Point Lobos Essential Info

Difficulty: Easy
Length: 4.7 mi loop around the reserve
Time: 3 hours
Cost: Free along Highway 1, $10 per vehicle inside
Dogs: no
Bikes: no
Hours: 8am – 5pm
Website: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=571

Coastal Views

Getting There

The entrance to Point Lobos is off of Highway 1, south of Monterey. To get there from the Bay Area:

• Take 101 South towards Los Angeles
• About 16 miles past Gilroy, take 156 West.
• Take 1 South
• After Carmel River State Beach, look for cars densely parked in parallel along the highway.
• The entrance to Point Lobos will be on the right hand side.

Trails

Point Lobos is all about the shoreline and the best hike is to start on the north side near Whaler’s Cove (which has limited parking) on the North Shore trail. The trail transforms into different ones, following the coastline to the end of the park’s southern border. From there, you can return to Whaler’s Cove by way of the Southern Plateau trail.

If parking at Whaler’s Cove is full, don’t fret. The trail roughly follows the interior road and the parking lots. Just find an open parking spot and begin your hike along the closest coastal trail.

If you are walking into the park from Highway 1, take the Carmelo Meadow trail after the entry booth to get to Whaler’s Cove.

North Shore and Cypress Grove Trails

The northern side of Point Lobos offers views of craggy shoreline, waves pounding into rocks.

In stark contrast, the coves offer protection from the open ocean. Sea otters and seals can often be found resting in these areas or foraging for food.

South Shore Trail

The southwestern side of the reserve flattens out and the trail descends to the beach. Massive colonies of sea lions roost on the offshore rocks lending a unique odor to the experience.

The beaches offer opportunities for tide pooling. Look for anemones, limpets, snails, crabs, sea urchins, and even small fish in the pools left over by the low tide.

Following the south shore trail offers an unexpected geologic exposé in the form of the Carmelo Formation. See an in depth description of the rocks of Point Lobos here.

Bird Island Trail

At the bottom end of the reserve are China Cove and Bird Island. Descending to the beach at China Cove is prohibited whenever harbor seals are nursing their pups there. Bird Island is home to nesting cormorants and other sea birds.

Wildlife

Tidepools

Related Parks and Places

• Garrapata State Park
  • Just a few miles south along Hwy 1
  • Easy beach hike or strenuous hike up Doud Peak
• Año Nuevo State Park
  • North of Santa Cruz
  • Moderate beach hike to see elephant seals
• Fitzgerald Marine Reserve
  • Near Half Moon Bay
  • Easy hiking along the beach and tide pools

The post Point Lobos State Natural Reserve appeared first on East Bay Wild!.

Address:

5551 Giant Highway
Richmond, CA 94806

3000 Atlas Road
Richmond, CA 94806

Hours:

Nov – Feb
7am – 4pm
Mar – Apr
7am – 5pm
May – Sep
7am – 7pm
October
7am – 5pm

Fees:

Only collected when kiosk is attended on weekends and major holidays Apr – Oct.
Car/Trailer: $3
Dogs: $2 per dog

Maps:
Trail Map
Pamphlet PDF

Gallery

About Point Pinole

Protruding into San Pablo bay, Point Pinole offers a pleasant space to picnic, visit the ruins of old Dynamite production facilities, fish along a well maintained pier, and take in the calming views along the Pinole shoreline.

Ample hiking trails circumscribe and criss cross the area offering differing vantages and points of interest. The best introduction is a 4.9 mile loop hike from Cook’s Point Trail, to Owl Alley, to the Bay View trail. Diverse birds can be found throughout the surrounding marsh lands.

Other Related Sites

• Hiking in Crocket Hills
• Oyster Monitoring at Point Pinole

The post Point Pinole Regional Shoreline appeared first on East Bay Wild!.

Shadow Cliffs sits in the the “Chain of Lakes” area of Pleasanton, created by gravel mining operations run by the Kaiser Sand and Gravel Company started in 1938. Donated by Kaiser Industries in 1971, the Shadow Cliffs regional recreation area provides swimming, boating, fishing, and hiking activities as part of the East Bay Regional Park District.

Shadow Cliffs Levee-Arroyo Trail Essential Info

Length: 3mi
Time: 1.5 hr
Difficulty: Easy
Alltrails link: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/recording/shadow-cliffs-levee-and-north-arroyo

Fees: $6 per vehicle, $2 per dog
Trail Map: https://www.ebparks.org/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?BlobID=24403
Hours:

Nov – Feb
7am – 5pm
Mar – Apr
6am – 7pm
May – Labor Day (Sep)
6am – 9pm
After Labor Day (Sep) – Oct
6am – 7

Getting There

Shadow Cliffs Regional Recreation Area lies situated in Pleasanton near the border with Livermore.

To get there, Take 580E towards Tracy and exit Santa Rita Road, going South. Turn left at Valley and then make another left at Stanley. The park entrance will be on your right hand side.

The Trail

Checkpoint: Parking Lot

Relative to most of the EBRPD parks, Shadow Cliffs has a huge parking lot. For this guide, we start out in the parking lot furthest away from the entrance located in the boat launch area. All of the parking lots have easy access to the Levee trail. The 2nd parking lot features solar panels providing shady spots and are probably the most ideal choice.

Checkpoint: Levee Trail Start

Depending on the parking lot, look for signs directing you towards the Levee trail. The Levee trail runs along the back side (the direction opposite of the main lake) of all three parking lots. There will be a short climb up to the top of the levee where it then flattens out.

Make a left when you reach the top of the levee. The main recreational lake and parking lots should be on your left hand side and the Arroyo Del Valle on the right hand side.

This long flat trail is popular with trail runners and provides decent views of Mt Diablo over the main lake (our featured picture at the top of this page). On the right hand side runs the Arroyo Del Valle which sources from the hills of Santa Clara County, through Del Valle Lake, and eventually flows out to the San Francisco Bay via Alameda Creek.

Continue along the Levee Trail until you dead end at the park boundary.

Checkpoint:  Boundary

From the boundary, turn back towards the direction you came while looking out for the North Arroyo Trail turn off on the left hand side.

Checkpoint: Arroyo Trail

When you find the turn off, descend down the levee onto the North Arroyo Trail. It should take you close to the bottom edge of Island Pond then turn away to follow the Arroyo Del Valle which runs parallel to the Levee Trail.

Follow the Arroyo Trail where you can get close to the water’s edge. Fishermen kick back from the shoreline or float on un-powered inner tubes in Boris Lake to catch the catfish, trout, largemouth bass, and bluegills that are regularly stocked.

Checkpoint: Lake View

Boris Lake, along the Arroyo Del Valle, is a popular place for fishermen and dog walkers during the summer where their furry friends can take a quick dip in the shallow lake waters.

Checkpoint: Crossroads

Proceeding down the Arroyo Trail you’ll come to a crossroads in sight of the entry kiosk and the first parking lot. Here you can choose to continue on the Levee Trail to circle around the Rimillard Marsh (as shown in this guide), cross the Arroyo Del Valle to the South Arroyo trail (note this is not a loop), or head towards the parking lot and finish your hike.

If you choose to circle around the Rimillard Marsh, continue on the Levee trail and then be on the lookout for the signs to  return back to the parking lot. The trail otherwise continues towards a BMX bike park at the outskirts of Shadow Cliffs.

Shadowcliffs Alternates

• Del Valle Lake
  • Livermore, Fishing, Hiking, and other water activities.
• Los Vaqueros Reservoir
  • Livermore, Fishing and Hiking
• Sunol Regional Wilderness
  • Sunol, Hiking, Little Yosemite

The post Shadow Cliffs Regional Recreation Area – Levee and North Arroyo Trails appeared first on East Bay Wild!.

Note that there are two entrances within the park that do not connect: in order to drive to the other side, you’ll need to exit and drive ~45mins on Vasco.

The area supports various wildlife including bobcats, raptors, coyotes, and egrets. The hikes here vary in difficulty from gentle, flat strolls along the lakeside to steep rolling hills.

Los Vaqueros Essential Info

Hours:
September 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
October 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Nov. – Feb. 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
March 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
April-August 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Parking Cost: $6, $5 Seniors, $4 CCWD customers.
Website: https://www.ccwater.com/9/Los-Vaqueros

Getting There

There are two entrances separated by about 45 minutes, so make sure to pick the right one!

The northern, Brentwood entrance provides access to the John Muir Interpretive center while the southern, Livermore, entrance provides access to the marina. The link on the map to the right will bring you to the south entrance. For a link to the northern entrance (and through to the interpretive center), click here.

From the Walnut Creek, Concord, and Antioch areas of the easy bay, the fastest way is probably via Highway 4 West to Vasco.

If coming from other parts of the bay area, take 580E and exit Vasco road in Livermore.

Trails

Kellogg Creek Trail

Length: ~5 miles (in and out)
Time: 2.5 hours
Difficulty: Easy

Located on the north side of the lake, this trail follows Kellogg creek to the John Muir Interpretive center. From there, it’s a short but steep climb up a paved road to the the top of the dam with access to several other trails.

Black Hills to Cañada Trail loop

Length: ~7 miles
Time: 3.5 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
Shifting to the south side, this trail brings you up in the hills with sweeping views of the reservoir with good opportunities to see raptors.

Los Vaqueros Trail

Length: Variable
Time: Variable
Difficulty: Easy

Also located on the south side, this trail starts from the marina and roughly follows the lake’s shoreline. You’ll hike past peaceful coves and migrating birds resting within.

Alternates

Nearby Brushy Peak, on the southern end of Vasco Road is home to many raptors due to the abundance of mice, squirrels and rabbits.

The post Los Vaqueros Reservoir appeared first on East Bay Wild!.

Bear Gulch – High Peaks – Old Pinnacles Loop trail

This trail will bring you through the highlights of Pinnacles. Starting out in Bear Gulch, you’ll go through the Bear Gulch caves, emerging at the picturesque Bear Gulch Reservoir.  Then you’ll ascend into the High Peaks amongst the uniquely eroded spires that give Pinnacles its name and are frequented by the endangered California Condor. From the peaks, you’ll descend to the Chaparral trailhead where the hike flattens out. You’ll then pass through the Balconies Caves along the Chalone Creek on your way back to the Bear Gulch trailhead.

Pinnacles National Park  Essential Info

Length: 10 miles
Time: 6 hours
Total Elevation Gain: 3400 feet
Difficulty: Hard (Steep and narrow. Length and elevation gain)
Entrance Fee: $25/vehicle, $20/motorcycle, $12/walk-in
Hours: East side is always open, West side entry gate is 7:30am – 8:00pm. Exit is always open.
Website: https://www.nps.gov/pinn/index.htm
Map: http://npmaps.com/wp-content/uploads/pinnacles-map.jpg
Other: Bring a flashlight or headlamp (recommended, so you’ll have both hands free) for the caves.
Pets: Not allowed on trails

Getting There (East Entrance)

Pinnacles National Park is located about 80 miles south of San Jose to the east of Salinas. Between, the East and West entrances, the East side is the main entrance with the main visitor center and 24 hr access. Because the trail described here is a loop, it’s possible to start out from the west entrance at the Chaparral Trailhead.  From the East Bay, it takes about 2 hrs w/o traffic one way. Start out early as the parking lots at the various trailheads fill fast. I would generally advise to arrive by 8AM. Note that there is no road through the park and you cannot drive directly from the east to west entrance.

From the East Bay, take 680S to 101S. About 30 miles depending on where your coming from.

From 101S proceed another 30 miles south to Highway 25, just after Gilroy. Exit Highway 25 going east towards Hollister.

Proceed another 40 miles along Highway 25 to Highway 146. Google Maps may route you through some local roads, but sticking to Highway 25 is probably easier.

Take Highway 146 west into Pinnacles National Park east entrance.

Stop at the Visitor’s center to pay the entrance fee, then continue along 146 further into the park. At the intersection, take the left hand side towards Bear Gulch.

The Trail

Checkpoint: Start

The Bear Gulch trailhead provides a great starting point with a parking lot and restroom facilities.

Taking the Bear Gulch Cave trail, you’ll pass by many sheer cliff walls which make Pinnacles a climbers paradise.

The caves are extremely dark and narrow! A headlamp will help you see while using both hands to help stabilize yourself. Large backpacks will have a tough squeeze through some sections.

Checkpoint: Bear Gulch Caves

Piled boulders provide a disconcerting ceiling as you weave your way through the darkness.

Checkpoint: Bear Gulch Reservoir

Emerging from the darkness, you’ll be greeted to one of the most scenic views in the park.

Judging by the aggressiveness of the squirrels, this is a popular spot to have a snack amongst the towering pinnacles and serene waters.

To continue on the trail to High Peaks, you’ll want to stay on the same side of the bridge as the caves and proceed on the Rim Trail that leads upwards into the peaks.

Checkpoint: High Peaks

As the name implies, the trail brings you to the top of the Pinnacles National Park where you can great great views of the both the volcanic structures and sweeping panoramas across the lowlands.

There’s various trails that criss-cross in High Peaks.  This guide stays on the High Peaks trail at the first Juniper Canyon trail intersection. It then turns onto the Tunnel Trail which leads back to the Juniper Canyon trail towards the Chaparral Trailhead. This route has a little more elevation gain and tight spaces, but leads you through a closer view of the pinnacles. We were fortunate enough to come across a perched condor midway.

The tunnel trail will begin a descent back down from the peaks but still afford some views of the north-west  regions of the park.

Along the descent on Tunnel and Juniper Canyon trails, you’ll start seeing an increasing variety of wildflowers.

Checkpoint: Chaparral Trailhead

The trailhead offers another great opportunity to take a break, refill on water, and use the restroom.

Checkpoint: Balconies

From the Chaparral Trailhead, take the Balconies trail towards the Balconies Caves/Cliffs.

At the intersection, you can choose either the cliffs or the caves. For this article, we chose the caves.

At the end of the caves or cliffs, proceed along the Old Pinnacles trail to return to the Bear Gulch trailhead.

Conclusion

We’ve held off from doing Pinnacles National Park for a long time due to the distance from the East Bay. Having seen all the unique and wondrous views on this loop trail, we’ll be back to explore the other trails and see if we can glimpse condors in flight!

Similar Hikes

Can’t make it out to Pinnacles? Try these alternates:

• Sunol Regional Wilderness Flag Hill
  • Eagles and Turkey Vultures ride the thermals above a prominent rocky outcrop.

The post Pinnacles National Park – Loop starting at Bear Gulch appeared first on East Bay Wild!.

See our Little Yosemite, Flag Hill, and Eagle View Trail posts for some of the our regular hikes!

View

Flowers

The post First Visit to Sunol Regional Wilderness This Year appeared first on East Bay Wild!.

Waterfall Dreamland

Taking advantage of the spring rainy season in the Bay Area, we swing back down to the Morgan Hill to visit the secretly nestled Uvas Canyon County Park. Here, the waters of Swanson’s creek undulate over a steep rocky bed to create numerous waterfalls ending with one last plunge merging into Uvas Creek.

Uvas Canyon has been closed for most of the year due to road damage from last year’s deluge of rain. Luckily, right after the recent “atmospheric river” passed through the Bay Area dumping 5 inches of rain, Uvas Canyon County Park is now open.

Most of the falls are accessible through the easy to hike waterfalls loop trail. This guide makes a larger loop through the Contour trail with a spur to see the Triple Falls.

Secret tip: Don’t miss the Lower Falls where Swanson’s creek meets Uvas Creek. Starting at the Black Oak Group area, take the Swanson’s Creek Trail along the Swanson’s creek, towards the toll entrace direction. Round trip is about 3/4 miles with some elevation change.

Uvas Canyon Essential Info

Distance: 5 mi
Time: 3hr
Net Elevation: 2100 feet
Difficulty: Moderate
Hours: 8am – sunset
Parking Fee: $6 per vehicle, reservations required on weekends and holidays
Pets: Dogs ok on leash
Website: https://www.sccgov.org/sites/parks/parkfinder/pages/uvascanyon.aspx
Address: 8515 Croy Rd Morgan Hill, CA 95037
Phone: (408) 779-9232

Getting There

Uvas Canyon is located in Morgan Hill, about 20 miles south of San Jose, and just over an hours drive from the East Bay, depending on which part you’re in.

From the East Bay, take 680S to 101S.

After about 12mi, exit Bailey Rd.  Follow Bailey Rd for about 3 miles all the way to a T intersection and make a left turn onto McKean Rd.

Follow McKean for 6 miles and turn right onto Croy Rd.

Croy road will eventually lead into a collection of properties at Sveadal. Continue onwards until you reach the park entrance and toll kiosk.

The Trail

Checkpoint: Start

The trail conveniently starts out from the parking lot and bathrooms where you can stretch out after a long car ride.

Pickup a Waterfall Loop trail guide which describes various flora along the trail designated by numbered signs.

When you’re ready, proceed further up, past the Black Oak picnic area, to the first waterfall.

Checkpoint: Granuja Falls

Cross the bridge across the creek and continue onto the Waterfalls Loop trail. After only 1/3 mile, you’ll come across the lower portion of Blackrock falls.

Checkpoint: Blackrock Falls

Walk about 20 ft further to find the spur to reach the upper portions of Black Rock falls.

Return to the main trail from Blackrock falls and continue up the Waterfalls trail a short distance along the creek. You’ll pass by Myrtle Flats to a Y junction. Take the right hand side to Basin Falls.

Checkpoint: Basin Falls

Go back down to the Y junction and then take the left side to visit Upper Falls.

Checkpoint: Upper Falls

After absorbing the grandeur of Upper Falls, continue along Contour Trail climbing towards the top of the falls. The trail begins to steepen at this point so if you want to take it easy, you can also call it a day by returning to the Waterfall Loop trail.

The Contour trail follows Swanson Creek upwards. Here, Swanson Creek demonstrates its adroitness down the steep, rocky grade, forming rivulets and dancing down the many diversions in its way.

The contour trail departs from the creek and winds its way under the canopy of trees.

Bending around the hillside, you’ll reach a bent douglas fir tree.

Checkpoint: Bent Tree

The tree marks approximately the half way point between the Upper Falls and Triple Falls.

Continue along the trail until you hit the Alec Canyon trail and turn right. The trail will reach a clearing with a bench to sit and gaze from Manzanita Point.

Checkpoint: Manzanita Point

Continue down the Contour trail until you hit a signed Y intersection. The right side will take you to Triple Falls.

Checkpoint: Triple Falls

At the time of this writing, the last 100ft of the trail suffered from severe erosion and, while passable, required delicate footwork to reach the base of the falls.

From here, return along the same route. When you hit the intersection with the Contour Trail, remain on the Alec Canyon Trail to return back to the entrance.

Bonus: Lower Falls

Once you return to the parking lot, you can take enter the Black Oak Group Area and begin the Swanson Creek trail. It takes you through a wonderful shaded trail that ends up at the intersection of the Uvas and Swanson Creek.

Here, Swanson Creek makes its final waterfall into a small pool that merges with Uvas creek.

Other Waterfall Hikes

Love hiking next to the constant rustle of flowing water and churning waterfalls? Try Berry Creek falls and the Golden cascades in Big Basin. Or Alamere Falls in Point Reyes.

Wildflowers and Flora

The post Uvas Canyon County Park – Contour Trail appeared first on East Bay Wild!.

Note that the Big Basin brochure labels this hike as strenuous. While it’s certainly long and has a couple of narrow spots, it’s not too bad and would rank as easier than Mission Peak.

Note: The iPhone GPS seems to have had some issues recording. Ignore those 0ft elevation dips on the gps track ? 

Essential Info on Big Basin Waterfalls

Length: 10mi
Elevation Gain: ~2400ft
Difficulty: Moderate (due to length, some incline)
Time: 6hrs
Fees: $10 (Day Use), $35 (Camping)
Day Use Hours: 6am-sunset
Website: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=540
Map

Getting There

Despite being in the vicinity of San Jose, it still takes about 1hr from Saratoga Ave due to the narrow windy roads. From the East Bay, plan for about 2 hrs.

The simplest way to get there from the East Bay is to take 680S till it passes 101 and becomes 280N. Exit Saratoga Ave and proceed southwest (turn left if coming from 280N) towards Saratoga. From here, over a span of 15mi you’ll pass a variety of landmarks including the Westgate shopping center, West Valley College, downtown Saratoga, the Mountain Winery and the Hakone Gardens.

You’ll hit a four way stop at Saratoga Gap and another at the Highway 9/236 split. Go straight through both of these. The road will eventually narrow on Highway 236 (Big Basin Way) as you approach the state park. You’ll eventually pass through the visitor center on the left and the parking lot on the right.

The Trail

On some friendly advise from the visitor’s center, we did this popular hike clockwise. We went first to Skyline trail, to the Berry Creek Falls trail, and then returned on the Sunset trail

Checkpoint: Visitor’s Center

The visitor’s center is where you’ll park, pay the day use fee, and get a trail map. There’s also no bathrooms along the trail so it’s generally a good pitstop after a long drive.

From here, find the Skyline trailhead just behind the main parking.

Checkpoint: Detours

During our hike, we encountered a detour in the Skyline trail, likely due to trail damage from the previous season. The detour is short, proceeding up Middle Ridge Road, making a left onto the Sunset trail, and then taking the Skyline connector to get back onto the Skyline trail. Note that the connector trail is the starting point of the loop; you’ll come back to this point from the other direction along the Sunset trail.

From here, enjoy the serene walk along Kelly Creek.

Checkpoint: Logjam (Timm’s Creek Trail)

Timm’s Creek Trail was closed as we passed by, likely due to more prior season storm damage. Remnants of last year’s massive rains can be seen along the creek in the huge pile up of downed trees.

Proceed along Skyline trail to the junction with Berry Creek Falls Trail.

Checkpoint: Berry Creek Falls

Just after the Skyline trail junction, you’ll come upon the craggy cliff of Berry Creek Falls. There’s a large seating area situated with a great viewing angle that’s a great place for lunch or a lingering snack.

The trail continues up to the top of the falls and along West Berry Creek to Silver Falls.

Checkpoint: Silver Falls

Silver Falls, though smaller than the Berry Creek Falls, is no less majestic.

Moving up the trail, you’ll walk by a narrow section past the top of Silver Falls before arriving at the lower Golden Cascade.

Golden Cascades

The Golden cascades are a series of steep descents where waters of West Berry Creek rush over golden colored shale rock. Because we’re doing the hike clockwise, we encounter the cascades in the reverse order.

The third cascade is a mini waterfall which drops about 10 feet into a pool of water.

The second cascade, forms a stair-step type pattern for water to trickle down.

And the first cascade is a relatively smooth one, allowing a glistening sheet of water to pass.

Return Hike

The return trip will take you on a quick ascent above the redwood tree lines with surrounding knobcone pines, and slick sandstone ground.

While on the return trip, take your time to enjoy the various flora and fauna of Big Basin!

The post Big Basin Waterfalls – Berry Creek Trail appeared first on East Bay Wild!.

Situated just by Highway 84 and a slew of office parks, Coyote Hills is an easily accessible get away. The Red Hill trail is a trail that runs along the bulk of the “Coyote Hills”, peaking at Red Hill and eventually terminating at the Alameda Creek Trail. It’s a steep hike that provides excellent views over the bay.

If you’re looking for a longer day, Coyote Hills also acts as a gateway to the Don Edwards refuge to the south and the Alameda Creek trails to the north. It’s even trails and proximity to urban areas makes it a popular spot for trail running.

Coyote Hills Red Hill Trail Essential Info

Length: 1.5mi
Time: 1.5hrs

Difficulty: Moderate (steep/narrow sections)

Address: 8000 Patterson Ranch Rd, Fremont, CA 94555
Hours: 8am – sunset
Entry fee: $5 per vehicle
Dogs allowed on non-marsh trails. Bikes allowed on major trails.

Website: East Bay Parks

Getting There

From highway 84 east, exit Ardenwood. Follow the road to commercial drive and turn left. You’ll pass a parking lot on the left which is free (and gets full fast!). Go through the entry gate and turn left and into the Quarry Staging Area. If you’ve arrived at the visitor’s center you’ve gone too far!

The Trail

This short, introductory version of the Red Hill trail starts with a gradual ascent on the southern side, taking you past the South Marsh and the salt ponds. It’ll peak with a steep ascent just shy of Red Hill and then return via the Glider Hill trail, down past the visitor center and the Main Marsh. As can be seen in the map, the many intersecting trails allow you to customize your experience and length of your hike.

Starting at the Quarry Staging parking lot, take the paved trail towards the South Marsh. You’ll pass the Dairy Glen camping area on your right taking the short spur closer to the marsh.

Checkpoint: South Marsh

The trail arrives at a crossroads with the Meadowlark Trail. Make a right towards the Bay View Trail. At the first intersection, veer right to the Red Hill trail which will begin a zig-zag ascent up the first hill.

Checkpoint: Salt Ponds

After ascending the first hill, you’ll get a great view of the Dumbarton bridge and former Cargill salt ponds.

With the levees broken to allow bay waters to naturally circulate, the salt ponds have begun to attract migrating birds who use the San Francisco Bay as a rest stop along their migratory routes.

From the salt pond view, the trail will begin to run directly along the ridge-line, following the ups and downs of the hills.

Along the peaks, small outcrops provide an exploratory break.

Checkpoint: Glider Hill Trail

After descending down the first peak, veer right to take Glider Hill Trail down to the visitor center. Alternatively, if you’ve got the energy, continue along Red Hill trail to the vista atop Red Hill.

Glider Hill trail will zig zag down the hillside and take you directly to the visitor’s center.

To return to the Quarry Staging area, cross Patterson Ranch road road and take the Bayview trail east, away from the bay. Here you’ll pass the Main Marsh before arriving back at the parking lot.

Checkpoint: Main Marsh

Alternatives

• Bayview Trail
  • Easy hike around the Coyote Hills, closer to the water level
• Alameda Creek Trail
  • Explore one of the major river outlets of the south San Francisco Bay
• Chochenyo Trail
  • Explore the Main Marsh

The post Coyote hills – Red Hill Trail appeared first on East Bay Wild!.

Ardenwood Historic Farm Essential Info

Address

34600 Ardenwood Blvd, Fremont, CA 94555
Phone: (510) 544-2797

Hours

Tu-Sun: 10:00am-4:00pm

Website

East Bay Regional Parks

Fees and Rules

Tu, Wed, Sat: $3 adults, $3 seniors (62+), $2 children
Thurs, Fri, Sun: $6 adults, $5 seniors (62+), $4 children
Special events cost extra, check their website or call.

No dogs, bikes, field sports, or BBQs permitted.

About

Developed by the gold rush prospector turned farmer George Washington Patterson, the Ardenwood Historic Farm continues to supply the Bay Area residents with fresh farmed produce.

Train

A short, horse drawn, train ride available from the Arden station to Deer Park Station (a couple hundred feet apart), offer a historic view into the times when railroad was the common mode of transport.

Animals

Animals vary throughout the year with chickens, rabbits, sheep, goats, cows and peacocks (!) being amongst those available on the premises.

Patterson House

The Patterson House, built in 1857 is a great example of Victorian architecture with an additional Queens Anne addition constructed in 1889. Supporting structures like the milk and cook houses also exist nearby.

Farm

Ardenwood is still a working farm selling fresh produce at the Newpark Mall or Pleasanton Farmer’s market. Sadly, the produce stand at the entrance has been closed for 2017.

Ardenwood Historic Farm Events

The farm supports a variety of group events throughout the year: from naturalist guided tours to sheep shearing and good ‘ol music and games. Check the East Bay Regional Parks site for the most recent calendar.

The post Ardenwood Historic Farm – A Casual Time with the Family appeared first on East Bay Wild!.