East Bay Trails. David Weintraub
of leather and synthetic materials, are designed more like running shoes—lightweight, flexible, yet supportive. Some models are lined with Gore-Tex, making them waterproof and breathable. Second only to boots in importance, socks are your next line of defense against sore feet and blisters. Use socks made only of synthetics or wool. Cotton socks retain moisture and will almost certainly give you blisters.
The East Bay climate is, for the most part, benign, so hiking here requires little in the way of specialized clothing. Whatever you wear should be comfortable and offer protection from the sun and hazards such as ticks and poison oak. Lightweight long pants and a long-sleeved shirt, combined with a hat, give the best protection. Avoid cotton: it retains moisture next to your skin and is slow to dry. The biggest challenge is coping with changing conditions. By carrying several layers—a lightweight pile vest and a waterproof/breathable jacket, for example—you can be prepared for sudden changes in the weather, such as wind, fog, and rain. Stashing a pair of lightweight gloves and an insulating headband in your pack is a good idea too.
Other items to take along include plenty of water, snacks, sunglasses, sunscreen, insect repellent, map and compass, flashlight, knife, and basic first-aid supplies. Many hikers use a walking stick, or trekking pole, for stability and comfort. Binoculars, a hand-lens for plant study, and a pad and pencil are also useful. Try leaving your heavy field guides at home and instead make notes and sketches of birds or flowers you wish to identify. Please do not collect plant or flower specimens.
Maps
The East Bay Regional Park District has maps available at its trailheads, by mail, and from its website. A trail map of Mt. Diablo State Park is available at the park’s visitor centers and from the Mt. Diablo Interpretive Association. EBMUD has downloadable maps on its website. A map of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge is available at the refuge visitor center. Walnut Creek Open Space & Trails Division has a downloadable map of Lime Ridge Open Space on its website.
There are two Olmsted maps for the East Bay, available at REI stores. The Northern Section map covers Tilden, Wildcat Canyon, and Briones regional parks, and EBMUD lands around San Pablo, Briones, and Lafayette reservoirs. The Central Section map covers Redwood and Anthony Chabot regional parks, Las Trampas Wilderness, Sibley and Huckleberry regional preserves, and EBMUD lands in the Upper San Leandro reservoir watershed.
Getting to the trailhead requires some navigation too. The California State Automobile Association (CSAA) gives its members free road maps. Most useful for the routes in this book is San Francisco Bay in the California Regional Series. The Thomas Guide’s Metropolitan Bay Area Street Guide and Directory is helpful for driving around the East Bay.
Transit Outdoors is a project of the Bay Area Open Space Council. The following address takes you to a web page devoted to accessing Bay Area parklands by public transit: http://maps.openspacecouncil.org/Outdoors.
Special Hazards
Most of the trails in the East Bay are clearly marked, and anyone with a map and basic map-reading skills will probably not get lost. Still, there are times when you get confused, make a wrong turn, or head off the beaten track to explore and lose your way. If this happens, don’t panic. Backtrack to the last point where you are sure of your position. Use map and compass, if you have them, to establish your position by sighting on identifiable landmarks. Altimeters are very useful if you have a map with elevation lines. A GPS (Global Positioning System) device may also be useful, but only if you have programmed the route in advance. Also, GPS devices vary in their ability to record an accurate position if the view skyward is obstructed.
Poison oak is a common Bay Area plant that comes in three forms—herb, shrub, and vine. Contact with any part of the plant produces an itchy rash in allergic individuals. “Leaflets three, let it be,” is the rule. In fall the shrub’s leaves turn yellow and red, adding color to the woods. In winter, upward-reaching clusters of bare branches identify the plant. Avoid contact with poison oak by staying on the trail and wearing protective clothing. Wash anything that touches poison oak—clothing, pets—in soap and water.
Poison oak is a common trailside plant: Leaflets three, let it be!
Ticks cause a variety of illnesses, but in recent years most attention has been focused on Lyme disease, which is produced by bacteria carried in our area by western black-legged ticks. These tiny insects are almost invisible, and often the victim doesn’t know he or she has been bitten. Sometimes a “bull’s-eye” rash appears, and the victim has flu-like symptoms. The best prevention against tick bites is to wear protective clothing, with pant legs tucked into socks and shirt tucked into pants, and stay on the trail. You can also treat clothing with a spray containing Permethrin, available at outdoor stores. When you return from your trip, shake out and brush all clothing, boots, packs, etc., before bringing them indoors. Shower immediately after hiking and check your body for ticks.
If you find an attached tick, remove it at once with small tweezers by grasping the tick’s head as close to your skin as possible and using a gentle, rotational motion to pull it out. Be careful not to squeeze the tick’s body, as that might cause it to inject bacteria into you. Wash the bite area and apply antiseptic; call your doctor. Latest research indicates that a single dose of doxycycline 200 mg, given within 72 hours of a tick bite, is effective in preventing Lyme disease.
Another animal of concern in the East Bay is the western rattlesnake. Despite their fearsome reputation, rattlesnakes are shy creatures, preferring flight over fight, and they attack only when provoked, either intentionally or accidentally. If you do hear a rattling sound, stand still until you have located the snake, and then back slowly away. Protective clothing and boot material may absorb venom if the snake succeeds in biting. Prevention includes staying on the trail, wearing high-top boots and long pants, and not putting hands or feet anywhere beyond your vision. If you are bitten, seek medical attention as quickly and effortlessly as possible, to avoid spreading the venom.
Mountain lions, though present in the East Bay, are rarely seen. However, sightings have been reported even from parks close to urban areas. These nocturnal hunters feed mostly on deer. If you do encounter a mountain lion, experts advise standing your ground, making loud noises, waving your arms to appear larger, and fighting back if attacked. Above all, never run. Report all mountain lion sightings to park personnel.
Trail Etiquette
The trails of the East Bay are shared by hikers, bicyclists, equestrians, joggers, dog-walkers, parents pushing strollers, and, where paved, in-line skaters. In many parks, cows use them too. Bicyclists can generally ride on all dirt roads that are open for hiking, but are not allowed on single-track trails, with a few exceptions. (Bicycles are not allowed on EBMUD lands.) Most trails open to hiking, including single-track trails, are also open to horses, although some are for hiking only. Hikers who see or hear horseback riders approaching should give them the right of way by stepping off the trail, remaining quiet, and waiting for them to pass. Bicyclists should slow down and call out when approaching people, and dismount when near horses. Whenever possible, if a route described in this guide has a segment closed to bicycles, alternate trails are suggested.
The common injunction to “leave only foot prints, take only photographs” is a good one to follow. Nothing you leave behind improves the environment, and it is easy to pack out your trash (and other people’s too, if you see some on the trail and have room in your pack). Similarly, everything you take, such as plants or wildflowers, detracts from nature’s beauty and other people’s enjoyment of the parks. The practice of cutting switchbacks causes erosion and damage to the trails, and gains you little in terms of time or effort saved.
Leashed dogs are welcome at many East Bay parks. See Appendix 1 for trips that don’t allow dogs.
East Bay parklands are at high risk for fire, especially in the fall when grasses that carpet the