This was the best place to hike! I came to Berkeley for Memorial Day weekend to show the boo around my alma mater. It was a semi-steep hike (then again, I'm a bit out of shape). At the top, as others have stated, you literally see a huge C. The view was amazing-- beautiful sky, and it's quite romantic as the sun sets. We even saw a family of wild turkeys, which made our evening. Go Bears! read more

The swing is broken...but the view is nice! Wear comfortable shoes and clothes, it's a mini hike.

Climb up to the Big C to enjoy grand views of the Bay Area. On a clear day you can see all the way to San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge! It's delightful and a must-do hike if you have any affiliation at all to UCB. I wouldn't say it's the easiest hike in the world, but you don't have to be fit at all to get up to the C. It's about a 15-20 minute trek, and personally I think going downhill is a little more dangerous than going up. If you went to Cal, you'll find yourself caught in a whirlwind of nostalgia as you take in the sprawl of the campus buildings seeming so small and far away. If you go to Cal, the Big C is a nice place to get away and gain some perspective (literally). It's always a pleasant surprise to see that the color of the C has changed. Sometimes it's yellow, sometimes it's white...I like the variety. Be careful if you come up here at night, the paths are not lit at all. Make sure you go with someone who's been before. I'd also check the weather forecast before heading up there. If it looks like it's about to rain, save it for another day. The view is spectacular on a sunny day and you want to be able to sit at the C for a breather and just to relax for a good 15 minutes, at least! To get up here, take the path behind the Greek Theater. You'll get to a parking lot behind Stern Hall and find a dirt trail leading up. I don't think there are any signs..so good luck! read more

I must be the worst Berkeley student, because I never made it up to the Big C during my 4 years there. But at least I tried to make up for that by going after I graduated! I came to try out my new camera - yay for built-in HDR to get some great sunset shots! I wanted to come see the swing my friends took pictures with, but apparently someone or some people really heavy sat on it because the ropes holding it up snapped. :( Lots of couples come here for a romantic date. You may also run into some deer since they live nearby. It might be a good idea to bring a flashlight if you'll be hiking after dark since it might be hard to see the path. Berkeley students: Don't be like me! Make sure you go before you graduate! And don't say the hike is too long - it's only 10 minutes! read more

You can come here for a romantic star watching spot late at night with a glorious view of the bay and UC Berkeley campus. Or you can hike up here with Rally Comm during football weekends and defend it against Standford that might dare to paint it red! I particularly like hiking up during the day as the scenery is lovely and on a nice day the view is spectacular. read more

This is a great destination for a hike. It's relatively easy to get all the way up to the top and the views from up there are just great. There weren't many students or visitors around when I went so it was good to just sit and enjoy the scenery. read more

This is a pretty easy and doable hike. It has an amazing view of the bay and would recommend to everyone. It is really nice and you could even have a picnic there or something. read more

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Bring a picnic lunch or light dinner and wait for the sunset during summer on a clear day. You just can't beat the view with Berkeley and The Bay in the background. Great place to bring friends and just chat or have a couple of beers. read more

This place is a bit hard to find, but I think there's another Yelp post that gives you instructions. I don't go to school here so I don't know the directions or building that well. It's a pretty short but quite steep hike up the hill. The path is all small rocks and dirt so don't wear white shoes you don't wanna get dirty. As you go up, you'll feel the hill in your legs that's for sure. What a rewarding workout though. Halfway up you'll start to see the campus and the bay. On the clear day you can see all the way across the bay. It is beautiful! You'll know you're at the top when you see the swing. Hang out here for a bit and just soak in the vie read more

The Big C - Local Flavor Near Me - Berkeley, California

Bring water if it is your first time hiking up here. I've gone up here multiple times, and have even gone up at around 3 in the morning. The view is amazing, but bring a bright flashlight. There are turkeys, skunks, elks, etc. up there at night so be careful. Everyone I know goes up here for the view of the bay, not for the actual C haha. read more

It's the Big C, do I need to say anything else? The only thing that would make it better is a Cal earning a trip to the Rose Bowl. One can dream. The hike up takes 30 minutes max and the views are amazing; you can see the one of the largest bell towers in the world! The swings are not in the best of shape in the summer, but folks come by and improve them from time to time. read more

We hiked up to the swing, I was on it for about 3 minutes and it broke in half while I was on it and I fell and hurt myself, not a big deal but just for reference for anyone who goes here in the future. Hopefully it gets repaired soon!! read more

Both swings are broken, unfortunately. Even free thrills have a price. The view is okay but the point of the climb is to take in the view while swinging. Without the swing, there are better places in Berkeley to go read more

One of the more stellar concrete blocks shaped into an alphabet that you will find in the Berkeley Hills. The C offers a vast and ginormous view of the SF Bay Area. So if want to soak in a view next to an alphabet, this place is what you should be aiming for. read more

Fantastic place to hike, especially if you're all about getting a great view without having to climb hills for an hour. The climb is steep so you might get winded and your calf muscles will hate you but the view is fantastic, especially at night. It's great for a hangout with friends and can also be romantic if you want to go stargazing and all that jazz. Suggestions: -comfortable shoes (duh) -go up there either before sunrise or after/during sunset. It's not as magical during the day -bring water to rehydrate after your hike up -never hike alone I went up here so many times freshman year because it was the perfect place to clear my head and avoid homework. If you're lucky you'll even see some deer up there! read more

Great view of the campus and the Bay, absolutely breathtaking the first time that I went, but doesn't get old with each successive trip.

I used to live in Hawai'i, so I'm always down to find a good hike with a fantastic view! When I started school at UC Berkeley, I'd heard a lot of people talk about the view from Big C. It's the huge yellow C at the top of tightwad hill. After a bit of research, I brought my friend up with me to the top. It was very simple to find and SO worth it! Easiest way to get there is to go to the big parking lot behind the foothill dorms, then there will be a train that goes right up to the top. The trail is very self-explanatory and leads right up to the big C. Along the entire way, there are sweeping views of Berkeley, the bay and San Francisco. When you get to the swing (make way for the instagram posts, VERY artsy!) you're almost there. That last little bit is the hardest part of the hike (and it's not even that hard). Once you get to big c, you'll want to stay there for the whole day, especially if it's clear, which is great because there's a nice table for picnics if you want! I love this hike and I've turned it into a weekly ritual! You'll love this hike, especially for students who need to blow off a little steam and have a study break. It's very soothing at the top! read more

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My bf and I hiked up here while trying to watch the sunset, but the sky was super cloudy that day and we were running a little late, so we didn't see much besides fog and some dim lights. The view is obscured on both sides by trees, and I think the city looks better halfway up from the climb (there's this part that offers a great panoramic view) instead of from the top. read more

Nice 20 min hike. A staple for every Berkeley Bear or prospective bear. Can easily bring a 6-pack and have some fun. Only bad part is when the otherrr school paints it red. read more

The view is really nice and the walk isn't too bad either. For somebody who describes myself as being pretty out of shape, it wasn't too terribly hard to walk up. The view is spectacular and I saw saw a deer as I was walking up (and down)! I went up from Foothill's parking lot and I feel like that climb was one of the more difficult part of the hike :P read more

Awesome view of the city and part of campus! It was a short, but fun hike up. It's steep enough that it'll raise your heart rate a little. The map picture posted by Sharon J. is spot on; that's the lot we parked at. I think it was $2 or something for an hour, which is enough time unless you're planning on having a picnic up there (that would be cool!). There was one picnic table that I spotted - maybe there are more around that area, but that table was right next to the C. One thing I want to note: on the way up, I saw a couple of bees buzzing around a tree. This was on my lefthand side while walking up. If you're allergic to bees, be very careful and look out for the bees or send someone in front of you to check it out. I'm pretty sure there's a hive inside that tree! read more

Very great view, however the way up is a bit confusing. Still love it! We spent approximately 35 minutes to reach the top, and we could see almost the whole Berkeley up there! It is the good place to exercise, hike, or just enjoy the view. read more

Beautiful view, very short (15 minute) hike, and a lot of glut burn. I happened to come for a Sunday sunset during testing season for the college-age, so the area was super quiet and peaceful- but I can see how this place could get loud and less enjoyable. read more

The hike was much shorter than we were expecting or hoping, but the view was nice! Pretty much the same view of the bay as anywhere else, but still worth going. Didn't take long at all and was a good photo op read more

I painted the Big C in white during senior week and slid down it in my shorts. =) freaking awesome.

One of the best hikes in the area. The best part is the tree swing. It's about a quarter of the way up a little bit off the path, and there is a great view of the bay. If you have friends with you, have someone push you for extra height, and every time you swing forward it feels like you're flying over the city (kind of). The hike all the way to the top is actually pretty short, so if you're looking for a cool lookout spot without much work, this is perfect. read more

It's a great place to hike up to, if you want to get a great view of the buildings in UC Berkeley, as well as the SF Bay. Last time I went with my girlfriend, we enjoyed watching the sunset, and saw all the twinkling of the electric lights as it turned to night. read more

Big C isn't much of a view itself, but the view you get of Berkeley and San Francisco is pretty darn good - especially during sunsets. I recall my first time here in my first year in college. Granted the dirt trail isn't the coolest (so wear closed toed shoes), but at sunset, the view is so amazing. I've gone at midnight before, and though dark, the view is gorgeous. If you just want to get a good view with a loved one, come here! The trail isn't too hard - not long or steep at all. read more

Gorgeous view of Berkeley and San Francisco. It's a great place to star gaze

yeeeeahh!! big c~! must come here as an initiation to being a cal student! the view is especially nice at night or sunset. you can see all of the bay~ ^_^ warning wild deer may graze near and may scare you while you are enjoying the view. but they're cool to hang out with too. read more

I didn't actually visit the big-C until after I finished undergrad at Cal. I love hiking, so I was super happy when my boyfriend finally said he had to take me to see it. Except it wasn't much of a hike at all. It was like the beginning of a hike, and then it was over. Oh well. The view itself up here is fantastic, not so different from all the other hillside spots in town, but there's a picnic bench where you can sit, each a sandwich and soak it all in. Loved that breeze. What didn't I love? Seeing the big-C in such disrepair. It's like a unicorn now -- a mythical creature that doesn't seem to really exist, since there's just a box full of weeds and weird plastic-y ground cover that looks like somebody goofed with rubber cement. Hopefully the class of 2012 will pick up the slack! read more

I miss this place! Every time I've been, I've seen a shooting star. Here and the Marina in SL is almost a guarantee

The Big C is kind of a must-go-to place if you go to UC Berkeley. It's a tad of a hike, but really nice and peaceful once you get to the top. Be careful though, you might get lost! read more

By far the best view on the Cal campus. A great place to watch the sun rise, set, or just watch the ships coming in the Golden Gate. It's a bit of a steep hike, but well worth it! read more

Really short hike right on the Berkeley campus. The swing is nice touch, if you are scared of heights don't swing too high but definitely worth a try. read more

Beautiful...worth the short stint. Amazing views. Perfect if you're short on time or if you're not super fit. When I went it was a very clear, crisp day so everything was visible. I'm planning on going back at sunset. I was there right before but would like to stay until it's actually setting. Would be great to take some food stuffs and a bottle of wine and just sit and relax. Plenty of places to sit... read more