East Bay Trails to Enjoy with Baby on Board
From the Berkeley hills, make your way to Grizzly Peak Blvd. Continue on Grizzly Peak until you get to Centennial Drive. Turn down Centennial . Go past the Lawrence Hall of Science and the Botanical Gardens. Shortly after the Botanical Gardens there will be a dirt parking lot on the left. Park there. From lower Berkeley, go east on Hearst to Gayley (top of campus), turn right and proceed past the Greek Theater. Turn left at the stop onto Centennial. The parking lot is on the right just past the Strawberry Canyon swimming pool.)
Dirt trail, steep in parts. Parking is tight, no picnic area.
Go to University Avenue in Berkeley. Follow University west toward the water, following signs to the right which take you to Cesar Chavez Park. Park at or near the end of the road. Take the paved path off to your right. There is a mile and a half loop.
Paved trail; strollers possible. Picnic tables available. Not for windy days.
Take Highway 24 to Orinda. Go north (left)on Camino Pablo. Turn right onto Bear Creek Road (the traffic signal after the Wagner Ranch/JFK University sign). Just past the Happy Valley Road intersection, turn LEFT into EBMUD's Bear Creek Staging Area. (If you get to the Briones Park entrance on the right, you have gone a bit too far, although you could go there for lunch.)
Dirt trails. EBMUD pass required (per 4 or 5 people) Take the trail to the left of the parking lot. (Trail to right is also a good one but can have muddy bits after the rain.)
Take Hwy 13 south toward Hayward. Exit on Joaquin Miller Road. Go up Joaquin Miller to Skyline. Turn left on Skyline and continue 0.3 mile uphill to a wooden fence on your left. Park along the road. There are a number of possible trails - the Bay View trail is mostly flat, but to do a loop you have to combine it with other trails.
Dirt trails. Picnic table above the parking area near the trail heads
From Berkeley and Oakland, make your way to Skyline Blvd. Huckleberry Preserve lies between the Sibley Volcanic Preserve and the Redwood Park Skyline Gate.
Dirt trails. Fairly gentle. Picnic tables.
Take Hwy 24 to the Acalanes Road/Mt. Diablo Blvd exit in Lafayette. At the end of the exit, head straight on Mt. Diablo Blvd. After about a mile, turn right into the Lafayette Reservoir. Bring plenty of quarters for parking.. ($2.00 will get you two hours).
This is a 3 mile paved trail-- strollers possible. It's fairly gentle. Picnic tables available.
Take Hwy 24 to the Orinda exit. Turn right (southeast) onto Camino Pablo. It soon becomes Moraga Way. Follow Moraga Way through Moraga until it ends. Turn right onto Canyon Road. Go 4-ish blocks (until you see a large church on the left) and turn left onto Camino Pablo. Follow Camino Pablo until it becomes "not a through street." You will reach Rancho Laguna Park on the left. Park in the parking lot. Trailhead is at the park's back right corner.
Dirt trails. EBMUD Trail Pass required (one per 5 people) Very nice picnic/play area at park with picnic tables and large lawn.
Take Highway 24 east to the Orinda exit. Turn right onto Camino Pablo. It soon becomes Moraga Way. Follow Moraga Way to Moraga. Turn right on Canyon Road (when Moraga Way ends). Follow Canyon Road to the EBMUD Valle Vista Staging Area on your left. Take trail to your left (not a loop).
Dirt trails. Can be soggy after rains. No picnic tables.
From I-80, take the Hilltop Drive exit and go west toward the Bay. You should eventually see signs for Point Pinole. Turn right on San Pablo Road, go a short distance and turn left on Giant Highway, (or possibly left on Atlas). After winding around for a mile or two, watching for signs to Point Pinole parking area on your left. Take paved path toward the water/trees.
Paved trail; strollers possible. Picnic site is a few hundred yards from parking lot - carry your lunch. Not for windy/foggy days. Beautiful views of the bay at the end of the walk.
From Berkeley and Oakland: Make your way to Skyline Blvd. Where Shepherd Canyon Rd. hits Skyline, you will find Pinehurst Road. Follow Pinehurst a very long way to Redwood Road. Turn right and .3 mile later turn right again into Redwood Regional Park. Continue to parking lot at end of road.
Paved trail, then dirt. Gentle (until the end). Picnic tables, play area. A good trail for hot days - mostly shaded.
From Berkeley, take Hwy 13 south. Exit east on Moraga Avenue and go southeast on it 3/4 mile. Turn left on Snake Road and in a block (2 blocks on the right side) continue on Shepherd Canyon Road, which soon becomes Park Blvd. and winds up to Skyline Blvd. Turn right on Skyline and in a 1/4 mile arrive at the Skyline Gate. From Orinda, take 24 west to Fish Ranch Road. Turn right and continue uphill to stop sign. Turn left onto Grizzly Peak. Continue to stop sign. Turn left onto Skyline. Follow Skyline to Redwood Regional Park, Skyline Gate. You can take either East Ridge or West Ridge Trail. Dirt trails. No picnic tables. Can be too hot on very sunny days.
Make your way to the Brazilian Building in Tilden Park. From here take Wildcat Canyon Road for about a mile to Inspiration Point.
Paved trail; strollers possible. Can go out and back up to 4 miles. Picnic tables in parking lot.
Take Grizzly Peak Blvd to any of the Tilden Park entrances. Follow signs to the Merry-Go-Round. You will be on Central Park Drive. Shortly before or after the Merry-Go-Round (depending on which way you're heading) turn onto Lone Oak Road. Park near the end of the road at the Lone Oak picnic area. This can be done as a loop. Start at the Meadows Canyon trail on your left, following it nearly to Inspiration point. Then loop back on the Curran Trail which connects to the Wildcat Gorge trail which brings you back along a stream. On very hot days don't do the loop, just go out and back on the Wildcat Gorge/Curran Trail. .
Dirt trail, fairly gentle climb. 2.9 mile loop. Not good for after the rains.
From Berkeley and Oakland, make your way to the Brazilian Building in Tilden Park. From here take Wildcat Canyon Road for about a mile in the direction of Inspiration Point. From Orinda, take Camino Pablo north to Wildcat Canyon Road. Turn left and follow the road 1/4 mile past Inspiration Point to the Quarry Picnic Area on the left. Park at the Quarry Picnic Area on the right. Start on the Sea View Trail on your left, loop back on the Big Springs Trail and then switch to the Quarry Trail Dirt trail.
Dirt trail. This trailhead offers a 3.3 mile loop with a fair bit of up and down. Not good for very hot days. Picnic at Quarry site - tables are available.
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Baby Steps v. 1 April 1997
edited by Natasha Beery
NatashaB@earthlink.net