** The following review reflects my experience DURING the COVID-19 pandemic. **…read more I'm familiar with the Albany Bulb from previous walks off Buchanan Street. Most of the challenge came with scaling the craggy surfaces amid the makeshift, 'Burning Man'-style art pieces. I did take glances toward the left and wondered if there was anything beyond the tiny beach. Apparently not until this past July when the East Bay Reguonal Park District built out the shoreline trail that hugs Golden Gate Fields. They didn't skimp as the restoration project cost over $18 million, but the result is worth it as the new mile-long section offers uninterrupted views, intermittent benches, and defined paths that separate the cyclists from the walkers. The beach area looks a lot more inviting with picnic tables, restrooms, extra parking, and a staging area. Now if you combine this with a walk around the Bulb, you've got your 10,000 steps. Just sayin'. RELATED - Exploring Albany? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3ebRKbk

Beautiful trail next to Golden Gate Fields with lots of different paths you can take to explore…read more Love the views of the city and the bay bridge! Parking can be a bit tricky, as the lot is pretty small, but we were lucky enough to see someone pulling away as we got there. There's some street parking too. Some areas could be a bit muddy or pebbly so wear comfortable walking shoes. Would not recommend flip flops or sandals on this path. It connects to the Albany Bulb so you can check out all the cool artwork while you're there. I love that the art always changes and I see new and different pieces every time I go.

Wonderful place to view the bay area on top of a hill. Not a bad place to see the sunset.read more

"Up there we see everything, Oakland to the left, El Cerrito and Richmond to the right, Marin…read moreforward, over the Bay, Berkeley below, all red rooftops and trees of cauliflower and columbine, shaped like rockets and explosions, all those people below us, with humbler views; we see the Bay Bridge, clunkety, the Richmond Bridge, straight, low, the Golden Gate, red toothpicks and string, the blue between, the blue above, the gleaming white Land of the Lost/Superman's North Pole Getaway magic crystals that are San Francisco." -Dave Eggers This wasn't written for Nicholl's Knob but you will see breathtaking views here as well. It's a simple little hike, up a few intense hills but the views are well worth it. It will take you about an hour if you stop for pics. You can do another hour on the Bay at Knox Regional across the street. Not many folks on the hills and I doubt that will ever change. A lovely hidden gem.

Our pretty, local park. Beautiful views, good facilities, relaxed community feel. We are blessed to…read morehave it!

This is a very clean park--including the bathrooms and water fountain. The structure area is small…read more(best for ages 3-8), but there is nice space for picnics and frisbee, tennis courts, basketball hoops, and a community center. Plus there is a view. A good place to host a party or meet young families for lunch.

This little Park is an amazing spot in El Cerrito. At first I was Googling a place to take the kids…read moreand I didn't realize that the spot was here. This place was a nice little getaway tucked away on top of the hills in El Cerrito. It has a humongous play / Park area with multiple slides, multiple Bridges, and mouth on the couch for kids to climb and play on. It surprised me how large the entire park was to begin with. What Caught me off guard there was a huge Park for baseball, soccer, and doing a lot of outdoor activities it's, dating for people who want to have picnics in the park, as well as throw Park parties. I'm very impressed with this location because it's also in a very calm and beautiful neighborhood in El Cerrito. If anyone has any questions or concerns about this please please feel free to contact me I'll be happy to answer anything that comes my way.

Large flat park on the hill. Lots of green lawn and a play area across the way. Visible from the…read moremain road. Fresh air and green space. The whole general neighborhood around here is very pleasant. Green and some views and a bit of elevation. This isn't the type of park that would attract people from afar but I think you might try it once. Don't let the locals have all the fun. When i saw this yuuge flat field carved into the side of the hill I could only think of the cost and effort to create it. I've shoveled some soil to level things in my own back yard and this is very heavy work. Baseball or soccer field is the main attraction. Large piece of lawn you can enjoy and not have to take care of. 3.5 stars.

Yep, this is one of the almost dozen rock parks that freckle the Berkeley Hills, but this one…read moredidn't necessitate a passion for rock climbing to enjoy it. Patience, however, helped since the location required winding through narrow residential streets. It's definitely an upward trek albeit on pavement, but the end result was worth. It consisted of an ideal patch of green surrounded by a low rock wall which provides climbing opportunities below for the more adventurous. For the rest of us, there's a nice panoramic view of the bay from the covered terrace. There are several picnic tables if you're looking to hold an outdoor party. I was just looking for steps. RELATED - Exploring Berkeley? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2CbVh8u

A tiny little space nestled in the middle of a residential area in the Berkeley Hills, Cragmont…read morePark pretty much serves one purpose, and one purpose only... rock climbing! I was here two weekends ago for the first time on a Living Social Adventures excursion, which consisted of two hours of rock climbing instruction from the team at Castle Rock Climbing School, and a BBQ lunch provided by Looney's Smokehouse (http://bit.ly/iAgzYa). I'll leave the reviews for those two businesses for later, as this is about the park itself. Cragmont can basically be broken down into two parts - the flat, grassy field and picnic area up top (including a dilapidated half court hoop) with spectacular views of UC Berkeley, downtown Oakland, and the Bay; and the cliff area below, which is used almost exclusively for rock climbing. The cliff provides just about enough room for the folks at Castle Rock to put up eight different courses of varying difficulty. Although I'm no formative expert on the art of rock climbing, I would say that there is an adequate variety of terrain to satisfy individuals of all levels. I am quite amazed at how mother nature could have created this topography suitable for a wide skill range within such compact confines, as if it were sprouted up from the earth specifically for rock climbing. On the side closer to the entrance, the wall is less steep, with more jutting ledges for gripping and securing your footing. As you head further down the path, this is where you can tackle some of the more advanced rock formations. Some are even partially upside down! I was kind of bummed at myself for only being able to go halfway up on the eighth and final course, but later on, I noticed that some of the instructors themselves were having a difficult time. Ahh... self vindication. Although the park is far up into the hills, access is pretty easy, and it is just a straight shot up on the main road (which eventually turns into a small road). 3G access is quite spotty though, so if you are using the GPS on your phone, it may cut out a bit. Would I suggest going all the way up to Cragmont for anything other than rock climbing? Probably not. However, the view alone is spectacular enough that if you are having a picnic, or perhaps you are a guy looking for a romantic, scenic spot to take a girl, it's worth a quick detour.

This hidden fire trail is only a half-mile long and probably only familiar to the local residents…read morewho maintain it, but it's worth checking out if you happen to be in Kensington Park. It starts on the side of Kensington Elementary School and follows an unexpected ridge on the edge of Tilden Regional Park (photo: http://bit.ly/2ReJxqU). I didn't expect it to be so bucolic, scenic, and full of dog walkers, but there you are. The trail ends right where Grizzly Peak Blvd. starts or vice versa depending on where you find the trail. I'm sure there must be a cute story behind the name, but don't look at me. I just walk it for the extra steps and the view. RELATED - Up for a hike? Here are the places around the Bay Area where I have trod: bit.ly/2OsCCsK

lovely neighborhood maintained path bordering - Tilden Park a great place to take dogs on a short…read morehike.

A great walking trail…read more Stopped by for my daily walk and was reminded why this is one of my favorite places to be active. Features: Walking paths Benches Dog friendly Fishing Water views Shade some Parking The trail picked up by the watering plant in Pinole. Small parking lot, don't feel too safe walking it alone. Definitely will walk it again with a friend.

Beautiful biking and walking trail along the SF Bay trail. Clean. Paved. Safe. And you see the…read moreamtrack line roll by.

** The following review reflects my experience DURING the COVID-19 pandemic. **…read more It's actually not that hard to imagine the motorcycle hill climb races that took place here nearly a century ago. The surprise is how this steep escarpment remained untouched by real estate developers given how suburban this part of El Cerrito feels. I keep picturing that scene in "The Great Escape" where Steve McQueen jumped the POW camp fence as a testosterone-driven act of Nazi defiance. He would've ended up on somebody's backyard deck or in a hopefully filled swimming pool if he tried it now. You can get there from the bottom of the hill on the sorta corner of Navallier and Blake where you see a little staircase and a flyer posted on the fence about the hill's history. Or alternatively, you can take the hidden hillside stairs of El Cerrito and enter at the top through the nondescript path from Potrero Avenue. From the entrance, the first segment affords you a wide foot trail and a panoramic view of the bay (photo: https://bit.ly/2PI6CXp). The hillside trail itself is rustic in either direction with a lot of tall grass and dead trees that look like they were cut and left there for years. And yet, the constant views of El Cerrito make it a more pleasurable experience than you would expect despite the unexpected appearance of immobile wild turkeys (photo: https://bit.ly/3kO4wAM). RELATED - Up for a hike? Here's a collection of trails I've walked and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2OrC8nU

A hiking trail that's perfect for both uphill and downhill hiking, Motorcycle Hill just proves…read moretrails can not only exist just about anywhere there is public land but it also proves that trails can be created at anytime thanks to the fortitude and creative energy of a group of community nature lovers. In this case Motorcycle Hill was founded by El Cerrito Trail Trekkers, which was formed in order to build, maintain, publicize and use the little known urban trails of El Cerrito, California and they not only lead local trail hikes for community members to participate in and explore but their main goal is to create new safe trails in safe open spaces so all can enjoy and make sure that paths continue to be cleared of excess brush so the fire danger remains low, which in this day and time is remarkable we've been so lucky in our hillside neighborhood. I've have been to Motorcycle Hill about six times and every time I venture downhill (notice not uphill because I'm no fool as I still have to walk all the way home!) and I get to experience something interesting and new every time I venture along Potrero Avenue high in the hills of El Cerrito to begin my trek each and every time. If you're not careful you will miss the start of the trail from the top of the hill each and every times as it literally is a slim dirt pathway in between two single-level homes. Once you keep walking along the dirt path and see a huge swath of small cactuses growing like bushes to your left, you know you are on the right path. From there you keeping walking straight along a dirt path which I believe was created much longer than the rest of the trail as it hugs the hillside until you hit what is basically a naturally-made observation area that looks over the entire cities of El Cerrito and Richmond and you would see it all if it weren't for the numerous eucalyptus trees blocking your view line. From there you will notice a nice wooden handrail that serves as your starting point and barrier for where you are supposed to walk next, down Motorcycle Hill. which is a series of small switchback dirt trails down the steep incline (hence the name Motorcycle Hill and dirt bikes tend to do this as they head downhill as well). And I do mean steep as you can tell this remains a fairly new trail that hasn't been traveling along by a vast number of trekkers as there remains a long of brush and dirt which can get in the way for a smooth trip down the hill. And just be careful because it can be a trip down this hill, as many a time I found myself slipping to the point where I had to grab on to a tree or even the dirt below to make sure I wasn't rolling down the steep hill. And beware of your shoes as they're going to get really dirty as even on a warm day after walking back and forth down the incline, my shoes were filthy of dry brown dirt. But that's just one of the sacrifices one makes when walking down one of El Cerrito's newest trails. Once you're done you'll find yourself among a number of eucalyptus trees that has been cut down to their stumps on the back side of some residences and then you'll once again find yourself in between a narrow pathway in between two homes, this time on Blake Street. Then you're back in the suburban community from where you once came with passing cars whizzing by. But for a little while, you will be as grateful as I was for this tiny and tranquil oasis among all of the chaotic suburban city life. At Motorcycle Hill, one can enjoy a healthy hike with scenic views of San Francisco Bay and beyond, and we have the El Cerrito Trail Trekkers to thank for all of this.