Urban Trails East Bay. Alexandra Kenin

      INTRODUCTION

      THE BAY AREA IS AN AMAZING PLACE to call home. The winning combination of a moderate climate, ample sunshine, and stunning natural beauty make it the perfect place to get outside. While there are numerous world-class wilderness areas within a few hours’ drive, it’s not realistic to spend every weekend in Yosemite or Pinnacles National Parks. Sometimes it’s nice to experience the outdoors right outside your front door, without a long drive, and maybe even using public transit.

      When parks and trails are closer to where you live, you’re more likely to use them, whether for a weekend outing or a stroll at the end of a long workday. But to use them, you need to know where they are. The forty trails featured in this guide are designed to help you discover a variety of urban and natural areas throughout this unique region. And there is so much to see and do here; as of this writing, the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) manages 73 parks, more than 1250 miles of trails, and nearly 125,000 acres in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. The East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) manages around 29,000 acres of open space and 90 miles of trails. And that doesn’t even include all the other city, state, and nationally owned and operated parks scattered throughout the East Bay’s cities and towns.

      The trails described in this guide extend as far north as Richmond, as far south as Fremont, and as far east as Mount Diablo, and they cover many places in between such as Oakland, Berkeley, Dublin, Pleasanton, and more. Within and around these cities and towns, you can enjoy everything from regional parks to a national wilderness area to city parks and stairway walks. You’ll walk among redwoods, along bayside shores, and up to high peaks with views of the whole region. And all of these experiences are accessible via an AC Transit bus ride, BART train ride, or short drive.

      The routes are distributed throughout the region on purpose, so that if you’re an East Bay resident, wherever you live, there’s a trail (or several) near you. If you’re a San Francisco resident, you can get to most of these trails in less than an hour. And if you’re visiting the area, you’ll get to see just how diverse and interesting the East Bay is.

      While Urban Trails: East Bay can easily be used on its own, it makes a great companion guide to Urban Trails: San Francisco, also published by Mountaineers Books; together the two books can help you discover outdoor opportunities on both sides of San Francisco Bay. There is always more to do and to see, so get out there and enjoy it. Happy hiking and happy trails!

       GETTING TO KNOW THE EAST BAY

      Before venturing out on these routes, it’s helpful to learn a little more about this region and its hiking culture. The sections below will help you become a more informed hiker before you hit the trails.

       CLIMATE AND WEATHER

      The East Bay has a pleasant Mediterranean climate, and while there is some slight variation from year to year, the area’s annual weather patterns impact hiking conditions in a predictable way. For certain hikes, I note the best times of year to hike—and also when not to hike.

      Winter is the area’s rainy season, and trails can be very muddy. This mud can range from a mild, slippery annoyance to a thick, sticky muck that is hard to navigate. And while it may seem obvious, winter can be cool, and you may get chilly on some hikes, especially those at higher elevations, so come prepared with appropriate clothing and layers. It also gets dark very early in the depths of winter, which may make completing longer routes during daylight hours challenging. One hike that’s best in winter is Mount Diablo Falls (Hike 39) as its seasonal waterfalls are at their most impressive in winter (or early spring) after a good rain.

      Spring is a great time to hike in the East Bay. The rain begins to taper off, but the grasslands you see in