I've ventured to many of the East Bay parks with this group. Love exploring the miles and miles of…read moretrails. Sometimes it's green, lush, and hilly and other times we're surrounded by redwoods or marshes. Very friendly group. Hike at your own pace, but usually you find someone else that hikes the same pace as you do. Such a great way to get the heart rate going and to keep in shape.

Awesome casual hiking group. I find the pace is quite rigorous. The idea is to just fall in with…read morepeople who go your speed. The leader does not "wait" for people. Make sure you get a trail map and then start with group. Most people finish at different times. Lovely people. Love this group!

This Trail is part of the Briones East Bay Park. You can start this Trail at the Reliez Valley…read moretrailhead. At the beginning it's sort of a narrow mildly steep route. There is lots of parking at the trailhead.

After parking at the Reliez Valley Staging Area, begin your hike up the Blue Oak Trail. The single…read moretrack to the right of the fire road offers bypassing the steepest fire road sections, but you need to watch out for its cow pies. After a mile, Blue Oak Shortcut appears ahead. It's a steep, single track, uphill push, next to a creek which in a dry December, only showed water near the top of the trail. Well shaded. Crosses the creek at culveted places twice before meeting up with Spengler Trail at the top of its .29 length. Pretty!

I went on their August Cabo trip; let me just say coolest group of people ever! Ty and Tovah…read moreactually got in touch with me before the trip when they were in San Diego visiting and I met them for brunch. I got along with them famously. I didn't know anyone going on the trip except for having met the owners in advance but was very impressed by how nice and personable everyone was. Ty and Josh; the leads of the trip made sure everyone was taken care of. The resort we stayed in was the best I've ever been to with quality food and completely remodeled rooms; a super modern/urban/eco feel to the place. The workouts were diverse ranging from beach WOD's to a competition with the local crossfit gym. We also went stand up paddleboarding. Ty and Josh helped me modify all the workouts as I unfortunately had a shoulder injury before I arrived. I would highly recommend to anyone who wants a fun, fitness-oriented trip to checkout Destino Retreats!

I attended a retreat in Scottsdale. It was fabulous. It was the perfect mix of sweat and…read morerelaxation. The accommodations were lovely. The food was delicious. (I don't follow the paleo diet, but I probably could after dining that way for a week) Ty and Tovah are consummate hosts. Ty's training and coaching helped me get my muscle up back, something I lost months ago. Tovah captured the whole vacation in photos and videos. Not only did we spend time in gyms, we spent time running up mountains, which I love. The level of activity was perfect. I was able to do the work I needed to do in between things, which is essential for me, since I work for myself. I will attend another retreat for sure.

This place has such an amazing view! It's a great place to go for a quick reset! If you are…read morevisiting or exploring Pleasant Hill, it's a must see! Be prepared for a short hike to get to the view, and I wouldn't go if it's raining.

Only for hiking. No park, no bathroom, just dirt paths…read moreThought it was somewhere my grandchildren would be able to enjoy.

We came here a couple weeks ago after a story time at the library, as luck would have it, 4H was…read moreonsite. The young man was so kind to my toddler, he not only explained to her what he was doing, he let her feed some of the animals. My little was over the moon and keeps telling me how she wants to go feed animals again.

A local favorite! Old Borges Ranch is a peaceful step back in time hidden right in the Northgate…read morearea. It's well-known for being a great educational spot for kids to interact with farm animals like rabbits and goats, but don't stop at the ranch fences. The spring hiking here is incredible. The hills turn a vibrant green, and the atmosphere is so serene that it's just you, the birds, and the occasional cow. The trek through the different ecosystems is beautiful, and the panoramic views at the top are worth every step. A perfect escape for anyone looking to trade the city sounds for rolling hills and fresh air.

It was good to find a new trail, at least new for me since it's been open to the public since 2010…read more As part of the John Muir Land Trust (and not East Bay Regional Parks), the trail is just south of Highway 4 between Hercules and Martinez, definitely an isolated area of grassy hills with the added challenge of Highway 4 speed demons who believe the speed limit doesn't apply to them. Heading east, I had to slow down to take a minor exit onto Christie Road. The trailhead is only 0.7 miles down a paved road, though the parking lot itself is on gravel. There's a restroom and a suspension bridge they built as the starting point of the hike. I followed the Windmill Trail and failed to see the windmill. I did see the old dairy farm and a herd of cows who had little interest in my presence. The trail climbs a bit to a locked gate protecting the Pinole Valley Watershed. That was my cue to follow the woodsy Woodrat Trail and then the Whipsnake Trail for the elevated views. Luckily I didn't run into either woodrats nor whipsnakes, but I did see young deer jumping in a large meadow next to the concluding Black Phoebe Trail. The entire loop was less than four miles but still a reasonable workout if you need the steps RELATED - Up for a hike? Here's a collection of trails I've walked and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2OrC8nU

I am not a local around here but my in-laws are. I needed to find a nice decent trail to hike in…read morefor my weekend hikes. I did the 'Black Phoebe to a Windmill Trail' loop which was only four miles and around 680ft. Make sure to go clock wise on the loop. I would consider this an easy trail; zigzag trails to higher elevation so it's good for beginners and kids. On 'AllTrails' app they considered this a moderate trail. Plenty of shade for those hot summers. Nice loose dirt but not good once winter hits and it rains. Some horse poops, some cows and their poops and was dry when we hiked. This place has a good amount of private car parking and a place to have a day picnic. There is no garbage cans or water access so bring your own. There is two other longer trails in this ranch so I will be back when I get a chance. Definitely, a nice trail to come to for a nice hike. [62/100]

Beautiful walk in the middle of the city. Can cut through from downtown to other areas of town.read more

I've been Yelp friends with Jennifer N for years. She an avid traveler and hikes everywhere…read more Me? The Four Seasons is how I camp. So when I look for a trail to walk about, I turned to Jennifer's reviews. Creek Walk is perfect for me. Flat, paved, sometimes shaded, and actually quite beautiful. A good mix of the great outdoors and suburbia. The walk has helpful signage and virtually impossible to get lost. While I'm not big on ruffing The Great Outdoors, Jennifer and I share the the same obsession going to the gym. According to check-ins, she's got to be the Duchess of every 24 Hour Fitness in Contra Costa County! 5 stars for my Yelp pal!

We had our wedding here 11/10. From start to finish, the staff were wonderful to work with. The…read moreevent rental coordinator Alissa was fantastic every step of the way - super responsive, kind and helpful. The day-of staff did a great job setting up and were so nice to us and helpful with anything we needed. Everything went so smoothly from start to finish. It was all easy to coordinate. The venue itself is really pretty and the wedding ceremony on the deck was beautiful. The price is definitely better than other designated wedding venues in the area. I'd absolutely consider having another event here in the future. I had an amazing experience here and would definitely recommend it!

Can't say enough nice things about the staff and the center. Christa and her team were amazing, so…read moreresponsive, so helpful. All the compliments you can think of, they deserve 100 times over.