The mission of East Bay Trails.com is to showcase trails and nature in the San Francisco East Bay and around the world. I believe the path to health and wellness lies in exploring nature, especially through hiking. Through photography, video, news and information, my goal is to share what I've seen so that people become motivated to explore nature, and through that effort, become healthier.
Located on the pennisula, Portola Redwoods State Park features old growth and second growth redwoods. There are numerous creeks, even in late summer, and you'll see abundant ferns and shade loving plants along the trails.
You can pick up a map at the visitor center, and expect to pay $10 for parking.
I took an out and back 2 mile hike on the Oursan Trail, a wide fire road type trail located along the shore of the Briones Reservoir. Much of this hike offers vistas of the reservoir. There are a couple of ways to approach this trail. You can start at the Bear Creek staging area, Hampton staging area, or the Overlook staging area, and take an out and back approach. Or you can choose one staging area and hike the loop. From the map, it appears that the whole loop is 12.7 miles, excluding Hampton Trail, which would add another .6 miles. You'll see a lot of wildlife along this trail, including hawks, water birds, rabbit, deer, and the occasional snake. On my hike, the total elevation change was 991 feet. You'll have a few nice hills to climb or run, but otherwise, it's a peaceful and refreshing hike. If you visit in the early morning, you may see a beautiful mist rising over the water. Overall, it's a combination of canopy and open trail, and on the part I visited, the trail was wide and uncluttered.
Location: Bear Creek Staging Area
Route: Starting out at the Bear Creek staging area, I travelled west on the Oursan Trail, travelled 2 miles, and returned via the same route.
Shell Ridge Open Space is a widely used area, where you'll often see people with dogs, group hikers, trail runners and bikers. In the video below, you'll see that this area has a fair share of benches in nice locations, so you'll have a chance to rest and enjoy some great views. There are no trail maps located at the staging area, but you can find a map on the Walnut Creek Open Space page.
Location: Staging area is at the end of Sutherland Drive in Walnut Creek. Small parking lot, but no bathrooms or water.
Trails Featured: Fossil Hill Trail, Briones/Mt. Diablo Trail, Ginder Gap Loop Trail, Ridge Top Trail
Route: Start at the staging area at the end of Sutherland Drive. Follow Fossil Hill Trail to your right. Take a right on to Briones/Mt. Diablo Trail. At .97 miles, you'll see a sign that shows Coral Spring Trail and Briones/Mt. Diablo trail. Keep left here, and don't continue on the Briones/Mt. Diablo Trail to your right. The trail map has this trail listed as Ginder Gap Loop Trail, so it's a bit confusing. At least there was a guide to show me the way:
Soon, you'll take a left on to Ridge Trail (1.18 miles), which offers great views of Walnut Creek. When you look at the trail map, you'll notice that the Ridge Trail splits and reconnects a few times with some side trails. Take what you prefer, and when you get to the Water Tower, don't go down the road. Go past the tower and reconnect with the Ridge Trail on the other side (2.1 miles).
At the bottom of the ridge trail, take the Briones/Mt. Diablo Trail again. You'll follow that until you get to an unmarked split at 2.62 miles. Take the split to the right, which is the Fossil Hill Trail. You'll pass some big rocks, nice oaks and a comfortable bench under an Oak tree. Your hike is almost over, so break here if you want to. Keep on the Fossil Hill Trail until you get back to the staging area. Depending on which Ridge Trail splits you take, you're overall mileage may vary. Don't forget to print out the map before you get there.
This video follows the hike from start to finish, but read below for details.
Notes:
Round Valley Regional Preserve is a nice, secluded place with beautiful clusters of oaks and a wide variety of grasses, including rye, wild oats, foxtail chess, and wild barley. This was once home to California Indians, and evidence of their past activity has been found in several areas at the preserve.
I took a loop hike, which included only two trails, the Miwok and the Hardy Canyon Trail. Along the route you may see rabbits (Audubon or desert cottontail), hawks, golden eagles and certainly some ground squirrel, which are food for the raptors. In the rainy season, you'll see some nice streams and ponds, which are home to red-legged frogs, western toads, western pond turtles and Pacific tree frogs. You'll pass through oak woodland, with pockets of blue, valley, coast and interior live and black oaks. In my first visit, the buckeye was flowering, and the during the second visit, was dropping leaves. (The photos below show the flowering buckeye, the video will show their later stage.)
About the hike
Round Valley Regional Preserve feels like it's in the middle of nowhere, but it's well worth the trip. There is a nice parking area with toilets and an information/map board.
Start out on the Miwok trail and cross the bridge. You'll go through a cattle gate and start a rolling climb on a wide fire road type trail. On your left you'll see clusters of Oaks, and on your right, you'll see a pleasant vineyard. Be careful to avoid the horse poop and ruts on the trail left by cattle and horses.
You'll see some random trails shooting off Miwok, but I stayed on the main trail.
At .6, Cross a little cement bridge
At .72 Cross another cement bridge
At 1.14 Cross another Cement Bridge
At 1.28 Cross a heavier bridge
1.39 Stream on right is loaded with boulders. Seeing Oaks, boulders and grasses with patches of canopy
1.49 Take a Left on to Hardy Canyon Trail
Hardy Canyon Trail is a climb as you start up. To the right is a nice valley, to the left is an Oak studded hillside.
Hardy Canyon Trail is a narrow, single track trail. I saw squirrels and rabbits, and the valley below is beautiful...Hardy Canyon Trail will give you a nice, heart pounding climb. I saw a few runners coming down the trail, but I was the only one going up. This must be the hard direction!
2.35 on Hardy Canyon, almost all uphill, moderately steep
2.71 Trail here is in pretty bad shape, on right is a gulley, on left the dirt is rutted, but footing is precarious, but doable
2.97 Pond on right
3.25 Clusters of Buckeyes
3.83 Trail splits - take the trail to your left. The last time I was there, someone had blocked the trail on the right with a few logs. I think it goes past the ranch, but keep to the trail on your left.
Continue on through a few more forests of oak, and pass through another cattle gate.
4.66, cross back over the bridge to the parking area.
Old San Pablo Trail is part of the East Bay Mud North Watershed (map here), and is a beautiful, mostly canopied trail. You'll need a permit for this trail, which you can get here. This is an "out and back" route, perfect for a run or peaceful hike.
Saturday, September 24, 2011 at 4:45PM 
