Amazing Park on the edge of the Oakland / Berkeley hills. I guess you could call this an urban…read morepark, although after a short walk on the trail, you feel like your deep in the forest. This is another one of the hidden gems in the San Francisco Bay region. Probably not worth a special drive for a hike here, because it's relatively short. But I recommend a little exploratory walk from the Claremont.

I know some people say that people here are soft because they complain about the elevation. It is…read moreno joke! A friend and I met up for a walk and we decided to meet at Garber Park. Based on the reviews here, we designated a meeting spot (Evergreen Lane) which is crucial since there are multiple entrances to the "park". Also, it's not much of a "park" - it's a few different fairly vertical trails. That would be okay if that's what we were looking for....but we were looking more for a casual amble. It's also tough to chat because the trials are narrow and you typically have to walk single file. That being said, it's a nice, vigorous hike that's fairly accessible and easy to get to.

Warning: Google Maps and AllTrails will lead you astray! The best starting point is Montclair…read moreParking Garage - 6235 La Salle Ave, Oakland. However! Maybe drive to this area and then drive around nearby to find residential parking instead IF you don't want to pay for parking. OR I have a 1-time free parking promo code for ya haha. Paying for parking at this parking garage is a tad annoying because you have to download an app (ParkMobile), register an account, select the right parking zone (6501), provide your license plate number, and pay... it was a lot slower than grabbing a ticket and proceeding to park. The good news is that at the time I went, the parking attendant gave me a promo code: FreeMV. Since this promo code gives you a whole day of free parking, I may recommend doing the trail and then walking around to enjoy Montclair Village! Haha take your sweet time and enjoy that free parking! There are many cute shops, grocery stores, coffee, and restaurants in the village. When you exit the garage by foot, turn left and you'll see a sign for Montclair Railroad Trail. This is definitely the "start" of the trail because the trail markers increase from 1/4 mile .. to 1 mile at the end of the trail, and then 2 miles total when you return (it is an out and back trail). It is a pretty easy walking path. There will be a few others but lots of space to keep distanced. The history of the spot is cool - it used to be railroad tracks (lol yuppp hence the name!). There is a sign speaking to this history along the trail. Get some fresh air, check out a new trail, enjoy the village, and take advantage of free parking!

Very nice walk , good for people with walkers. Fairly flat and level. Lots of dogs on and off leash…read more, although leashes are required.

I was able to snag a parking spot at the staging area (there aren't a ton of parking spaces…read more However, people park along the road). I did the self guided tour Volcanic tour. We wanted a more of hike, so after the tour we ended up doing a big loop. For those who might have reactive dogs, there are a ton of off leash dogs.

"Popular Trail in a Spooky Location."…read more The staging area is on Old Tunnel Road in Orinda. There's also an entrance to the Sibley Park close by. There's only a few spaces at the actual staging area, but on the road to the service yard, there's a lot more spaces. I believe the road to the service yard is where the old tunnel used to be, but I think there's nothing to see there. The day that I visited, there was a sign that said the trail was closed--darn I missed it! The trail was actually in good shape--just a portion of the trail was washed out. But don't worry, I didn't go down the hillside. Along the trail, there are no facilities or water, so be sure to bring lots of water. The trail takes you up to Grizzly Peak Boulevard. If you keep going, you will end up at Tilden, near the steam trains. So overall, I'm glad I hiked this trail. At least once, anyway.

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.

I wasn't able to run my last half-marathon to this awful flu/cough that's been going around nor was…read moreI able to get past the feeling of failure. Having trained for and run multiple half-marathons, I decided to create my own. I began my journey a block from the IKEA parking lot(lots of side street parking) and then made my way onto the trail which is literally across the street. It's a fast flat route but felt awfully lonely around 7am Saturday. Several cyclists passed me but I was the lone runner. There was a man sitting on one of the benches along the trail and I definitely got anxious. I carried on and saw many more walkers and runners at the Oakland parking lot. From there you can take the trail to a fishing pier or go onto the bridge. This was the highlight of the route as you get amazing views of Oakland and San Francisco and appreciate the structure of the "new" bridge. For those of you wanting to increase miles, add on Yerba Buena Island and Treasure Island. There are steep inclines so they were fun challenges. I also checked out the fishing pier when I came back.

This trail starts at the IKEA parking lot in Emeryville and goes all the way to Treasure Island…read more It goes under the freeway maze and along the Bay Bridge. Round trip from the start at the parking lot to the Treasure Island entrance and back is about 6 miles. It's a great place to run or bike, there are some bathrooms halfway along the trail. I've run here a few times, and running under the freeways and along the Bay Bridge is a good change of pace!!

There's free parking available at the Tilden Nature Area, near the Environmental Education Center…read moreand Little Farm. From that point, there are a couple different trails that lead to Jewel Lake, one is narrow surrounded by trees and vegetation, the curvy dirt pathways making for an interesting trek with fallen leaves, twigs, tree branches and logs to climb through along the way. Some parts of this trail were muddy the other day due to the rains earlier in the week, but it was still a nice little hike leading straight to the lake. The other trail is on the opposite side, mainly concrete surface and much wider (can fit vehicles). This was the trail I opted to take back to the parking lot, to avoid the mud on the first path I took. A few benches and seating can be found along both trails. And this is a very easy hike, less than a quarter mile. The lake itself is not the most picturesque and not ideal for picnicking, but visitors can still appreciate the views and observe nature. I didn't see any waterbirds during my recent visit, but I did see a bunch of adorable turtles on the logs in the lake. There are several wooden bridges in the area, as well as the spillway. Also, info boards about the history of Wildcat Creek and the formation of the reservoir now known as Jewel Lake, and reminders of how the lake provides a habitat for local wildlife.

Jewel Lake is in the Tilden Regional Park area very close to Little Farm. The lake itself is…read morenothing spectacular, but the hike there is perfect for little ones. It's a 0.2 mile hike through beautiful redwoods from Little Farm. The path is flat, partly paved, and partly gravel. We also found a wooden pathway that parallels the trail, that our kids loved running through. It's shaded by trees and very safe from little trips. There's also a few benches along the way, which is perfect for resting and have a little snack. Our 2-year-old hiked all the way to the lake and back without needing to be carried. The lake itself was a bit of a disappointment. It was covered with algae, and we only saw 1 duck. This was late June, so it's probably nicer earlier in the year.

My friend and I started going on hikes sometime in October. We wanted to get out there and find…read moredifferent ways of being active but also just enjoying nature. I found this trail on AllTrails app and we have it a go. I wish I could remember how long it was. This is what I get for doing a review too late but I will say this - it is a lovely trail. The views are picturesque but unbelievable. It is also a busy trail. Say hi to your fellow hikers :-)

MY PHOTOGRAPHS. During the first week of February 2021, I took two hikes on Seaview Trail, each…read moretime taking photos. The attached photographs show: (1) Early in your hike, you will encounter a view of Mount Diablo. My photo shows Mount Diablo framed in between a V-shaped arrangement of two skinny branches of a bush; (2) Lichen clinging to branches of a dead bush. Large networks of lichen cling to the branches of fallen trees, and to the branches of dead bushes. These networks are a treat-to-the-eye, especially when illuminated by the morning sun; (3) Photograph of me wearing my CREAM T-shirt, showing Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Ginger Baker. I am standing on Seaview Trail near the trailhead for Arroyo Trail; (4) Close-up photograph of little berries and pretty lenticular leaves. It is my guess that these belong to a Bay Laurel tree; (5) After about 20 minutes of hiking you can see the sunlit WESTERN side of a line of eucalyptus trees. My photo of this line of trees taken from a distance of about a quarter mile from the row of trees; (6) After about 20 minutes of hiking you can see the shaded EASTERN side of a line of eucalyptus trees. My second photo of this line of trees shows a close-up view of these trees; (7) Hikers heading northwards will encounter little hills on the right side of the trail. Some of these hills have narrow paths leading to the top. One photo shows Strawberry Shortcake posing at the top of one of these hills. The array of trees sitting at the top of this hill, with the motley shadows, is fascinating. SEAVIEW TRAIL is a 2.2 mile trail where the trailhead is located next to a parking lot. This particular parking lot is intended for those intending to hike on Seaview Trail or on Vollmer Peak Trail. The parking lot is located near a separate parking lot that is mainly for folks visiting the STEAM TRAIN. Seaview Trail takes you north, north, north, and it ends at Wildcat Canyon Road, at a spot not far from Inspiration Point. This means that the round trip walk on Seaview Trail is about 4.4 miles. Most of Seaview Trail takes the form of a 15-foot wide dirt road. During my hike, I only encountered hikers and their dogs. There were not any bicycles or automobiles. POSSIBLE NEED FOR A MAP DURING YOUR FIRST HIKE. During my first minute on Seaview Trail, I was a little confused because the trail takes you in the southerly direction. But after about 100 feet, the trail makes a sharp hairpin turn, and then takes you in the northerly direction. It might be a good idea for first-time hikers to bring along a map. Once you are on Seaview Trail, several other trails branch off from this trail and descend into lower areas of Tilden Park. These trails include, Arroyo Trail, Big Springs Trail, Lower Big Springs Trail, and Quarry Trail.

One of those backyard discoveries that makes me question why it's taken me so long to actually get…read morehere. Welp... I finally made it here. And it is truly sensational. I've pretty much been all up, down, and around Tilden Park. But even with that, I always seem to discover trails that I've never hiked before. It's a huge park, so that makes total sense. Wildcat Peak was one of those recent discovery trails and vista points for me. I've always seen it on the park map, but you know when you get used to hiking on your favorite trails and you neglect all of the rest? That was me. I mean, that IS me. A creature of habit I guess. So on this very day, I decided to explore a different part of Tilden. Entered the park through the nature area and started near Jewel Lake on the Wildcat Creek Trail. This trail is super easy, flat, and partially paved. You'll pass by Jewel Lake along this trail. Turned right onto Sylvan and then left onto the Wildcat Peak Trail. This part of the Wildcat Peak Trail features switchbacks that incline up to the peak. It's a nice workout in general, but the views of the Bay is what makes this jaunt super enjoyable. Once you reach the peak, you'll have the most incredible views of the Bay Bridge, Briones Reservoir, San Pablo Bay, and Berkeley city views. There's a little brick barrier wall at the summit where you can sit and admire the views. It's 360 degrees of pure scenic bliss up there. From here, you can go back the same way you came up, or you can connect to another trail. I connected to the Laurel Canyon trail which looped me back around to the Tilden Nature area. There are so many vibrant wildflowers and plants nestled along this trail loop. The trail has a nice mix of covered and exposed paths. You'll pass through beautiful groves and notice the rampant wildlife on the trails. In the late winter and early spring, it's so incredibly green here. Wildcat Peak is such a gorgeous vista point within Tilden Park. I'd highly recommend the Wildcat Creek/Wildcat Peak/ Sylvan/Laurel Canyon trail loops. It's simply marvelous.

It's hard to imagine that the bucolic fire roads in Wildcat Canyon and Tilden Park once connected…read morethe US military with missile radar stations and launch sites during the depths of the Cold War. Or maybe not given the escalating tensions we have with Russia. But back in 1962 during a moment of atypical calm, a stone circle was built by the Berkeley Rotary Club to allow people agitated by the Commies a meditative spot to take in panoramic, 360-degree views of the SF Bay Area to the west and San Pablo Reservoir to the east. Years later it's still a nice respite if it isn't crowded up here as it sometimes does on warm weekends. Most people walk on Nimitz Way, the mostly paved path from Inspiration Point, to get here. However, my favorite route starts on the Wildcat Creek Trail where I take the gradual climb on the Conlon Trail where you get the same bay views you get from the peak. Except maybe for a herd of unimpressed cows in your way. I then descend on the zig-zaggy Wildcat Peak Trail back to Wildcat Creek. Gee, I sound like an actual hiker, don't I? RELATED - Up for a hike? Here's a collection of trails I've walked and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2OrC8nU