El Palo Alto Park - Palo Alto
The 0.5 acre El Palo Alto Park is land set aside to preserve "The Tall Tree" from which the city of Palo Alto got its name. The park is located at the corner of Alma Street and Palo Alto Avenue. A pedestrian bridge crosses over San Francisquito Creek connecting the Menlo Park side to the Palo Alto side. Although the park path leads close to El Palo Alto, the tree is more easily viewed as a tall tree on the El Camino side of the train tracks. Alma Street crosses the tracks and is the only way to get to the opposite side of the tracks because of fences.
A strip of city owned land follows along the Palo Alto bank of San Francisquito creek. The bank is almost vertical extending approximately 20 feet down to the mostly dry creek bed. When there is a storm local residents often come take a look at the creek to see the creek which is normally almost empty, filled with fast flowing water sometimes nearly to the top of the creek's banks.
El Palo Alto is behind the trees in the foreground. The path leads very close to the tall tree, too close to get a view of its top.
El Palo Alto is to the right of the railway bridge. The top of the tree shows damage incurred during its over a thousand year long life. Please do not get too close to the busy train tracks. Freight trains use the tracks and may have dangling straps which can cause very serious injury.
