I agree whole-heartedly with the first reviewer of this hidden gem (Ciana W.) and I just want to…read moreadd that there are tons of hidden paths like this in Berkeley. www.berkeleypaths.org would tell you all about them, with detailed maps and walking guides provided. This is one of the many things that make Berkeley so charming and loveable. There are so many stone stairways and narrow footpaths paved with fallen leaves hidden in all these quiet, unassuming neighborhoods! I live in the Elmwood area and, wow, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Oak Knoll, Pine Path, Garber St, Oak Path... just north of my neigborhood. I also LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Mosswood and Orchard path north of the International House. And now, I discovered this hidden treasure of Vine Lane and Rose Walk! Absolutely five stars. And thank you SO MUCH, berkeleypaths.org, for preserving them!

Are you ready to fall down the rabbit hole into a true-blue wonderland?…read more The delirium and dementia of Telegraph Avenue are equally and oppositely reflected in the glamour and mystery of Vine Lane, one of Berkeley's many secret hidden pathways. This is my gift to you: take a walk up through Vine Lane to the Berkeley Rose Garden. Start by putting on your comfy shoes and wandering up the hill that is Euclid Street, taking careful note of the gorgeous, dilapidated old houses, the swooping trees, and the almost eerie peacefulness of North Side. Hang a right at Cedar Street, and look westward out to the Bay. By the time you make a right on Hawthorne Terrace, you'll be in a completely different world, and to prove it, there is Vine Lane. Tucked away so delicately that you could almost miss it, there between the Gothic Revival and Arts & Crafts homes, is a small pathway cutting up the hill. It is as simple as that -- a pathway, or miniature pedestrian route built sometime around the turn of the century. Walking silently, respectfully, and ever upwards, you can just feel the stillness of the hillside, and you can appreciate the idealistic thoughtfulness of the city planners who built these paths. Vine Lane is aptly named because the walls of the residences, most of which are set off the path by several yards, are covered in luscious vegetation. It's worth going to see the changing colors in both fall and spring. At the top of the mount hangs a small lantern and sign in wrought iron, proclaiming "VINE LANE" in an elegant script. This place is unexpected, charming, and a complete relic of Berkeley's mystical and lurid past. Continue on to Cordonices Park and the Berkeley Rose Garden if you want to keep falling further into that rabbit hole...

Why get stuck in I-80 six lane traffic when you can take a scenic route from Berkeley northbound to…read morenearby Richmond/El Sobrante ? Or avoid Caldecott Tunnel traffic and take a drive over the mountain instead of through it? I lived in this area many years ago, luckily I remembered the views of the Bay from several stops along Grizzly Peak Drive are so worth it if you have a little time for a more casual drive. You pass the Tilden Park area along the way. Winding roads, the smell of eucalyptus trees along the way, just the way I remembered. Ahh! This is what I love and miss about the East Bay living in WNY, far away. On Grizzly Peak Boulevard, you drive for approximately ten miles from north Berkeley in total to reach the intersection with traffic light to turn west-bound towards the Bay along San Pablo Dam road. Or, east-bound towards the suburb of Orinda/Hway 24, further interior in the East Bay. Definitely take this drive if you're a visitor and want views of the Bay. Of course, if you have even more time and enjoy hiking, there are many trails off the main road to explore. What's concerning and is visible: the East Bay hills are in a serious drought and look parched. Thirsty for water. Risk of fire danger is high. This is a larger scale environmental problem for much of California. As lovely as the eucalyptus tree aroma is, it's oil is also highly flammable. I've read that when the oils in the tree heat up, the plant releases flammable gas, which ignites into a fireball. This accelerates the eucalyptus fire hazards in a region and discourages firefighting efforts. Removal of the trees has been recommended largely due to eucalyptus fire damage but also because they are taking the place of native species. The plants are considered dangerous in fire prone areas because of their habit of shooting sparks if they catch fire. Eucalyptus oil and fire are a match made in heaven from the fire's perspective but also pose a nightmare. Read more at Eucalyptus Fire Hazards on the Internet. By all means, take this drive and smell the eucalyptus while they are still here!

You should visit here when you come to the Tilden farm. It's got a great self walk thru museum…read more You can also coordinate with the facility to have a park ranger give your group educational tours. Very informative it's conducted by east bay regional parks. It's free just try and donate

I did the seaview big springs hike this past Saturday. Not too strenuous 4.3 miles. Slight incline…read morebut doesn't get over 994 ft of elevation. Some nice views of the bridges. Tilden park is a big park with a lot of different trails.

An amazing parking with so much to offer for the whole family…read more My photos paint the picture. There's a lot more than the photos I posted.

This is a fine park. Post pandemy they had a lot of Canadian Geese excrement all over, but it's…read morebetter now. The pictures of the plastic covered doo-hickeys were actually rocks. They appeared one day and were uncovered a while later. This is a beautiful area with a beaufiful sunset. Not Hawaii beautiful, but it's fine even if the sun sets behind a bunch of buildings or a cloud. There are no good eats in the area. The restaurant has a review of mine, but it was taken over by people who truly don't care about the folks that they serve, but you can read that review. It's fine for walking, a quick walk after work (I worked at a school that was near the park). It's nice, peaceful and safe.

** The following review reflects my experience DURING the COVID-19 pandemic. **…read more Lucretia Edwards passed away fifteen years ago, but her legacy as an environmental activist can be felt in all the regional parks to be found in Richmond, an unexpected bonus for anyone getting familiar with this otherwise relatively nondescript East Bay city. This park was named in her honor though there appears to be little sense of a park here. It's primarily a promenade wide enough to accommodate walkers and cyclists (if everyone is masked). It wraps around Ricnmond's Inner Harbor Basin and adjoining boat marina. It starts at the worthwhile museum dedicated to Rosie the Riveter and the World War II home front activity centered in Richmond (review: https://bit.ly/3rXHw5A). Then it extends to a Q-Tip of greenery, Barbara & Jay Vincent Park. It's all flat and paved, and if you're lucky, you can see dolphins cavorting in the harbor. They must view it like a spa retreat because they didn't seem to be in a hurry to go back into the bay. RELATED - Exploring Richmond? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2VyCP18

A solid little neighborhood park up in the Hills. Street parking only and nearby are some…read moreincredible views of the Bay and the City. The top part by a green area great for a picnic or catch, has a huge sand area and a little tot playground. Take the stairs or the huge concrete slide down to the lower part to find some monkey bars and a structure for slightly older kids. Clean, nice, and a little respite in this neighborhood; a great local gem. Maybe not something you'd go out of your way for, although the concrete slide is fun!

** The following review reflects my experience DURING the COVID-19 pandemic. **…read more Located a Spruce and Michigan though barely visible at street level, it's scarcely an acre and hardly relevant to anyone outside of a mile radius, but this little park does provide a certain neighborhood charm despite the steep slope upon which it rests. When should a park be called a parklet after all? Apparently it's been around for quite a while, around eighty years which is quite a milestone for such a prime piece of Berkeley Hills real estate. Even though there are no restrooms (a moot point during a pandemic), there are facilities for toddlers and school-age gnomes, a small picnic table, a patch of green, and unavoidably, a forty-foot concrete slide which the park website states "use at your own risk". The ragged cardboard remnants weren't calling my name. I don't know who Dorothy is, but any park that reminds me of characters in "The Wizard of Oz" and "The Golden Girls" can't be bad. RELATED - Exploring Berkeley? Here's a collection of place I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2CbVh8u

Long linear park with big exciting news. Basketball courts, dog park and play structure among other…read moreamenities. Big news!! Voters approved new bathroom and is currently under construction. Basketball courts well lit and kids play structure looked newer and clean from a distance. Dog park ensures safety for all. Linear park great for a walk too. Enjoy the green trees and grass. With People's Park gone this may be a close alternative and replacement. People's park no longer for the people - rather student housing.

It did strike me how odd the shape of this park was when I first visited that it was indeed a park…read more I just thought it was a series of unrelated green patches, but it's actually an intentionally narrow park, about a half-block in width and stretching four blocks along Hearst to Sacramento with one additional isolated section that ends at Milvia. Aligned with the beginning of the Ohlone Greenway (review: https://bit.ly/3bcblbO), it kinda looks like Chile on a map of South America. The reason for the shape abnormality is BART. When the Richmond line was built underground in the late 1960's, the idea was to build residences on top of it. Can you imagine how much your juice glasses and Corningware would've shaken with each passing train? Anyway, Berkeley being Berkeley, locals were up in arms that the area not be developed and started planting trees and plants without getting permission from the city, They called it 'People's Park Annex'. It sounds like a scene from "Hair" where the hippies start singing "The Age of Aquarius ". The city decided to leave the groovy space alone. Now there are playgrounds, a basketball court, a ball field, and a dog park among other amenities. No need to be a hippie to appreciate the park. RELATED - Exploring Berkeley? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2CbVh8u

Albany Hill Park is aptly named, as it's just one big hill, or one big rock off of I-80!!…read more You can drive to the top and follow the trails or stairs back down. Or you can start at the bottom and work your way to the top. On the way up one trail, I saw a cross and a swing, and plenty of dog walkers. There are some good views at the top looking through the trees. When I was here, I felt like I was at a super small version of Golden Gate Park. Albany is a really small city, just driving through you can pass through it and you might not know it, but when you see this big rock, you'll know you're definitely in Albany!! Very nice park, seems like the highlight of this little city to me!!

Turkey sighting. I usually see them out around San Pablo Ave., near the Albany city services area…read more-- Police, Fire, City Hall. It was nice to see one out in nature and not doing the casual street stroll. Apple maps showed me two different routes to destinations of this name, depended on the day. One was up Taft, the other was to a path near Ranch 99. Well, the Ranch 99 route starts with a long walk that includes a long stair climb. On the bright side, there's your warm up. Downside really only if you have someone already there waiting for you. Live and learn. Enjoy the outdoors and a good walk.

From a six year old- "well I like the monkey bars and climbing pirate ship thing. And I also like…read morethe slide, creek and caterpillar!" Creek was a huge hit! Adult review, "I can get coffee near by at hidden cafe!" Win. Win.

Great little park away from the noise, cars, and hustle of the city. You want a little peace and…read morequiet to chill, read, or do nothing. Pro tip.... Bring a blanket in case the grass is wet. This is the place. Also, Hidden Cafe is right there for great coffee and snacks. (Closed Monday) This park stretches for a few blocks behind the busy streets with tennis courts, a kids playground and a clean creek flowing through it. Kids were playing in the creek and having a great time. The rope play structure is awesome. A very nice place to get away from it all in Berkeley and let's be real, there's a lot to get away from on Berkeley.