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    Bay Bridge Trail

    4.3 (27 reviews)

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    Joshua S.

    It's free to walk or bike, it's really nice, and the views are great if you come on a day with good weather. It's fully paved and really easy. I walked the whole thing with my dog. The big issue I have is the noise resulting from the proximity to traffic, making it difficult to enjoy. It's not a hike and it's certainly not peaceful or serene. I'd come for the photos but I wouldn't do the walk again. I'd recommend headphones or earplugs to cancel the noise. I did not like the noise and I don't think my dog did either. It's impossible to hear much between the traffic and the wind. I'm glad I got some nice pictures for Instagram though!

    Bay Bridge - We walked from Oakland to Treasure Island - this is the view from the bridge.
    Grace L.

    They did a very nice job with the bike trail on the Bay Bridge. We walked from Oakland side to Treasure Island. It's about 8 miles back and forth. We got lucky with not so hot weather. Next time we visit, it will be on a bike. It was tough finding a place to park but it was all worth it when we did. The view is simply amazing on the bridge trail.

    Beita W.

    Great adventure and an exhilarating bike ride. We may a couple stops to rest our legs on the way to treasure island. The ride back was a breeze as it was downhill. We enjoyed the cruise and breeze on the way back. We didn't enjoy the fumes from the freeway but overall we enjoyed it and will likely ride again when we return to the area. We also enjoyed rented Lyft bikes, so the ride was 4.5 miles each way. Back and forth, the ride was close to 2 hours

    Ultima M.

    This is a cool trial, an awesome experience and for sure a "must do" This trail is very easy to bike ride, jog or walk. Very clean and safe trail with awesome views of the bay. There is a dedicated parking area for your vehicle that seemed safe and secure. I did see a police car patrolling the area which I thought was great. There are several benches and call boxes along the trail. At the other end of the trial there is a snack shop (closed due to COVID) I cant wait to come back and do this again.

    Montage of images from the Bay Bridge Trail
    Ed U.

    So I finally got over my fear of noxious vehicular fumes to brave the current extent of the Bay Bridge Trail from the Bridge Yard Building at the Port of Oakland to Yerba Buena Island. I guess they built the path five feet away from the bridge so that the fumes get sucked under the bridge. I didn't make that up. That's what I read. Anyway it didn't smell too badly on a brisk Friday afternoon where there was nary a soul on the five-mile round trip. Just one jogger with flailing arms and a trio of bicyclists who looked like they just graduated from training wheels. Granted it was cold and windy but not totally unbearable. What I appreciated the most was the 15-1/2-foot width of the pathway with a clear line of demarcation between the bike and pedestrian lanes. It was much wider than I expected with some unexpected views underneath like the two observation piers that have been built from the remnants of the old bridge. One is PIer E-2 which juts out westward from the port on the east side, and the other stretches out to the east on Yerba Buena Island. I liked how boats and tankers would suddenly appear from underneath the bridge. There are benches along the way though I don't see how relaxing it would be to sit while hearing the speeding cars just a few yards away. I could finally appreciate the single tower that anchors the suspension of the entire eastern span. Up close it's almost an sculptural art piece. There isn't that much to do once you're on Yerba Buena Island unless you walk toward the observation pier. However, I walked on the decidedly pedestrian-unfriendly Hillcrest Road to get the spectacular view of the western span pouring into San Francisco. By the way, it was quite easy to park at the lot next to the Bridge Yard Building, and they even turned some of the bridge cabling into pieces of art. Getting to the lot was also a cinch as you turn on Maritime Street toward the port and make a right on Burma Road. RELATED - Wanna take a hike? Here's a collection of trails I've walked and reviewed: http://bit.ly/2OrC8nU

    Judge John Sutter
    Scott H.

    Still my favorite place for an urban hike after work. Yes it's a bit noisy with the traffic, but the view is always nice and when it's blazing hot everywhere else, it tends to be comfortable with a nice breeze here.

    Oakland in the House.
    D.wight L.

    So this new span (the eastern span) of the Bay Bridge seemed to have been built pretty quickly and fairly recently, like within the last 10 years. Growing up here in the Bay Area, I have driven over this bridge hundreds of times. The old span used to be heavy and industrial. Very fitting as that's when it was built, in the first half of the 20th century. Lots of steel and lots of rivets. It was so thick and solid that it was often hard to spot cars on it because of all the steel. The new incarnation is so much more modern and light, aesthetically. It is much more exposed to the air and the bay. And being so light, the bridge is almost stealthy, blending into the surroundings seamlessly. I'm sure it can hold a lot more traffic as well. I'm still trying to get used to it, as it simply doesn't have that classic look that pulls at my heartstrings...yet. Only time can adjust that. But what this new span has, that the old span didn't, is a pedestrian friendly trail that can take you to Yerba Buena Island, about 2 miles into the bay. You can start this trail in Emeryville, super close to the Mac Arthur Maze which will also add to your mileage. But if you want to just get the gist of this hike, you can start where the ports of Oakland lie. It's a bit tricky finding the parking as these industrial streets are rarely roamed by the public, but with gps, makes it a non-issue these days. Once on the trail, it is straight forward. 1 trail, wide enough to fit foot traffic and bike traffic. The way up to the island you will be going against the wind, so it is quite breezy. Definitely more relevant if you're biking. It is also slightly on an incline, but nothing that will knock your breath away. So the way back is crazy easy, downhill and with the wind. The views are great, especially as you stand right above the bay. The view looking towards the San Francisco skyline, with Yerba Buena in front of it, and Karl the Fog looming in the background is crazy classic. It is what makes the Bay Area so scenic, on how intertwined we are despite a major body of water separating us all. There are 2 cons though that I observed. One is the noise level is obnoxiously loud because you are literally within about 20-30 feet from the freeway. It is so loud that you can't really hold a conversation, unless you yell the whole time, which I'm never inclined to do. The other is once on Yerba Buena Island, there is no pedestrian access to explore the island. I'm sure you can find a way down there, but I didn't want to walk on the shoulder of a narrow road, that was somewhat under construction. So once touching the island, I literally just headed back. Kinda left me hanging. So far from the nature hikes that I normally embark on. But an urban hike with an intimate view on modern engineering, that should still be mentioned and noted. It's an available resource that makes Bay Area living so diverse.

    To get to the trailhead on the Oakland side, Google Maps to 210 Burma Rd or Judge John Sutter Regional Shoreline!
    Monica B.

    A MUST for all locals and visitors! I love me a good bridge walk lol. Hands up if ya'll have done the Brooklyn Bridge walk and photos! #basic #nyc #travel lol. But for real, it's always cool to walk under a bridge structure and admire it's grandeur up-close! This trail is a little tricky to define, so I've been doing a lot of research! The Bay Bridge Trail is a part of a larger San Francisco Bay Trail. To just accomplish the Bay Bridge Trail, it's an out-and-back trail - 2.2 miles one way and 4.4 miles round trip. However, including the walk from the parking lot and extending into Vista Point at the Yerba Buena Island end, I tracked a total of 5.57 miles on the Runkeeper app. It took us two hours, and that includes stops for photos. It is pretty flat all the way through. Supposedly, towards SF there is a subtle, slight incline but I didn't notice and it felt flat! To get to the trailhead on the Oakland side, head to 210 Burma Rd, Oakland. This address is associated with the Bridge Yard building and also Judge John Sutter Regional Shoreline. There is a decent-size parking lot and parking is free. Gates for the parking lot are open 7am-5pm daily. We went on a Sunday around 1pm. Unfortunately at that time, the freeway was SUPER congested going to SF and we were caught up in traffic. If you happen to go at a time when there will be traffic on the bridge to SF, I highly recommend avoiding the freeway - take roads if you can. Before starting the hike, I used the bathrooms right at the parking lot. They are surprisingly clean and new. The toilets got that nice white toilet bowl and seat lol! Often, park bathrooms have the black seats and the silver bowl, lol and it's like you can't tell how dirty it might be lol. But this bathroom felt clean and sanitary. My only critique was there was no soap - but I just used my own hand sanitizer so no biggie. The beginning of the path has a lot of greenery. The pedestrian path is on the left, and bike paths are on the right in both directions. The total path is wide at 15.5 feet. There was plenty of space for distancing and it felt very safe. It was cool to walk alongside the freeway and watch all the cars drive by in the opposite direction. It's a bit freaky looking down lol you'll see the water below the freeway. It's a bit loud but not that bothersome. In any case, we had ear buds in and my partner and I were listening to our own audio. I listened to audiobooks throughout our walk. The view from Oakland to Yerba Buena was beautiful. We went on a day where the SF skyline was particularly pretty, with a lot of beautiful, wispy clouds. You can see the Salesforce tower and all the other tall skyscrapers on the walk. Yerba Buena Island is connected to Treasure Island, and there is usually a pedestrian access to Treasure Island but it is closed right now through April 2021: https://511.org/biking/bay-bridge-trail. In any case, the end point of the trail is at Yerba Buena Island. They have a little landing area at the end - follow signs for Vista Point. There are a couple of benches and restrooms, as well as a lookback at the trail you've just walked so far! The walk back to the Oakland has less of a nice view. I took most of my photos in the SF direction haha. But it's still a nice walk and it goes by quickly. The Bay Bridge Trail (the 5.57 mile one I described) is open 6am-9pm daily. It's called the "east span" on their website. The part of the trail that is 24/7/365 is just from Shellmound-Emeryville to 210 Burma Rd, Oakland: "open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from the trailhead on Shellmound Street in Emeryville to the Caltrans Bridge Yard building at 210 Burma Road, Oakland." Also, 15 mph is the speed limit encouraged for bicyclists! This site has a lot of handy info: https://www.baybridgeinfo.org/path. I highly recommend walking this trail and getting up-close and personal with this bridge!

    Wingsdomain ..

    The Bay Bridge Bike Trail starts across the street from the Ikea store in Emeryville and winds its way to the base of the Bay Bridge where the moderate but long climb up the bridge begins. There is also a parking lot near the base of the bridge if you prefer not to bike the extra miles from the start across the street from Ikea to the base. The shear length of the climb can be intimidating if you're on a bike, but if you keep your gears low and take your time, it's not so bad. The views as you get closer to the top are spectacular, all the while hearing and seeing the Bay Bridge traffic whiz by. It's exhilarating! Once at top or end of the trail, you're on Yerba Buena Island and there is a Bay Bridge Trail Lookout where you can take in the spectacular panoramic views of the bridge, bay and the East Bay. You'll definitely want to take a few selfies there! You can continue your bike ride down to Treasure Island but keep in mind, whatever elevation you bike down, you will have to bike back up or at least push your bike back up! If you decide to turn and go back down the Bay Bridge, your speeds can go in excess of 20 mph! Keep in mind, the speed limit on the trail is only 15 mph. https://sanfrancisco.wingsdomain.com

    Yvette F.

    Just driving to work. I thought I would leave early so I could be traffic but I'm still in traffic. At least it's a beautiful scenery is so beautiful relaxing. I love swimming I rather be swimming and watching the water but watching it is beautiful as well in the mountains in the sky gorgeous.

    Edward B.

    I used to park at the IKEA lot to hit the trailhead. This time I tried the Burma road parking lot. Much easier! Now that I know where it is I will no longer deal with the traffic of the IKEA lot. Riding the trail is too short. It's only about a half hour of moving time. In my opinion, walking the trail allows for a better experience except for the first mile which involves nothing but construction rubble and a sewage treatment facility. It's cool to be able to see the progress of demolition on the old eastern span. Every time I've ever been it's always windy so dress appropriately. It will be great once the trail completes to treasure island. Take the family for a walk & get some pictures along the way!

    The road stops here. Get out of the car and enjoy this architecture
    Ernesto D.

    A little over 2 months old this trail is just awesome to bike, walk, run, or walk your dog. Take advantage of the beautiful bay and bridge scenery! Just B-E-A-utiful! Especially on a great summer day or night. The fact that its November and we are still having awesome weather helps out! As you get close to the middle pillar of the bridge it starts to get hard to hold a conversation with the person next to you due to the cars passing by at a fast pace. It can get chilly, so take something warm. If you're running then you'll get warmed up pretty quick. If you start your destination around IKEA then you'll encounter a foul smell passing by the EBMUD facility. Once you pass that then everything is fine. The trail along the bridge stops just short of treasure island. I can't wait until it is expanded. Round trip I say is about 5-7 miles? I'm not too sure. My friends and I started & finished running from guitar center at the Emeryville market and that was 10 miles. Just do it! Get out of the house, take a walk, enjoy what the Bay Area has to provide. Take advantage of this trail/walkway. The bridge is beautiful and take in the smell of the bay. The bridge is already distracting enough when you're driving, so park your car, take a walk and THEN take your pictures or selfies!

    Kirby P.

    Great trail! No shade, so make sure you apply sunblock. It's about a 5 mile round trip. Maybe a little bit less. It's a nice paved trail, and perfect for a nice walk/jog, or an easy bike ride. We walked to Yerba Buena Island and took a little break there. It was so pretty. You can start from Emeryville or Oakland. Look up the Bay Bridge Trail website because it gives the exact address for both locations.

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    8 years ago

    Oh so fun! Neat little park to stop along before you get to the bridge. Beautiful views. Easy ride.

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    Ask the Community - Bay Bridge Trail

    Review Highlights - Bay Bridge Trail

    2 mile span that starts in Oakland and eventually ends at Yerba Buena Island.

    Mentioned in 8 reviews

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    East Bay Regional Park District - Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park

    East Bay Regional Park District

    4.7(594 reviews)
    8.7 mi

    Peak My Interest…read more ***PLEASE NOTE THIS IS THE YELP PAGE FOR REINHARDT REDWOODS REGIONAL PARK*** I was attempting to change the name to the proper moniker that included "Reinhardt," but Yelp mods, being the highly regarded sort, somehow decided in their infinite wisdom that they should change it to "East Bay Regional Park District"?! What the what?? 0_o So, that's on me, kids. My bad. Onto the review... A giant ±1,833-acre redwood forest nestled in the Oakland Hills, this park was a former logging site back in the 1800s. Fortunately, there has been a nice resurgence of redwoods to replace those that were cut down. It ain't old-growth, but we'll take what we can these days. The Good: * Free at certain times of year and at certain entrances (more below) * Mountain biking on certain trails (check map and trail signage) * Horseback riding on certain trails (check map and trail signage) * Camping available (check website for info and reservations) * Reservable and non-reservable picnic tables (check map & website) * Restrooms available in parking lots, as well as at some campsites * Nearly forty miles of trails with something for everyone * If you're looking for a moderate ±4.5-mile loop, go to the Skyline entrance and take the Serpentine Prairie Trail to Dunn Trail to Golden Spike Trail, then back to Dunn Trail The Meh: * $5/vehicle entrance fee on weekends and major holidays between April and October, only at the Redwood Gate entrance * Most of the trails are pretty decent, but some are in rough shape due to water damage The Ugly: * One of the few parks I've seen with "off-leash" sections for dogs--which is fine, except you know there's a good majority of dog owners who think they can control their dogs but really can't. We saw a panicked guy chasing his dog down a trail at one point, and who knows when--if ever--he caught up to it. ¯_(ツ)_/¯ Conclusion: Great park with tons of trails and lots to see and do.

    This park is fantastic. The first time we visited was back in 2018 and honestly we can't remember…read morewhere we parked or which trails we hiked. But I know we enjoyed ourselves. Fast forward to yesterday. We had a restaurant in Albany that we wanted to check out so of course we had to hike first to get our appetites whet. I found a loop I wanted us to try on AllTrails. It's called the Dunn Trail--Monteiro Trail Loop. We parked at the Richard C. Trudeau Conference Center on Skyline Blvd. It was the perfect spot to start. Free parking. Public restrooms (even flush toilets!). If you have a dog, most of this trail is off-leash which I have never seen before. Every dog we saw were well behaved and having a great time. We don't have dogs of our own but I am a big dog person. This particular loop was exactly what I was looking for. It had several different biomes. Despite what AllTrails said, it is not all shaded but it was a beautiful, sunny, windy day. We saw lots of wildflowers blooming. We found there to be a difference between AllTrails and our measurements. AllTrails said it was roughly 500+ ft elevation gain but ours said 1000. That's a huge difference! But I would believe ours over theirs. There were a lot of inclines. Also, their's said it was 3.5 miles but ours said a mile longer. The trails were all very well maintained. We saw gorgeous views, small waterfalls/creeks, redwoods, butterflies--just lovely. It was less busy than I anticipated but we arrived before 9 a.m. We finished by 11. This is a big park and lots to explore. Highly recommend!

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    East Bay Regional Park District - Reinhardt Redwood Regional Preserve

    Reinhardt Redwood Regional Preserve

    East Bay Regional Park District - Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park

    Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park

    East Bay Regional Park District - Reinhardt Redwood Regional Preserve

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    Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve - Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve

    Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve

    4.5(93 reviews)
    6.0 miOakland Hills

    Amazing walk, perfect hike & workout. Great for careful curious children. Highly recommendread more

    Way back when I was visiting the area regularly, I visited Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve…read more It's a nice hiking venue that's often overlooked because of the popularity of neighboring Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve. For my money, this place is one of the "hidden gems" of the East Bay Regional Park system. Tip: The park brochure offers numbered stops with information about the rare flora, Take your time on the hike -- it's easy to miss some of the rarer plants like the Western leatherwood. When you hike here, there's a variety of trails with different degrees of difficulty. There's also a nice variety of uphills, downhills, inclines, lovely foliage and some really exceptional views. We did the Lower Huckleberry trail loop (which ends with the Upper Huckleberry Trail). It was challenging enough for us to work up a pretty good appetite by the end, but I found myself wishing the trail signs were less confusing, and that what was there also contained distance info. We ran into a few groups of other hikers, and everyone was pretty friendly. All in all, we had a hike that was both satisfying and challenging. This is a great place to hike year-round -- the preserve also offers a nice respite during warmer months since most of the trail is shaded by a canopy of oak trees.

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    Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve - Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve

    Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve

    Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve - Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve

    Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve

    Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve - Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve

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    Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve

    Lake Temescal - The blooms

    Lake Temescal

    4.3(166 reviews)
    4.3 miNorth Oakland

    The Lake Temescal loop is a beautiful easy-medium short walk that's a little over a mile…read more As you walk the only partially paved trail you'll see a ton of wildlife (ducks and fish) and quite a few dogs being walked as well as a waterfall water feature. The views are picturesque and it's quite serene for how busy it is. The second half of the trail (after you loop around near the fallen tree) isn't paved and in poor weather would be likely too muddy to be particularly safe, so I would probably walk elsewhere after a good rain or while it's drizzling. All in all, we had nevr been to this lake before and it was gorgeous so we fully intend to return!

    Great place for fishing or a walk if you live in the area. Its a scenic place for not being all…read morethat large. Parking lot, kids play structure BBQ areas and picnic tables along with a clean walking path around the edge make for a good day with friends or family. I think it had been 35 years since I was last here since a few days ago. I barely remember a company picnic with my parents as a little kid. Obligatory company Christmas parties and picnics I'm sure everybody knows what those are about - and as a little kid it wasn't so bad. I think just now as we get older its the type of thing we look to gracefully exclude ourselves from. Too cool for school, too cool for Lake Temescal - yeah, maybe I think so.

    Photos
    Lake Temescal - They have a pay phone. No idea if it works.

    They have a pay phone. No idea if it works.

    Lake Temescal - The lake

    The lake

    Lake Temescal - My dog enjoyed Lake Temescal... perfect walking distance with a beautiful lake.

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    My dog enjoyed Lake Temescal... perfect walking distance with a beautiful lake.

    Bay Bridge Trail - hiking - Updated May 2026

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