Ok this is the "first time" that I write a review on a hiking trail. I just couldn't resist doing so.. 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. read more

See all

I've hiked this trailhead a few times in the past and forgot how hard the initial section is. It will wake up your glutes! It's a two mile hike (four miles round trip) all up hill to the top of the Pleasanton Ridge. The trailhead is a shared trail so be prepared and cautious of people on e-mountain bikes. The scenery is beautiful especially when you make it to the top. Parking can be difficult because there is no parking lot. Only street parking. Bathrooms are available at the entrance. read more

See all

This was a trail close to where I was staying so we spent about an hour walking this path. There's free parking along the side of the road near the trailhead or a parking lot nearby. The initial parts of the trail is a steady incline. There's no shade until you get to the trees further up. Be aware of bicyclists going up and down the trail. read more

Castleridge Trailhead - Hiking Near Me - Pleasanton, California

It's supposed to be easier the second time right? Well...it's not. Going up that initial hill is still soooo hard! Even though I'm a pretty active person, I still felt like I was out of shape. This trail starts off on the very, very steep hill. I felt like 25% of my energy got sucked away just from climbing this hill. But it does get better as you keep going! Beautiful views (I took photos this time!) and plenty of shade on the trail. Took me about 45 minutes to get all the way to the top! Just be careful when there's muddy areas; take your time walking around it. I almost slipped a couple of times and got my shoes all muddy. The entire hike took an hour and 40 minutes for me and I felt so accomplished afterwards! Legs are not too sore this time since I stretched. Bring water and make sure you put on sunscreen! read more

See all

This is a Beautiful Hike in a Beautiful Neighborhood!! It's. steep one FYI, I think I missed that memo and tried to do it with a toddler and a pregnant me but it's definitely beautiful and worth. few miles up if you can. Most people park on the street near the entrance and that's what we did but realized later there is a parking straight up so keep driving ahead if you don't find parking spots next to the Gate!! Small streams, some sheep, some birds, bugs, wildflowers, it's beautiful. read more

Castleridge Trailhead - Hiking Near Me - Pleasanton, California

See all

Love this Pleasanton gem of a trail, especially when it's green and lush. Dog-friendly, great views, and a little butt-burner with the steep climb up. Go early to grab one of the street parking spots. A mix of sun and shade. Hiking through the ferns makes me so happy! Being up on the ridge is not my fav on a hot summer day, imho. Other than that, I highly recommend! read more

See all

Nice hike right off the 680 freeway. No overlook of the city once you reach the top, however, there is ample shade during the hike which is great for the summer months. Never crowded when I go, only a few fellow bicyclists here and there. Definitely recommend. It's an easy hike. read more

Out-of-State visited here and I definitely recommend this trail. I did not come to CA prepared to hike but no worries because you don't need much for this one. Workout gear and some simple tennis shoes and I was ready. Starting off is a little steep so I was feeling it in my legs within 5 minutes. From there it's more hills but tends to flatten out on a few areas. More hills then flat areas. Beginning is missy but gets better. Awesome views. Plenty of photo ops along the way. Quiet and serene. 10 out of 10 for the modest hiker looking for a little exercise. read more

See all

Decided to take advantage of a sunny day after so much rain and cloudy days. Got here around 3ish on a weekday afternoon and there were lots of empty parking spots. I have also visited during the weekend afternoon with plenty of parking. You can either park in the lot (Castle Ridge Trail Parking Lot) or along the street (Old Foothill Rd but note it's only one way street). Both are free. There is a water fountain in the Lot and bathrooms at the start of the trailhead. One of my favorite trails close to the east bay-not too crowded, lots of greenery, plenty of shade, and a great view of the city! There is plenty of shade which makes it a great hike in the summer whereas in the winter, it'll probably be best to come earlier in the day (if you want a warmer/sunnier hike) as the sun disappears over the hill pretty early. This is an out and back trail and takes about an hour to reach the top. read more

See all

It's all about the Green Ya know what I mean? Go get off your arses & take part of the scene! _________________________________________________ Yet another portion of the glorious Pleasanton Ridgeline trails with lush forests of green cascading across the mountainside with several connecting trails. Beautiful terrain with sunny areas as well as plenty of forestry greenery as you make your ascent. Moderate to challenging trail, my tracker on my app showed I killed a 1,037ft. elevation gain. BURN , BABY... BURN!! Oh, don't mind me, just cheering on my glutes. Butterflies and wildflowers were abundant as well as lizards bun bathing alsong the trail with the peaceful sound of songbirds happily going about their bird business. Wonderful location to bring the binoculars for bird watching as well as a professional camera as many colorful species were present. As with this area, one should definitely be alert as it is notorious for rattlers, mountain lions as well as coyotes & I'm not talking about the ones who smuggle folks across the borders. Stick to the middle of the trail & spare yourself a potential surprise with one of those guys & you also might wanna skip out on an unpleasant case of itchy witchy poison oak! I managed to make it without seeing any of these aforementioned critters, but loads of lizard wizards, birds, a couple small gopher snakes, dragonflies & even a very expressive herd of fluffy, grazing sheep! Pro-Hiking Tip - I ended up hitting the trailhead at 11:30am and took my sweet time pausing for the many photo opps and just taking a moment to absorb all the beauty - I didn't get bit not once by a mosquito, so hit it early and avoid anything remotely near dusk if you have that "sweet blood" like I do. There. Just saved your life. You're welcome!! What I especially enjoyed was - shhhh - *whispering* There weren't many - peoooople. That's right folks, a frolic in nature with all her beauty sans a too-peopley kinda scene. I'm fucking IN!! Honestly, the few folks I encountered here were actually very welcoming & friendly. A few paused to wish me a happy sunday or commented on the abundance of butterflies that were to be seen. You can always spot the "regulars" of the trails with those infamous muscled hiking calves, walking sticks or poles, backpacks, a sunburned glow and a cheesy ear to ear grin - just cuz, well... cuz they flippin' feel energized & are truly GRATEFUL to be a part of such a tranquil scene. I'm definitely one of those. I think the world needs more folks who believe some of the best adventures in life can be found along a trail of dirt. Gorgeous scenery! Highly recommend! Get in touch with your inner hippie peace-mc'lovin badass exploring self today! read more

See all

If you have seen my other reviews, this review is for parents considering taking their little ones on a stroller. My wife and I take our 1 and three year old on a simple Target City Go double stroller. This park is not paved BUT it's totally doable on a stroller. It's doable but it is NOT easy. I repeat NOT easy. It's pretty much all incline. I'm not talking about your tiny gradual inclines. These are literally steep up hill treks. Going up is amazing and you feel accomplished but going down is really tough. My wife and I ended up holding the handle together on the super steep ones going down to ensure safety. There is a good amount of sun but also shade from the trees. We only went up a mile but it was an earned mile. We didn't run into many bikers but I could see some issues if we ran into some mountain bikers that decided to fly down the hill. I think Nimitz trail is the safe paved uphill workout to do with double stroller. Castle ridge is a harder and more rugged workout for those that like to live on the parental fringes. read more

A nice trail if you want to get in a quick run with some vert offering beautiful views at the top. This trail is roughly 2 miles from base to summit before it breaks off to other trails. I appreciate that EBRPD does a great job maintaining this trail and has clean non-stinky outhouses at the trailhead. There are water fountains and a spigot to fill a dog water bowl or cleaning dirt off yourself before you head home. There was plenty of parking when I came here. The trail is a bit exposed so be sure to bring plenty of water and sun cover if you don't want to get baked by the sun. read more

Beautiful and shady hike and perfect for my ten month old beagle puppies! We come from Tracy it was a short drive, no fees for parking (we parked on the side of the road and went on Courdet Trail) and the trail was so clean, I was telling my boyfriend at the top of the trail that I didn't see even one piece of trash! The fellow hikers we saw along the way were so friendly and dog loving and most people were wearing a mask which made us feel very comfortable, especially in the narrower parts of the trails. We didn't wear or mask when we didn't see anyone but put the masks back on when we saw we were getting within 6 feet of folks which others were doing as well. We went in the morning and the air was crisp and dewy, it was a perfect day hike for our little family, highly recommend for people of all ages and doggos too! read more

See all

Free parking, clean restrooms, and an incline for the first ten minutes and then it's rolling hills from there. It's a moderate hike. Good amount of coverage to provide shade on a hot day and gives a feeling of being away from the city. Once at the peak, there is a nice view of San Ramon. It's really nice now because you can see the Autumn colors. read more

This is such a fun and awesome local trail. What I like about it is that there is decent incline, free parking, bathrooms, and beautiful views of the area. Added bonus that there is a sense that a snake or mountain lion may soon attack at any moment but 680 is still visible. I found our last visit to be quite kid and dog-friendly, and just when you start feeling hot and overly exposed to sun, the shade picks up and the breeze cools you down. You can mountain bike here, as well. We will be back. read more

Great steep hiking trail. Hiked it in December and had many ticks on my dog afterwards. But views are breathtaking. Some shade, but mostly not shaded. Parking along side foothill rd, behind Alviso adobe Park. There is a restroom at the staging area. Lots of deer tracks. read more