright green grass off nicely, a slight breeze, and no smell from the wetlands. There is plenty of wildlife here also of the avian variety. I happen to love watching all of the birds while I run so that is an added treat. Surprisingly, there aren't any ground squirrels, but I read they had to trap and remove them because they were digging up the buried trash which made for an unsightly problem I can see how this would not be a nice park in the summer being as it is exposed. For a winter run/walk/hike though, this is worth hitting up. read more

Bedwell Bayfront Park - Hiking Near Me - Menlo Park, California

The wind-swept ridges here are perfect for kite flying. We came just this past weekend for, well, Kite Day sponsored by the city of Menlo Park. I have never seen so my kites in one place... but I can report that just about all of them were indeed flying well. We've actually tried to get our kites up at a few other parks in the area and just weren't getting the right wind; folks tell me it is an almost sure thing here most afternoons. As a park generally I probably wouldn't rate this one of the nicer spots on the protected-land-rich peninsula, but I did see a bunch of runners out in addition to us kite fliers. read more

Bedwell Bayfront Park - "kite day" image from the menlo park site - Hiking Near Me - Menlo Park, California

Location: Menlo Park, right off Marsh Road. If you turned on to Marsh road from Middlefield and kept on going, you would eventually enter the gates of the park. Parking: Free parking in a couple lots down the road you enter to get in to the park. Bathrooms: There are public bathrooms, outdoor sinks, and trash cans at one of the parking lots. Parking lots are good for ~10-12 cars. Trails: I've come here both for just myself as well as for my dog-- to get out, get exercise, and for a change of scenery. I'd definitely say these trails aren't that great in comparison to most, if not all other trails I've been on in the Peninsula area. It's more of dry brush and a spattering of various trees, including eucalyptus trees. There are wide, rugged but paved paths, single-track dirt paths--clear and not so clear of brush, a good amount of hills, and flat areas. Pros: It's nice that this land is being maintained for public use. Dogs are allowed here. There are bathrooms and trash cans at one of the parking lots. Entry to the park is free. Cons: There isn't much shade (so bad idea on hot days). It tends to smell not so pleasant (I saw pools of rusty colored water by some buildings... kind of looked like icky bay water that was pre-treatment?). Could be really windy in that area. Scenery isn't an added bonus here. Trails are definitely NOT well marked... if at all. I actually don't recall any signs. Overall: Likely won't come back here because of the smell and lack of any interesting scenery. Biggest draws to this place is that it's dog friendly and local. read more

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Great park, trails, hills, wetlands, plenty of parking!