Great hiking trail. Big inclines so make sure u eat your bananas and bring your water. It was my first time here and was surprised by a BIG, LONG, STEEP hill! I almost gave up walking up that thing. Whew! Thought I was going to passed out! I stopped mid-way and was tearing up. Tears were about to come out. My bf pressured me and told me not to give up. He says we're not turning back! Uggh, felt like rolling down the hill. I pushed myself up and luckily made it. After that peak, I was on a roll and energetic. Idkw, but so glad I did it. Recommend this trail. Overall, I'll come back again to challenge myself. Great view once you get higher. It's worth the hike! read more

A nice place for a jog in the morning and it looks extremely cool when there is fog. There is a very long uphill running slope that tests the strength of your legs. I battled against my two dogs and my rotweiler won. :(. It's a bit difficult to find this place because when you are driving there are so many windy paths that can lead you to a different place. Make sure to bring a GPS in case you get lost. read more

Great place to walk but very steep. Be ready! Beautiful place to enjoy the morning and take some great pictures!

Amazing trail! My fiance and I have recently been on a hiking/walking kick and have just started exploring all the different trails that exist around the Bay Area. Today, we tried the Berkeley Fire Trails. After perusing the various Yelp reviews about the trails, we decided that we would tackle the entire trail and try to make it to the top to check out the scenic view. The trail is long - along the way, you can encounter runners, hikers, and dogs every now and then. We (my fiance, our dog, and I) had a fantastic time. There was one really steep hill, but, for the most part, the terrain was pretty reasonable. The view at the end of the trail is amazing! read more

Trail profile at http://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=224452

There are many trails to run and hike in the Berkeley hills, but this is one of the best known, most popular, and for many the most challenging - that can be accessed at several different starting of ending places. It's actually more of a wide unpaved road than a narrow trail - and seems to be busiest at either end and least crowded near the middle (since many people don't seem to travel the entire distance). Whether looking for a good new workout or just some new good outdoor views, this fire road may offer just what you seek. Just be sure to allow yourself more time than you may think if you have never been here before (especially going up hill). read more

A wonderful place to walk or jog on a beautiful, sunny Bay Area day. I used to get up there by going to the track behind Clark Kerr and climbing up this random trail. One day, I tried to find the end of the fire trail, but it just seemed to go on forever. I still wonder how long they are... read more

Would have been a five if there weren't always some annoying berkeley lady telling me to keep my pit bull off the trail... aside from that, a great workout. read more

One of my favorite places to hike! The best part of this hike is the multiple trails that lead you to the connector. I don't like taking the large trail up to the connector because of the lack of shade and amount of people. But if you're not going to stay on the large trail, be sure to wear shoes with a good grip on them! You'll need it for climbing over rocky areas with plenty of twigs and such! My favorite side trail is the first open trail you see on your left as you walk from the dirt parking lot. If you don't plan on going further than the connector and decide to take it easy, water isn't too necessary. Just leave it in your car at the dirt parking lot and return to rehydrate yourself. There are plenty of areas that you can rest and enjoy the beautiful view of Berkeley. You can spot the Campanile too! It's a very easy hike, but running might be a different story! I hope to come back here soon and hike further than the connector and possibly even run to the connector! One day! read more

Great for hiking, running, walking your dog and whatever else you can do outdoors. For me its a great workout option that allows for me to run on on a softer terrain (opposed to the city streets), take on some challenging inclines and get in 5+ miles before you have to turn around. Only Con would be parking. read more

An amazing run that is also very challenging. Definitely worth it

I just walked this yesterday and for it being so close to where I live, I can't believe I haven't walked it sooner. And soon I will be running on it because it is a very nice outdoor running path. Very peaceful, not many people out on them, quiet, natural terrain but no annoying holes in the pathways, hills and flats... really its got everything. And for those of you like me who enjoy looking at houses and architecture as you run, there is a way out that goes down Panoramic Way.... very fun. read more

I'm going to apply to Berkeley for doctoral school just so I can live near the fire trails... okay and because I love everything about this area. However, the Berkeley Fire Trails were one of my favorite things. Absolutely amazing. We have some beautiful spots in Southern California, but nothing comparable. If you live in this area, you have no excuse not to enjoy these trails everyday of your lucky lives. I am jealous. read more

The pros are that it's close, has free parking, a decent sized trail, an awesome incline, and spectacular views of the entire bay; the cons are that on a nice day the parking can be full, and you are confronted by a rampant dog or kid around every bend. I guess I tend to gravitate to the more peaceful 'in the wild' hikes, but when you don't have the time to get to those, or you like bustling hikes the Berkeley Trails are worth checking out. read more

I absolutely love this trail. I thought I'd never find a decent trail but someone suggested running up centenial drive n ull bump right into it. It's right after the parking lot!!!! It's about 7 miles long I think. Once u hit the end u keep going down until u run right into where u started (parking lot). It's perfect! Running these trails makes me so happy. It's the best way to try to relax if ur stressed out w/ midterms or finals. It also has some nice views. I swear the first time I ran it I felt like I was running through a forest. I was so excited I just ran it all the way through! Definitely one of my favorite Berkeley spots. GOOD LUCK AND ENJOY!!! Just don't run it too late...be safe :) read more

this is an excellent place to job and run if you are training for a marathon. I ran the trail this morning. It took me about 45 minutes to get to the top of the trail starting at the strawberry canyon pool. Then it took me about 35 minutes to get back down. In the morning it is fresh. I would strongly encourage runners to run this up hill trail. read more

East of Memorial Stadium. Fire Trails one of my favorite running spots. The trails are wide and even. Moderate to challenging with some very steep parts. Views of the entire bay if you climb high enough. You might see wild turkeys and I heard mountain lions sometimes so be careful. A great place to run or hike in my opinion. Strawberry canyon a very peaceful area. Fresh air and , incredible views. One of the best running spots as far as I'm concerned. read more

This is one big consideration which led to me picking UC Berkeley over UCLA. This is an amazing retreat to get away from it all, literally seconds from Campus. The views of the bay are unreal, and always lots of friendly people on the trail. Great for hiking and jogging. Usually quite a few dogs on the trail. read more

Great smooth trail for a morning run. Moderate climb for the most part, although the incline to the upper Jordan trail is steep.

The fire trail used to be in my backyard. If I felt like it, I could roll out of bed and start climbing. But that was in college, and usually rolling out of bed wasn't a quick and easy thing, so it rarely happened. But I sure do miss the fire trail now that I live in SF. Serene, quiet, beautiful, with absolutely breathtaking views at its highest points. The climbs can be challenging in spots, so good walking shoes are helpful. Pack a picnic and blanket to eat lunch under a tree. The thing I most enjoyed about the trail is how friendly the other walkers are. Smiley and willing to share a word or two, but perhaps that has more to do with the air in Berkeley than their general demeanor. Whatever, it makes me happy. It was on the fire trail that I realized how out of shape I was. Just after graduating from college at 21 I was chugging my way up a hill when two 75ish year old women laughed and pranced their way right up past me, nary a sweat did they break. Another time I witnessed two ladies, probably in their 80's, sitting on their bottoms to slide down a particularly steep and rocky slope. It was pretty funny to watch, and they were laughing their heads off as they did so. Ah, the fire trails. So purposeful in the case of fire, but equally wonderful for free recreation. read more

ah, freshman year. loved hiking this at night with my floormates. good times, great memories

a workout combined with serene views of the Bay area, nice clean air and green nature around you...what else could you ask for? there's one section that will kick your ass...but well worth it. i always follow up a nice workout with brunch. read more

This place is amazing. One of the top 5 places in east bay that I really miss after moving away. It's not too challenging but it's fun, with occasional views and at the end, you do end up getting a work out. read more

It's been a good three months since my self-diagnose of a stress fracture. I'm thinking it was my left fibula. Maybe tibia, too. But that's not the point. I told myself that I wouldn't run on asphalt anymore. And because of that personal commitment, I decided to check out the insanely famous Fire Trails. I've been running every other day for the past two weeks. And each time, it's been on the Fire Trails. (If you're curious, it wasn't until my third attempt did I finish the entire circuit without stopping. And PSA to newbies, just follow the trail. There are two right hand turns you can take. The views are much better but the climb is a tad more rough. I mean, hella rough!) It's less crowded during the early evening hours but the view isn't great, esp on a cloudy day. But if you're feeling adventurous, then a 7pm run to the bench should provide a really spectacular view of the Bay Area. I kid you not. The bad part is running down the trails in the dark and thinking that some rapist is going to jump out of a bush and murder you. But moving on, if you're an early birdie, 8am on a Saturday morning could not possibly feel any better. The air is crisp. Well, more like cold but it wouldn't be long before you hit those patches of sunlight. It was so empty and I literally felt like one with nature. So if you wanna be zen-like and trendy (isn't that the fad in Berkeley anyway?), then the Fire Trails is the place to be instead of doing that weird stretch on that weird rubber yoga mat. read more

Great place for a long walk with amazing views, yet so close to the big city.

Great easy hike, I think about a mile of incline and a mile of flat. Not a loop. 4 stars since hard to find parking.

Amazing trails and views. The fire trail is a great place to go running if you like the outdoors and don't mind the hills. Definitely a good workout read more

this is my kind of hike: not very hard, great scenery, wide open trail. hope to go here a lot more.

my husband and i hiked here Sunday. the directions Yelp provided weren't confusing as we followed them precisely but i will say that they were misleading bc the destination point led us to the Lawrence Hall of Science at 1 Centennial Dr but whatever. we just went in and asked directions and that also prompted us to buy tickets for LHOS for our kids bc we haven't been there since our middle school field trip yrs ago. we decided to stay parked in the small parking lot and pay the $1 an hr. we payed for 4hrs bc we were unfamiliar w| the trail and didn't know how long it would take to complete. we ran up about 10 flights of stairs to where the trail begins and next time we come we'll do the same as it was a good warm up for us but there is a small parking lot right next to the trail. im not sure if you have to pay for that one like at LHOS. we completed the course there and back in 2hrs w| no stops. it was relaxing and clean, people bring their dogs, leave them off leash and pick up after them which is nice. i seen yorkies, pits, chihuahuas, labs and all were friendly and off leash. i seen every age group imaginable kids included. we have a 6 & 8 year old that we'll bring next time but we'll probably only hike halfway w| them. the hike is pretty easy and i even said "i wish this was more challenging" to my husband but the hike back was more of an incline. i guess i didn't realize it was a slight decline at first bc we were lost in conversation but the next morning i could tell my glutes and calf muscle had a nice workout. on our way back we ran down the 10+ flights of stairs all the way back to the car for an added workout. when we went it was 1pm & 83 degrees. theres just the right amount of sun vs. shade i was pleasantly surprised. bring water and good conversation or music bc the trail itself is kind of blah. idk i lived on Kauai so im kinda biased when it comes to what i look at when im in nature. read more