In the past few years, I've explored many different entrances to this open space. Surprisingly,…read moremany of the entrances are close to or even on private land, with an easement. For example, the entrances nearby Walnut Avenue are often interspersed among largest estates. Generally, the trails are well marked. But not always. And sometimes trails do not show up on the official Park map. Having said that, this is a delightful Park with tons of interesting trails. In most areas there are no facilities or water, so keep that in mind.

Was in the area and looking for a place to take my dog for an off leash walk and this was it. It…read morewas after some rains, so lots of muddy spots on trails. We did a nice mile and a half loop, perfect length for my small dog. I got parking, but there are not many spots, so that could be an issue. I also didn't see any bathrooms, forcing me to figure out alternatives. Rolling hills, but nothing too bad. Some native plant restoration work was being done and everybody I passed by was polite and pleasant. The trails are very exposed, so I would limit my hiking here to days with more mild weather, but it wasn't busy a really nice change of scenery for me.

If it weren't for outdoor spaces, I'm not sure where I would have gone during the pandemic lock…read moredown! I've never seen this trail so packed as it was in these past few years! It's been great to start to see the same people and greet one another with a nod, smile, or a hello. What a nice way to connect while social distancing : ) This trail goes on and on, if you look at the regional map: www.traillink.com/trail/iron-horse-regional-trail During the summertime, there are more or less shaded areas, depending on where you go on the trail. You can find the die-hard runners, bikers, and walkers out during the hottest temperatures! During the wintertime, it's refreshing to be in the crisp air, and you'll find A LOT of people exercising as their New Year's Resolutions ; - ) In the fall, the winds can pick up and bring up the dirt on the trails. In the springtime, it's perfect weather, which seems to bring out the most people on weekends. Watch for bunches of people in the middle of the trail or strollers with dogs if you go mid-day. Recently, there have been signs posted alerting people to call out when passing and that there is a maximum of 15 MPH on the trail. This may be due to all of the new trail users who are unfamiliar with which side to walk on or it may be due to the electric bike and scooter riders on the trail. The dogs seem to really like the trail and there are complimentary poop bags that can be found in dispensers along the way to keep the trail clean. The added automatic signal lights are a plus to alert vehicles to oncoming pedestrians and bicyclists. *Note: You can find parking at some of the trail head locations.

First let me say that this trail is far from uniform from one part to another. The northern portion…read morenear Concord COULD be scenic if all the encampments and trash was cleared out. This portion, miles 0-4, was recently repaved However there are no restrooms along this section. Miles 4-8 can be very congested with people walking dogs and pushing strollers. Even sections with "pedestrian only access" are largely unused and the multi purpose trail has most of the traffic. Miles 8-14 are not very scenic. Mostly backyards. Lots of cross streets making cycling less enjoyable. Miles 14-20 are more backyards and several more cross streets. There are a few narrow bridges over small creeks. Miles 20-24 are fairly industrial. The trail is much cleaner and better patrolled from Walnut Creek south. North is a totally different story. One park employee told me he thought I was brave to ride on that section of the trail. Not a place for families for sure.

The person who reviewed this 11 years ago was spot on about the beauty of this trail. He biked it,…read morewhich was definitely a lot of climbing and I hiked it today. I'm surprised no one else has reviewed this beautiful trail. We chose this hike because it was so hot today inland-it turns out it was a good decision. The hike begins with climbing almost all the way to the of trail. However, there are sweeping views of the coast, Mount Tamalpais, and beyond. The most fascinating part was the abundance of sedimentary rock we were surrounded by- truly astounding. I had to look up the history of these rocks and learned this- we were looking at one of California's most famous geological features: radiolarian ribbon chert. The strata with the various colors was clearly visible & striking. Additionally we were impressed with the large concrete bunker complex (at the top of climb) Battery Townsley. It's the massive WWII gun battery perched above Fort Cronkhite and Rodeo Beach. I highly recommend this hike for those that enjoy spectacular, coastal views, history, and geology.

After you ride the Coastal View trail, you will want to sell your earthly goods and then donate the…read moreproceeds to the GGNRA and then devote yourself to mountain biking full time. Really, join me! We'll make it work! We'll live on thistles and spring water, and we'll dance with the butterflies! Oh, never mind, we need beer money...but do check out this trail...I pretty much guarantee you'll love it. Here's my loop: West Blithedale trailhead, up Old Railroad Grade to West Point Inn, past the Inn to Old Stage Road trail, down to Pantoll campground, (through the parking lots) to Coastal View trail, ride Coastal View all the way to Highway 1. Then turn left, ride carefully on Hwy 1 to the Pelican Inn, and have your friend guard the bikes while you get a pot of tea to drink out on the lawn. Then lug your tired rear up Diaz Ridge trail back to Mill Valley and don't hate on me for getting you to a place that's downhill from where you want to be. Alternate plan: Get your friend's husband, who has a truck, to pick you up. Say yes to hitchhikers 'cause that might be you one day and you think you know them maybe a little. But I guess I should review the trail itself: Coastal View is absolutely magnificent. The word 'magnificent' is not an exaggeration, which I am prone to, but not in this case. Single track (but not the scary next-to-a-cliff-you-might-die type of single track) that progresses from wooded bits near Pantoll, to an exposed path, to a Disney-couldn't-design-a-trail-that-looks-this-good segment that winds through some low trees (duck! you might get wet if it's misty), then out to views of the coast (or the fog, depending on your luck). Go with a friend so you can keep saying, "Oh my gosh! This is great! And there's no one on the trail!"* Tons of wildflowers in the spring and great photo ops if you're into that--I am always so blissed out that I forget about photos. Bonus photo op at Muir Beach overlook right off of Highway 1. *OK, you may see a few others on Coastal View trail. On my most recent ride, we saw a single runner (that's it!) from Pantoll to Hwy 1. That said, don't rush it, savor it. Look out for bunnies. PS Yes, you could hike this, too, but I never have. I'm sure it's just as nice on foot. PPS the only place you might lose your way is just past Pantoll, but watch for the signs and I think it is clear.

Cute area for dogs and there lots hiking trails here that you can go from this area. There is also…read morebathrooms by the front area and dog play area at the front. Perfect for dogs. If you have dogs, take them to this area to play. They will like it.

Easy to access parking lot for dog park and the Tassajara Ridge Trail, which is a very easy, open…read moretrail that gets busy with families of hikers and walkers. Park and be set for hours and miles of trails.

I wish they had a bathroom. Everything else was cool. Did the Fir Trail and Tafoni Trail to the…read moreSandstone Formation and tacked on the vista point which was about 3.5 miles total. Be careful crossing the street to get to the trail. The main El Corte de Madera area has restrooms and it's just a 5 minute drive away.

Lovely hike with lots of shade. This would be wonderful in warm weather too. Our goal was to visit…read morethe Tafoni sandstone structure. We parked our car at Skeggs Pt. Parking lot. We hiked along the Tafoni trail to get to the sandstone structure and returned to the car via the higher Fir trail. This was an easier hike exiting the park.

Only two reviews from stellar Elite Yelpers? Must be a well kept secret!…read more Finally got my new bike built and wanted to take a simple Sunday ride. With COVID-19 illnesses rising, I choose an 6:00am start to avoid crowds. Easy parking near John Muir Hospital (thank you, Jennifer N for the tip). Headed south to Alamo for about ten miles. With a new gravel bike, I had the options of riding pavement or hard packed dirt. It wasn't as crowded as the Iron Horse Trail further past Alamo. Just a few runners. Not challenging at all, which is good. It was a relaxing ride with my new toy!

The Ygnacio Canal Trail is one of my favorite walking and running trails in the Walnut Creek area!…read moreLocated in the Ygnacio Valley hills, this trail extends about 7 and a half miles from Citrus Avenue in Walnut Creek to Heather Farms Park. This trail can be accessed from several different residential streets in Walnut Creek and it also intersects the Contra Costa Canal and California Hiking and Riding trails. There are loads of beautiful scenic views and all types of different wildlife present throughout. The trail runs parallel to the Ygnacio canal where you can view the adorable ducks swimming alongside. The trail is easy to moderate, given the rolling hills at the beginning near Citrus ave. The trail passes through a few different parks and golf courses, one of which is the Arbolado Community Park. I sometimes park my car at the park and continue on the trail from Arbolado blvd. I haven't yet been able to finish this trail in one sitting since it is 7 miles long. However, I have traveled along the entire trail to its' end at the beautiful Heather Farms Park. The people on this trail are always super friendly. This trail is shared use, so people walk, run, and ride their bikes. At it's highest point, you will capture the gorgeous views of Walnut Creek and Mount Diablo in the distance. Lime Ridge Open space can also be accessible from the tunnel overpass near Ygnacio Valley Blvd. In the summertime, this trail can be sweltering in areas that aren't shaded. I've seen ducks, squirrels, and even cows roaming around in the hills. If you are looking for a new trail to conquer in the Contra Costa area, add this one to your list!

This is a beautiful trail. I haven't discovered the entire trail yet. So far I haven't found any…read moresteep hills but I'm still looking! More to come

We had attempted this walk in March but the damp clay trails were extremely slippery. Today, in…read moreearly April, the hike was perfect, with verdant hills and water all around, some poppies and scatterings of other flowers, refreshing breezes, lovely views of Mt Diablo and Mt Tam, and even a very distant glimpse of the snowy Sierras. We turned back after 2 miles but would like to complete the full 4.5 miles another time.

If you're looking for a spot to ride your bike or you have a little one that likes to ride, this is…read morea great spot. Went here today and there were kids of all ages present. Some as young as 3. This bike park has some really killer hills and dips. We didn't see the bathrooms, but one of the other parents told us that they have them in the back. There's also a little area for people to sit down and observe, which is great if you're planning on staying a while. There's lots of parking available here, but be careful if you are parked across the street. Some of the traffic driving by are carelessly fast so once you get inside if you have little ones, make sure that the gate stays closed. Especially if you have little runners.

We love this pump track. Improvements have been made. The track is smoother now…read more Great place for kids. The bathroom is clean!

My favorite bike park for families in the Bay Area! It's got pump tracks for toddlers, teens, and…read moreadults. It's got skills loops and flow trails for the family. It will keep every member of the family happy for most of the day.

My son had a blast at the kids bike trail. Since we went when no one was there he wandered through…read morethe whole park and just had fun. Amazing place for picnics with the kids, hikes and disc golf.

3 hours on the lime ridge South loop…read more Amazing short hike on lime ridge. Trail was dry and clear. Views are amazing. You'll get a lot more out of this hike if you read up on the geology. This open space is absolutely covered with earthquake faults. Find a interactive geology map and vou'll be able to track your footsteps over the faults. Watch out for bikes because thev are speeding around. But bike riders were ultra friendly. A bit startled by gunshots toward the end of the hike, but I'm assuming, based on the lack of law enforcement. there is a shooting range somewhere nearby. For this hike there are tons of parking places around the Gulf Club.

"Just okay." I have…read morehiked many of the Lime Ridge trails around Treat boulevard. The trails are usually well-marked, and well maintained. There is little if any trash on any of the trails. Thanks to the park rangers and making its team for doing a great job. Most of the trail are on plain, unpaved dirt roads. They're okay, but there are better options. I like Shell Ridge better. Keep in mind there are no facilities in the park. At least, I have never come across any. On the other hand, everything is free. So overall, a good asset to our community.