This is not a review of Garin Dry Creek Pioneer Regional Park, but instead it is a review of a loop…read moretrail of segments from High Ridge Loop Trail, Pioneer Trail, and Meyers Ranch Trail. These three trails occur in Garin Dry Creek Regional Park. The common trailhead for both Meyers Ranch Trail (takes you north) and High Ridge Loop Trail (takes you south) occurs about 50 feet away from this parking lot. HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE LOOP TRAIL: My photographs show trees shaped like giant mushrooms, where the cap of the giant mushroom-tree is about 30-feet wide. Other photos show rolling hills in the distance, with dense groves of trees situated in the ravines between rolling hills that are far in the distance, and rolling hills closer to the hiker. My photos also show a gnarly tree with trunks looking like octopus arms, with huge 1-foot wide tentacles growing from the tree trunk. Other photographs show a herd of black cows, resting near each other in the grass. Other photos show plush toys (quails, a frog, and a turtle) residing at various places near the loop trail. Another of my photographs shows a triangle-shaped stone, where I used enamels to paint a trail map on the stone. Toy cows sit on the stone. The toy cows know that they should not sit on the enamel-painted trails and, for this reason, these cows are smart and well-behaved BIG LOOP TRAIL CONSISTING OF SEGMENTS OF 3 DIFFERENT TRAILS. I took photos of a group of about 20 black cows, sitting peacefully on the grass in a shaded area next to High Ridge Loop Trail. Continuing in a counterclockwise hiking path, High Ridge Loop Trail includes a hairpin loop and, just beyond this hairpin loop, the trail gets steeper and steeper, and the view gets grander and more beautiful. From the steep part of this trail, one can gaze into the steep ravine by the north edge of the trail, and wonder in amazement at the fact that large trees grow out of the slope above the ravine, despite the fact that the slope is at a 45 degree angle. Looking to the west are more sights that evoke wonder and amazement, and these take the form of rolling hills in the distance, where patches of trees occurring in groves reciding in steep ravines. Some of the hills are entirely covered with trees. FROG AND TURTLE IN THE DRY CREEK BED. Regarding the dry creek running parallel to Meyers Ranch Trail, I went off-trail and hiked along the dry creek bed. I encountered a large puddle, and posed my frog and turtle on top of stones situated in the large puddle. In the dry creek bed, I found a triangle-shaped stone. I painted a trail map on the stone, and then posed some cows on the stone, and took a photograph of the prepared stone. See, attached photo of triangular stone. The cows are from Hobbies Unlimited on Manor Blvd. in San Leandro. On the stone, I used enamel paints, to paint the names of Meyer's Ranch Trail, Pioneer Trail, High Peaks Ridge Trail, May Trail, May Road, and Tamarack Drive. The enamel paint is from Hobbies Unlimited. The frog is from the gift shop at Henry Coe State Park. The turtle was made by Folkmanis Puppets in Emeryville, CA. Several feet away from Meyers Ranch Trail, I inserted a metal rod into the hard earth. This metal rod has a hook on the end of it, and the hook held a sign reading, QUAIL CROSSING. I put two California quails on the ground next to the sign. The QUAIL CROSSING sign is available by mail order from the gift shop at Anza Borrego Desert State Park. The quails are from Wild Republic. See, attached photo of the sign and the quails.

Great trail for everyone, we had kids on boards, electric…read morebikes, dogs, strollers, seniors, and everything in between sharing the trail with us. It's a great trail, again, can't say it enough..views that are unparalleled...we will be back.

This is a gorgeous trail frequented by walkers, runners and bikers…read more You will see a gorgeous skyline of the SF bay area and wonderful sunsets and sunrises here. It's the perfect ppace to train while enjoying the scenic views here and it's quite the hidden gem!

A Hidden Waterfront Gem for Biking, running and Walking…read more If you are looking for a flat, peaceful, and incredibly scenic escape in the East Bay, this section of the trail where San Lorenzo Creek meets the bay is a must-visit. The trail setup is great because it caters to everyone. There is a beautifully paved main road perfect for walking, running, and easy cycling, but if you like a little more texture, there are wide gravel off-paths that are incredibly fun to ride on. It's a heavily trafficked spot for locals who come out to get their daily steps in or catch a sunset. They have also placed dedicated benches at perfect intervals along the path so you can sit down, take a break, and just soak in the unobstructed shoreline views of the San Francisco Bay. What makes this trail extra special is that you are riding right through a massive, protected nature preserve (the Oro Loma Marsh). The wetland is teeming with wildlife--if you look out into the pickleweed and mudflats, you'll see tons of unique shorebirds, egrets, and ducks. It's amazing to think this peaceful sanctuary used to be an industrial commercial salt flat decades ago before being restored back to nature. Tip for visitors: The trail is completely open and exposed to the elements. There's no shade out here, which means when that bay breeze kicks up, it feels absolutely amazing and refreshing on a hot summer day. But if you come later in the afternoon, definitely bring a light jacket as it can get quite windy. The Stretch: This section acts as a perfect bridge connecting San Leandro to Hayward. Heading north to the San Leandro Marina is about 2.25 miles of smooth pavement, while heading south into the Hayward Shoreline is another 2.25 miles of rugged gravel. You can easily do a flat, 4.5-mile round-trip or push it all the way to a 10-mile ride! Very relaxing, clean, and highly recommended! Cheers!

The High Ridge Loop Trail is part of the Garin/Drycreek East Bay Regional Parks. This trail might…read morebe considered one of the more strenuous hikes, but also one with great views. You can access this trail from the main entrance "down below," or via the Whipsnake trail. Trail was in good shape today. I was able to traverse it with my mountain bike without any trouble. Not much cover, so can be really hot!

Heron Bay Nature Trail is one of my favorite local trails for a morning/sunset walk. There's…read moreconveniently parking at the entrance roundabout of the Heron Bay neighborhood. There's only 3 spaces + 1 handicapped space but I've usually had good luck and have found parking. If not, you can also park in the neighborhood right outside Heron Bay or at the Food Net plaza. You'll just have to walk a bit farther. There's two sides to the trail: one that goes towards the San Leandro Marina and the other that goes towards the Hayward Shoreline. The San Leandro Marina side tends to be the most popular as it ends at the park and you can continue your walk around the water and park. From Heron Bay, it's about 1.5-2 miles to the park. The terrain is all flat and paved. There are a lot of people who use this trail so sometimes you may have to step aside into the gravel for other walkers, runners, bikers, etc. This trail is right along the water which is always really beautiful. But know that it also gets windy sometimes. I recommend wearing a hood, hat, or beanie. There's also no shade so plan to wear sunglasses and sunscreen on a sunny day. A lot of people take their dogs walking here as there's a dog park at the end as well. Most folks have their dogs on leashes but there are some who let their dogs roam. If you have an anxious dog who isn't great around other dogs, I'd recommend either skipping the Marina side of this trail or just being very aware. There's lots of regulars on this trail (me included) so if you walk here enough, you'll start to see the same folks. Everyone's always greeting each other with a hello or good morning - a great start to each day/evening!

I to run and walk this trail. Great views of the peninsula and San Francisco. Always a nice place…read moreto visit.

A great trail on the west side of Lake Chabot!!!…read more I'm lucky I live a quick drive away from here. This is one of my go to trails when I want to get a quick mid week hike in and I don't have a lot of time. I access this trail through Chabot Park, this trail is to the left. It's all dirt, small rolling hills until you get to the camp grounds. This trail doesn't always run right next to Lake Chabot, lots of curving in and out from the lake and back with small inclines and declines along the way. This trail is mostly used by walkers and bike riders, and it's a good way to just get away from it all, at least for a little while, or as long as you feel like it!!

MY PHOTOGRAPHS. (1) View to the south, of a deep canyon. At the top of my photo, you can see the…read moreBay-O-Vista neighborhood in San Leandro. (2) Later on, you pass a little peninsula of land, where people sometimes go fishing. Here and there by the water's edge there are thick patches of tall reeds. (3) Further along on Bass Cove Trail, there is a transition in the trail, where long branches from thousands of trees cover the entire trail, like a tunnel. (4) Gulch that is covered with arching trees, where the tree are covered with bright green moss. (5) Further along on Bass Cove Trail, you will encounter a second trail sign at a fork in the trail. The sign indicates the direction to Bass Cove, and the direction of Goldenrod Trail. I am posing in this photo. (6) Close up photo of one of the thousands of trees covered with bright green moss. (7) View of a beautiful little bay, located at the western edge of Lake Chabot. As you can see from this photograph, Bass Cove Trail is now about 200 feet above the Lake Chabot. (8) Photograph of several ducks. The ducks are swimming at the northern-most part of Bass Cove. BASS COVE TRAIL. The most direct access to Bass Cove Trail is by starting at the parking lot at the end of Estudillo Ave. The initial part of the hike is uphill and, once beyond the dam, it remains mostly level, where you are taking a clockwise route around Lake Chabot. Early in your hike, you will encounter a chain linked fence at the right side of the trail. Just beyond this fence is a very steep hill (almost a cliff) where a canyon resides at the bottom of the cliff. The view of the trees growing near the bottom of this canyon is beautiful. Dramatic photographs can be taken from the top of the very steep hill. Further along Bass Cove Trail, hikers will encounter a beach that has thick clusters of reeds. On occasion, one or two fishermen practice their fishing hobby near these reeds. A tiny restroom is at the edge of Bass Cove Trail, next to this beach. DISTINCTIVE STYLE OF BASS COVE TRAIL. From the beach with reeds, all the way to the northern-most area of Bass Cove, the trail consists of about 20 loops that loop inland and away from the lake, and about 20 loops that loop towards the lake. The trail loops inland where there is a gulch (the gulch is like a notch in the mountain, and the trail takes you through this notch). The trail loops towards the lake, wherever a narrow hill extends from the mountain to the west. This extending hill is sort of like an arm reaching out from the mountain to the west (here, the trail allows you to skirt this arm, and to walk around the extending arm). When hiking northwards, the gulches to your left provide opportunities for taking photographs of moss-covered trees and bushy clusters of ferns. To the right side of the trail, which is filled with gnarly-looking trees, some of them covered with electric-green moss. Because the brightly-lit waters of Lake Chabot are in back of the gnarly trees, the outlines of the gnarly trees are easier to see. DUCKS. My 300 millimeter telephoto lens enabled me to take several photographs of the ducks that make their home at the northern-most area of Bass Cove. This northern-most area had another cluster of reeds. Once at this northern-most area, hikers have the choice of continuing their clockwise hike around Lake Chabot, or continuing in the northwards direction on a straight trail (not a loop trail) that follows along Grass Valley Creek. HUMOR WHILE HIKING. Near the end of my return hike, I noticed two women walking uphill towards me, and one of them was wearing a long coat with an unusual color. I paused in my walk and said, "Can you tell me the color of your coat? I know that it is not pink or scarlet." Then, the woman with the brightly colored coat answered, "It is fuchsia ! ! !" Within a blink of an eye, I replied, "Oh, I was so CONFUCHED ! ! !" The two ladies responded with a cascade of merry laughs. Then, I continued my walk, and I was glad that their response had made my day.

Located less than 5 minutes from 580 off of the 150th and you're in a world away. Hike, fish, bike,…read morehave a picnic or host a large party/bbq on one of several reservable areas. $5.00 plus 2 for each dog---kind of an honor system but for less than 100 you can get an EBRP year round pass that allows you to visit a lot more parks as many times as you want. Easy decision. M-F seniors get 1/2 off on boat rentals and from there you can finds the fish...if you know what you're doing ;). Anthony Chabot was a man who was instrumental in the California gold rush in the lower Sierras. He helped develop and mastered the hydraulic mining techniques required to reduce mountains to piles of rock to be sifted for gold. After those operations were shut down over environmental concerns, he brought his craft here to help make this reservoir. Amazing really. Nice spot to decompress and get right. Some areas around the lake show clear signs that hydraulic action was used. Birds, frogs, squirrels, butterflies, deer and more.

Chabot Park is not Lake Chabot Regional Park, but it does lead to there with the trails…read more The entrance to this Park is a little dicey to get to, if you're not familiar with this area of the San Leandro/East Oakland border area, it's hard to explain how to get here. And I have a feeling the residents of this area would like to keep it that way, so I'll honor their unwritten code, lol!! The Park itself is very much like your in the woods, lots of trees and fallen trees. They do have restrooms and disc golf here, which seems to be pretty popular, someone always seem to be playing it. Lots of free parking also. But the best thing about this park is the trail that can lead you to Lake Chabot. It starts off all uphill for at least 1/2 mile, then you start downhill and can determine which way around the lake you want to go. If you stay on the paved trail, to the right, you'll cross a bridge which is the Chabot Dam and it's a faster route, although hilly, to Lake Chabot Regional Park. If you choose the dirt trail, to the left, you won't necessarily stay next to the lake the whole way, there's signs to keep you on track. Either way, it's a great walk or run, watch and listen for the bike riders, sometimes they are really speeding coming off those hills. And if you're going to walk all the way around, bring water. Also, there's not a lot of areas where you get phone service. Always enjoy coming here, convenient for me!!

Small park but very lovely!…read more We took our dog here and it was a quick walk around the park. Perhaps .5 of a mile or even less. There was a big patch of grass, for individuals to do extracurricular activities such as soccer. We saw a family play badminton there, which was very cool and also enticed us into buying a badminton net as well. Overall cute quaint park with a nice view.

What a great little park!…read more I can report its quiet, not crowded and has great views of East Bay.

I love coming to this beautiful park because it's so quiet so much space hiking. It has a trail for…read moreany ages and it's also for advanced if you like. The air is so crisp and fresh. I enjoy my sister time in the early mornings so I can get my cardio in for the day and still have the rest of the day for whatever else. It has many hills you can choose to go fir a couple of hills or 10 hills it's many times choose from and if you have time have a seat at one of the benches and just enjoy the sounds if birds and squirls you might even see a bunny. I got to see some cows roaming around too such a treat.

Just moved to the bay not too long ago, and found this great place to hike and hang out.read more