The East Bay's Best Hikes

This trail is one of the only Skyline Blvd trails that is quiet on the weekends. No dogs, bikes, horses, or joggers. Just people who want to see some nature.
Instead of a wide dirt path, you’ll be treated to a narrow single-track that is shaded all year long.
The total loop distance is only 1.7 miles, but that small distance can take a long time when you try to take in all the different plant life.
Time your trip to sample the trail’s namesake by going in the summer and early fall.

Get lost in shaggy-barked trees that grow well over 100 feet tall and get back in time for the Giants game. The Redwood Regional Park lives up to its name.
A nice five mile loop will take you through the trees, over the hill, past grandma’s house, near a picnic area and finally back to your car.
The park gets busy on the weekends, but the price of sharing the trail is easily made up for when you get to the Oakland and San Francisco vista.

Hordes of complaints have been left on this trail by the unsuspecting day-hiker. But come on, the trail has PEAK in its title. What did you expect?
The elevation gained is 2,000 feet over this sub seven mile hike. But the views gained are amazing.
At the summit you’ll get to drink in a 360 view of the South Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains, Peninsula, San Francisco, and sometimes the peaks of the Sierra Nevada.
As bonus to your downhill trip, before hanging a left at the Ohlone Wilderness Trail, stay straight to reach the hang glider launch. While hang gliding is not something I see myself participating in, I love watching other people fling themselves off the cliff and somehow soar upwards.

Up front, this is a tough hike. The best way to describe the Las Trampas Wilderness is to say that All Trails Go Up.
You’ll battle a lot of hills and (depending on the weather’s mood) wind. But getting past those opens the trail up to amazing views. From the Bay to Mount Diablo, you can see for miles up here.
Once you’ve crested Rocky Ridge, be on the lookout for Devil’s Hole (also be on the lookout for poison oak). One of the best parts of Devil’s Hole is looking for the clam shells embedded in the rock walls. I bet this trail would be a lot less windy if it was still underwater.

Hiking in Sunol feels like a different world than any other Bay Area hikes. If you make it out in the early morning on a foggy fall day you can almost forget your stateside and instead pretend the giant rock outcrops, large grass fields and misty fog is coming up from an Irish sea. It may sound cheesy, but it is an amazing sight.
The loop is around six miles with A LOT of hills. Be ready for some quad killers.
My favorite thing to do is to hike down into the falls at Little Yosemite and hop along the boulders. The dog likes to play in the pools, while I take a break on the rocks.
The last time I was out in Sunol a bobcat came slinking up a side trail. Pretty awesome to see.