Martin Canyon Creek Trail (mcct) is a trail on the west side of Dublin off Silvergate Road. It…read morefollows the creek under oaks, laurels and buckeye trees. Birds fly through the canopy. Occasionally coyote can be seen by the creek. The incline is moderately steep. There is a trash can at the start and dog poop collection bags available. Be sure to pick up after your dog and to throw the poop in the trash can. The trail is popular but usually not too busy.

I have hiked or run on this trail many, many times. It is one of my favorite places to go,…read moreespecially on a hot summer day. However, I must admit this is where I fractured my foot; other than that. Hardly any bones have been broken. One neat feature about this trail is that it connects up to Dublin regional park, which is part of east Bay. regional parks.

This was my first time doing this particular trail. I chose it today because it does have shade…read moreoptions along the walk. It is pretty steep when you first get there. It does level out a couple spots, but just continues to have a gradual incline. So be prepared. It was busy and well traveled as I saw quite a few people going up and coming down. I did see one snake, but it was non-venomous in the shadow of the trees on the trail. Bring lots of water because it does get hot. I don't think I would do this hike again, but I'm glad I did it.

Ok this is the "first time" that I write a review on a hiking trail. I just couldn't resist doing…read moreso.. why? It's one of the, if not THE best trail I have ever hiked. My hiking criterias are simple :). They have to give me a good intense workout & with lots of shades, in the woods if possible. It's hard to find a trail with such combination and I found it here. It's also so blissfully quiet, fresh air with smells of the oak trees. First time on this trail and boy was I in for a good surprise! It's a "really" steep, challenging, inclined uphill hike all the way (starting from base to the top) with significant elevation gain every step of the way. Also unpaved with lots of pebbles/rocks along the way. So be sure to have a good sturdy pair of hiking boots/shoes with you. It's a good 4mile roundtrip (two mile each way which takes roughly 1hour to get to the top and another 1hour coming down). The maximum elevation was 1450feet. It's fairly narrow trail and you will find many folks doing mountain biking here .. on the same trail.,So you need to keep an eye out as you hike up and down. I was truly impressed with the cyclists who did the whole roundtrip up the hill as I found myself starting to pant just a 1/4 mile into the hike.. and this is me, someone who does high intensity workout 6days a week with most days double dipped (cardio+strength). Love that it has lots of shades as we walked through the woods with huge fallen trees and eroded land. On our way down we even saw sheeps and stopped to feed them some grasses & hear the bleat, meh and baa sound from their baby sheeps. This is now my top of the list favorite place to hike. Initially I was planning to hit the gym in the evening to do my usual strength and cycling classes.. but I ended up skipping it after that long strenuous hike.

One of my favorite place for sunset stroll with my dog. The trail is pretty flat and takes around…read more10 min one way with lovely view of the valley. Along the trail, there are some picnic tables/ benches and a disc golf field. If you wanted to watch sunset at a summit without strenuous hiking, this is the place to go. Parking is easy around the neighborhood.

"Green Rolling Hills with Lots of Cows--Most Friendly but one Looked at me with Menacing Eyes."…read more I parked at the summit, and took the trail north. It's about 3 miles if you go all the way to the driving range at Bridges Golf Course. At that point the trail peters out. It looks like they are constructing a new trailhead there. The trail is open, so don't count on any shade in the summer. It's pretty much green hills, with a compacted dirt trail. Fortunately, it's not rutted. I found the hike mildly interesting, but honestly, nothing special. Near the golf course practice center, I saw a lot of range balls on the ground. I was tempted to take them, but I threw most of them back onto the range. I'm pretty sure I did not hit anyone, but a few times I heard some klunks, followed by shouts. I wasn't sure what that meant. They might have been mad that I still had 2 golf balls in my jacket. I did not notice I had borrowed some golf balls until I was pretty far away. These trails are good for beginner hikers, since there aren't any wild animals around. I'm pretty sure there aren't any rattlesnakes or mountain lions. But if there are, I did not see them. And even if I did see any, I had some golf balls I could throw at them. The only wild animals are herds of cows. And there are lots of them! At one point I had to go way around a huge herd. I'm not really afraid of cows, but one kept looking at me with menacing eyes and did not budge from the trail. I was afraid of that one. Could it be a boy cow? I was afraid to get close to find out, so I honestly don't know if it was a boy or girl cow. But he or she looked mean. The whole time I went around the cows I kept saying pleasant things like, "Hi Susie," or "Hi Betsy, how are you?" I'm pretty sure they knew I was a friendly man. I was surprised they knew English. So over all, a pleasant hike. Nothing really special, but plenty of parking makes this a convenient location. The incline is really not too steep, so most hikers will find this an easy hike. For yelpers who are geocachers, there are plenty of geocaches on this trail. I put out about 8 new ones, so there will be lots to find. Keep in mind that there really aren't any facilities such as restrooms or drinking faucets. On the other hand, it's really not a very long hike. Just watch out for that cow with the mean looking eyes.

Beautiful park in Pleasanton with over 20 hiking loops/trails according to the hiking app. No…read moreshortage of inclines so you're sure to get a good workout in no matter which path you choose. There is plenty of parking and clean restrooms and the trails are marked along the way.

Great hiking area in Pleasanton. There are a few staging areas and entry points. This review is for…read morethe Castleridge Trailhead along Foothill Road. Here, there are free parking spaces along street as well as a small parking lot down the road. At the trailhead, you reach the Courdet Trail and can hike up about 2-miles (1,000 ft elevation gain). It sounds strenuous but it actually isn't too bad as the incline levels out in numerous places and there is plenty of shade all along the trail. From the top of the trail, you can head back down the way you came, or connect with a handful of other trails at the top and keep going! I went on a Sunday morning around 7:30 and it wasn't too difficult finding parking. The trail also wasn't too crowded, but by the time I finished around 9:30 the crowds were picking up. Dog friendly and clean!

I come to Dublin Hills Regional Park at both the Donlan and Marten Canyon staging areas to run…read morehills, specifically while training for Spartan races. I enjoy the trails and the various paths to challenge my pace and footing. The Donlan side has more cow patties than Marten Canyon side, but you really can't go wrong on either side for a nice hike or run. I've visited often and will continue to.

This is a very nice area with nice views, and a bunch of different paths to choose from. There…read morearen't many trees for shade, so plan accordingly. Overall it is a great area to walk and explore. Enjoy!

Beautiful, easy loop trail tucked away in Pleasanton…read more Not a lot of people know about this trail, so it is never crowded. It is about 1.5 miles around and takes no more than 45 min or so. There is a nice variety of elevation and scenery. There is a free parking lot and a lot of nice houses surrounding this area, so also fun strolling through the neighborhood after you are done with your hike. If you are going counter-clockwise, there is a final left turn you need to make to get back to the parking lot, otherwise you will end up at Foothill Road, so don't make the same mistake I did. Highly recommend for a hidden gem in the east bay.

If using google maps to get here, input "The Preserve Staging Area", and it will lead you straight…read moreto the parking lot. Otherwise you may end up among the neighborhood homes. This trail is not ideal for running. It's hilly so going uphill is work, and it's made up of rocks and dirt and uneven terrain so it's easy to trip or slip going downhill. But it's not bad for a simple hike, just a short 30-minute trek along the loop. Yes, my legs got a workout from the climbs, but the slopes weren't too steep, the views were lovely, and the atmosphere was peaceful on a Tuesday afternoon. Plus, there's a restroom near the parking lot for convenience.

We went here for the Fourth of July weekend and it was a great experience for my family. You have…read moreto get there early and get your spot. The parking was five dollars and there are no In-N-Out so be sure to have everything before you come in. We also rented a paddle boat and it was very fun. I would definitely recommend bringing your family here.

Perfect weather on Labor Day- $5 entrance fee, plentiful parking including with shade under the big…read moresolar panels. Lots of families enjoying the little swim beach. I appreciated the clean restrooms & the life jacket's & lifeguard being there- though we were there to hike and chill. Enjoyed learning about history in the interpretive station and seeing birds around the 2 smaller lakes. Lots of folks fishing, SUP, kayaking. Would love to return & rent a kayak or bring SUP in the future. No alcohol allowed, everyone was very chill & family oriented it was lovely.

Came on a Saturday in February around 10:45am and there was no parking fee that day. Most of the…read morelots were pretty full, but we were able to find parking in the overflow area. We did the Canyon View to Little Yosemite trail and I recommend downloading the map ahead of time as there was no service in the park. Trail was well maintained and the views of the green hills were very pretty! Came across some very friendly cows as well. Just be aware if you are going during the summer that there are no trees so limited shade. We did the trail clockwise, which starts off with a somewhat sharp incline and finishes with a gradual decline. I would recommend this direction so that you tackle the difficult portion first and then recover at the end with the descent. We also did part of the McCorkle trail, which was pretty tiring, so we decided to skip Little Yosemite using Cerro Este Road - appreciated how there are shortcuts available. Canyon View trail was not too busy, and we ran into more people (+ dogs/kids) on the Camp Ohlone Road heading toward Little Yosemite. Overall, it was a great, moderate hike and I would definitely come back to see Little Yosemite next time!

Amazing to find such a gem, a remote area just off 680. Nice variety of trails, mostly moderate…read morewith an easy path to Little Yosemite and more challenging hikes available. We did a 4 mile loop: McCorkle Trail from the South Parking Lot to Cerro Este to Camp Ohlone Road. First 2 miles Moderate but continuous uphill. Some shade from the mature oak trees sporadically throughout but largely exposed. A few view spots with benches.

I came here randomly on a Thursday because it was scorching hot, and this is the closest splash pad…read moreto me. To my surprise, there was an evening farmers market. The atmosphere was so amazing. There was excitement coming from the park and waterpark. There were tons of local vendors. I truly enjoyed all the sampling at the farmers market. There's tons of green space with courts available - like basketball and tennis. Corn hole was being played as well. It was so much fun!

SUMMER CONCERT REVIEW: The city of Dublin hosts free weekly summer concerts from June through…read moreAugust at Emerald Glen Park on Thursday evenings. This also coincides with their farmer's market. I came here last Thursday to catch "Pop Fiction", a cover band. I arrived at 5:40 PM, 20 minutes before the concert, so I walked around to check out the farmer's market. There are food trucks, fruits, veggies, seafood, pastries, and lots more. The concert is at the Amphitheater, which has a couple tiers of lawn area. Early birds take up the back section and set up their tents and tables. We had a few folder chairs, and brought our own food for a little picnic. "Pop Fiction" was high energy and did a good job with songs from the '70's to today. They were a little pitchy at times, but everyone was just having a good time. As the evening progressed, more people came up front to dance or sway. There's no shade on the lawn, so definitely bring sunscreen and hats. The park itself is huge, but I didn't have time to check it all out. We enjoyed the concert and picnic. We'll probably be back for another one before the summer is done.

This review is specifically for the campground here at Del Valle. We had a range for a large family…read moreand friends. Camping event can early october and had booked multiple campsites. The sites were huge and even better there was plenty of flat ground for pitching tents. Showers and bathroom facilities deeper in the campground towards site 39 we're very clean and very new. The hot showers were also super warm and the best part is no coins. The bathrooms themselves also seem to be heated so even in the cold october evenings, you were warm inside the bathroom. We did not go down to the water due to blue algae, but there was still plenty of things to do for the kids as they loved being able to ride all around the grounds on their bikes. Fire pits in the evening were also very clean and had plenty of airflow to make good bonfires. There were regular patrols from the rangers and the east bay, regional parks police, it all felt very safe. Just be advised. There's plenty of wildlife in the evenings and they do not seem like they are scared of people. We had a family of four raccoons in the tree at our site and there was also a skunk that visited and got within an a few feet away from us one night. Thankfully it lost interest and left, otherwise we would have been in trouble. There were also deer and squirrels to be seen. Also, please watch out for rattlesnakes, we stumbled upon one on the road while biking around the camp ground. Make sure all food including uncooked pasta noodles are stored in a safe location overnight Otherwise, the animals will get into it. No bear boxes at the sites, so may need to store things in your vehicle. All in all everyone had a fantastic time when the kids loved it. We'll be back next year.

TikTok started showing me Del Valle Regional Park videos which made me wonder if the universe was…read moretrying to tell me I need to go on a hike... well, I did. And it was beautiful so who really won? I don't recall which trail we did, but the views were nice. There's not much shade along the trail we took so I'd say wear a hat if you can and stay hydrated. Once in a while, we saw a random cow walking along which was cool. This place is popular - we saw a lot of families and bicyclists when we were here.