The Bay Trail, which runs all over the Bay, is always a good choice!! This stretch through Oakland, in the Jack London Square area, runs right next to the water. It will take you as far north to Emeryville, Berkeley, and beyond. Gets windy here in the evening, but on clear days you can get some nice views. I had a nice, after dinner stroll here!! read more

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Um. This is why I moved to the Bay Area. For me, this trail exemplifies why we pay those high rent prices and work those stressful jobs. To enjoy the beauty that surrounds us. Wow, I'm gettin' real corny, eh?! The Bay Trail is 500 Miles - 47 Cities - 9 Counties long and encompasses the North, East & South Bays and SF proper. Whether you bike, walk, skate or just sit, do expect beautiful views of the Bay. I didn't realize the extent of it myself until I clicked on the website and I'll be damned, this trail is LEGIT. I myself have done from about San Leandro/Alameda thru to Emeryville and man, oh man what a great bike ride. Are some parts a bit sketchy, closed and/or unmarked? Yep, (that Emeryville area is a bit wonky), but you can pick up a free map (and a t-shirt) at any of the parks offices and really follow along to get you back en route. A few more bonuses: along the route you can find some public bathrooms and water fountains (SCORE), and there are a TON of picnic benches in some parts. Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Yep, Yelp app to find some sammies and boom - picnic! The trail does go through multiple parks (at least on the East Bay side) where parking is available, just an FYI. Exercise, beautiful views and landscapes while enjoying the world outside is how I like to spend my free time. If you do as well, go ahead peep their website and I'll see ya on the trail! read more

Bay Trail - Parks Near Me - Oakland, California

Technically, this trail's name is SF Bay Trail... it does not at all originate in Berkeley, and hence why I view this entry so quizzically. Everyone and his pooch(es) is out and about, filling up gorgeous Point Isabel Park today! Amidst the strong wind, there they all are, enjoying the park, off-leash. Just biked back home from Costco (shoulda worn that windbreaker) and outside of trying to not get blown off, truly enjoyed the views of dog+man fellowship (soo cute, the doggies that were swimming in the creek, just their heads out of water, bobbing up/down), Brooks Island, the birding wetlands, the rustic, broken wooden bridge, everyone out getting some bit of exercise for the afternoon. Baby blue skies and fresh air....time to tuck into my homecooked pesto scallops/tilapia with shallots and green beans! read more

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I'm trying to imagine why there are so few reviews. There was a Bay Trail before there were lots of other very popular places and items. My 5 stars relate to the part of the trail accessible from my home in Albany. I used to run 8 to 10 miles of it daily from year 2000 to November 2006. I'd include Tilden Park if I wanted to get ready for a marathon or other long trail race. For my birthday in November 2006, I decided to take up more tai ji and then cycling in place of running to heal up all of my joints, especially ankle joint. Now I know that I've been healing my back, hips, knees and so much else. I have a pretty nice cyclocross bike that makes the Bay Trail accessible from Emeryville all the way up through Berkeley, Albany, and Richmond on out to Point Richmond if I add in some Cutting Blvd on the north end of the ride. My friends at Grizzly Peak Cyclists gave me the lesson to take it that far in order to enjoy that sleepy little town Point Richmond. I agree with Ligaya T. that the Bay Trail is one of the most beautiful places to be during any dry day. I happen to live on Albany Hill. So it's my quick go to place. If I lived up the hills above the Marin Circle, then I'd be more likely to ride up into Tilden Park and drop down into the Canyon then up to Inspiration point via the trail by the Meadow. I do that any way on a really sunny Saturday or Sunday. I just don't much care for the mean streets of Albany and Berkeley that I have to traverse to get to Tilden Park from Albany Hill. Glad to live near the Bay Trail as this is generally all the refreshment that I need for a day's worth of outdoor exercise. read more

Bay Trail - L to R: me, Monica, Fitz. Bay Trail just west of Point Isabelle. - Parks Near Me - Oakland, California

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Once complete, this project aims to provide a 500 mile trail around the entire SF Bay Area. It would reach as far north as Napa / Petaluma and down south to Redwood Shores / Newark. On a day off from work, I biked from Albany to Richmond (to Miller Knox Regional Park) and 80% of it was along the Bay Trail. The Bay Trail has placards throughout the ride detailing the project as well as a map of your current location. Also on this stretch they've done a great job with signs along roads telling you where to go and how to follow the trail. The stretch from Emeryville to Richmond is a fairly easy ride if you don't count the headwind and a few occasional big hills. I ended up taking a wrong turn and climbed an 11% grade hill ... (so kindly marked as a warning for trucks). Aside from that climb that nearly collapsed my lung, the rest of the ride was awesome with views that can't be beat. read more

Love this place! Last Sunday was my first time here and so glad that I came! I started the trail by San Leandro, which also has a dog park. My pooch entered the park prior to starting our run. He had a lot of fun sniffing butts but probably not as much fun as during the run.After 1-1.5 mile in, the trail becomes quite deserted so Poochy was able to go off leash and explore. He usually afraid of water, but he did venture out to the sea a bit. The trail was well kept and not too hilly. It does get a bit smelly but I suppose that's bc we had passed by a treatment facility. The Bay Trail is great for a weekend stroll...you'll see us every Sunday! read more

Let's keep it real here; we live here because the Bay Area is one of the most beautiful places on earth. And one of the things I'm most thankful for living in this neo-hippie mecca of Berkeley is the easy access to the Bay Trail. The concept is mind-boggling: a well-maintained, paved trail that jogs over 200 miles of shoreline. Oh yes, the ocean, ever the main attraction! As you can imagine, it draws all ages of sports enthusiasts on all sorts of wheels and apparatuses. I'll be the first to admit, there's a certain satisfaction taking in the incredible views while whizzing by the I-80 traffic. For a quick afternoon excursion, zip down University Ave and onto the dedicated bike/ped bridge. You'll get a good view of all the wind and kite surfers in the marina. To the left, Emeryville and to the right Albany and Richmond. Head north for a quick seafoody bite at Seabreeze, then off to continue your adventure! I never tire of the feeling of the rays warming my skin, hair whipping around in the wind. I have at least one moment every ride when laughter just wells up in my throat. And the sunsets with a silhouette of the city skyline? Just devastating. read more

#66 I absolutely LOVE this trail, not sure why it took me such a long time to write my review. This trail begins really close to my home so I can just run over through the streets and then I am on the trail replete with scenery, other runners, bikers and kids and dogs running around. The trail is wide enough that the runners do not get in the way of the cyclists and the cyclists do not get in the way of the runners. I have seen the doggie bags for those who walk their pets here and witnessed tons of kite flyers as well. I ran this trail 6 days a week for one year getting ready for the women's Nike Marathon in the city. Great training area. I run the trail mostly during the day and watch the boats, the people, the dogs and kids playing. It is very soothing during a long run. Not too long ago I ran a bit later in the evening and was able to view a spectacular sunset. It definitely gave me that extra push needed to complete my training. What a beautiful running trail--or whatever you do to enjoy the great outdoors in our beautiful city. Stephani Smiles for the Bay Trail ;) read more

Parts of this path are AMAZING!! I had a 16 mile run to do for training and the views of the coast, sailboats, and bridges near Emeryville were gorgeous. It's definitely the most scenic run I've had on the west coast yet. I had to stop soooo many times to take pictures!! The run was flat and relaxing, and on Saturday from 10 am to 1 pm ish there were a good number of people (enough to feel safe but not too many that the path was obstructed). CAUTION!!!: -there was a section of the path about 4 miles north of Emeryville that was next to the highway. The pathway was pretty deserted in this area and I felt a tad unsafe.. definitely made me run faster -up north I followed the path behind the sewer plant near the Costco and ended up in a SUPER SUPER SUPER crowded dog park. I almost stepped on a few chihuahuas... accidentally of course!! -If you're running up by Golden Gate Field BE CAREFUL!!!!!!!!! SCARY AREA!! I followed the path and ended up in a dog path near the shore. This path continues along up a gravel path and there's a HUUUUUGE homeless community on the hill. There's a distinct smell, a bunch of tents, a bunch of trash, and there was even a homeless guy up the path who had his pants down and was wandering around. I got lost in this area and it was pretty scary. I even ran DOWN the hill on the other side to try to leave the area and there were these 10 foot-high statues made from trash lining the shore. It was definitely a huge eye-opener and made me more cautious about where I run (especially as a young female running alone). No one bothered me or seemed threatening, but it's always scary to feel isolated. read more

(I'm assuming this Yelp entry is for the Emeryville to Richmond stretch, as opposed to the whole (non-continuous) network of trails around the bay) This section of the Bay Trail is terrific, for all the reasons above. It's more or less uninterrupted from Emeryville all the way up to Richmond. The Emeryville and Berkeley sections are great. It starts at Powell St. and goes north along the freeway. You can easily detour to the Berkeley Marina or to Berkeley itself via the bike-only bridge. Going north, there's a stretch during which you have to go around Golden Gate Fields and through a big parking lot, but the view from here makes up for the inconvenience. From that point on, it's a dedicated off-street bike trail all the way to Richmond, eventually going away from the freeway and passing through parks, apartment complexes, a WWII memorial, and the Richmond Marina. It ends at a chain-link fence at the southern tip of Marina Way, which you can follow a short way to the Richmond BART station or, if you want to continue along the Bay, head towards Point Richmond. We're lucky to have this trail! read more

For some reason this is listed as a Berkeley thing. Maybe the part I ride, walk, or run on occasional runs through Berkeley, but it's Emeryville to Richmond including Albany and Berkeley. This is the East Bay portion of the Bay Trail. I live in Albany and blast out early to get my miles. Some times I measure my time in five or ten minute intervals when I'm getting ready. Every such interval is a riding or running mile. I sure do want to be under the sky and in view of water, birds, green, tidal inlets, marsh, sun when it happens and other people. It's my daytime work out, fun, meditation, when the weather is anything short of full-on stormy. Even then, I once prepped for a marathon ... needed the long run. On one run, I saw sunny weather, rain, drizzle and even hail after sun set. Running partners were actually jealous of "exciting" weather. Gotta love those kinds of friends. I try to avoid street crossings. One of the best to avoid is at Central Avenue. Stay on the westward loop there. It goes out to the Bay shore then along the south edge of the Point Isabelle dog run. There's no way to avoid a bit of street travel between Buchanan and Gilman. Got to go down to the Albany beach, across the Great Plain like parking lot to the short, steep hill behind the Golden Gate race track, then down to the road along the Bay to the soccer fields at Gilman. Great place for a bio stop, nice porta-potties. Next port-a-potty is at Cesar Chavez if you hang a right at University. The northern route up north (or is it west) of Point Isabelle is my favorite. I love the wild marshlands and shore birds. Then around the housing development to the park for the next bio-stop. Going beyond the Richmond Marina, you get to a little restaurant and also a store around the back of it for beverages and snacks. Pick up the streets, go north over to Cutting Blvd and then westward out Cutting to sleepy Point Richmond. A favorite for lunch and slow touring on the bike. There's a whole variety of ways to enjoy the Bay Trail. Gotta get out there every day. read more

I've been on various parts of the Bay Trail: Emeryville, Berkeley, Albany, and Richmond. But never in a continuous path. There are some parts that I refuse to do since they're so close to the freeway. But the areas I've been on have been lovely. My husband can run for about 14 miles of a potentially 500-mile trail around the Bay (according to their website). When we go together, we usually do a 3 mile walk after dinner. We've seen hawks and snakes and rabbits and red-throated birds. It's a nice nature sanctuary despite being literally next to the freeway in some places. read more

I've lived here for almost 5 years now, and every day that I passed by this part of the bay, it still captures me every time. Night, day, sunset, foggy, clear, whatever. Its always different. Sometimes it's so breathtaking that I still to this day pull my car over when I'm driving on that little shoulder, just to watch the sunset. I mean it truly is beautiful, it makes me very thankful to be living in the Bay. It's also fun in the middle of the day to watch the wind surfers and sailors putter about. Every once in awhile, you'll see seals swimming around still. This is a great place to relax for a little while. A must see if you live in the Bay Area. read more

I'm taking it a chunk at a time. One day maybe all the chunks in my chain will be complete, if I don't die first. Today: Ferry to Larkspur ride to Sausalito, then ride and ride and then ride the ferry back to SF. Whew, I'm officially dead now. I love the fact that there are all these little killer inclines to tackle, and it's a total surprise, but I'm too distracted by the fab scenery that I fail to notice how out of breath I am. So now that today is done, and I am waiting for the pain to set in, why don't I enter into denial by gettin' crackin on my margaritas? Then tomorrow will be up there in the double whammy index of torture. P.S. I highly recommend Michael Cramer's "Cycline" Cycling guide to this trail, it's the easy-peasy route map with nice little touring tips. read more

I'm holding back a star because I was caught off guard taking the trail from Berkeley to Emeryville and the trail just kind of stops. At an on ramp to the freeway. It took a little navigating to get back to the streets, and I ended up in a strip mall. There were no signs what so ever directing me back to a bike route, and no signs along the way stating that the trail was going to end. The part that ran from Berkeley to Emeryville was really nice, and I am looking forward to the day when there is an uninterrupted trail all the way around the bay. read more

The bay trail makes it for me. You can just coast or really burn along. At dusk or dawn it is just brilliant. I'm going to post some pix from near where I live. You decide... read more

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Had to take the Bay Trail because there was construction on the surface street I was walking on. It was a pleasant diversion to find a hidden trail in the bustling city of San Francisco. We took the stairs up to the woodchip lined trail near a water tower. Once up there we had a decent view of the GGB and there was a historic cannon which made for a good photo shoot with my crew. The trail had a lot of joggers passing through, but not many tourists. After reading some of the other reviews I realized that the trail is MUCH larger than the small portion that we walked. On my next trip to SF I definitely will find a map of the trail and try to experience some of the other areas that it winds through. read more

Bay Trail - GGB peaking out from the trees on the trail - Parks Near Me - Oakland, California

I love the bay trail - it's a great way to get around on bike, skates or on foot - you can avoid the traffic and enjoy the cruise along the bay. It's amazing that you can cover so much territory on this trail - and it often feels like it's not really part of the urban areas adjacent. check out the maps on http://www.baytrail.org/ read more

The last time I went here I was with two friends. They were one of those bike people. The ones that can ride around the Berkeley Hills without a sweat. As for me, I was damn tired after riding the FLAT path of the Bay Trail. Besides the fact that I had to kill myself the whole time to keep up, I loved it. The weather was amazing and riding along the ocean allowed me to daydream and meditate. Minus one star for the narrowness of the trail, which can make it dangerous when crowded. read more

My bad. I went for a run today and this time, went from Berkeley TO Emeryville and what do you know...the trail IS connected afterall! Once you hit the commercial area before Powell Street, you can turn and run alongside the edge of the Bay behind Chevy's. This leads into a wooden boardwalk called "Watergate Boardwalk" or something like that. Keep on going on this boardwalk until it leads you to the SF Bay Trail along the Emeryville Marina! read more

I love that I can review this on Yelp! I've been running along various points of the Bay Trail (from Richmond through Berkeley to Emeryville) for nearly 5 years now, and just when I get bored with it, I remind myself how fortunate I am to have access to it. It's a beautiful and safe way to to train for short or long distances. More water fountains and port-a-potties would be my only request. read more

I start in Emeryville. If you're up for 4 miles or 19; an amazing run with the ocean breeze. Loads of places to park, and a perfectly clean trail. You'll only see other runners, walkers, bikers and maybe a golden retreiver or two. read more

As a bike commuter from Albany to Emeryville, the Bay Trail is a great time saver you can zip thru with just one stop at University Ave. In Berk. you do have to watch out for glass on this section of the path from Gillman St. in Berkeley to Emeryville, I do wish the East Bay Park Dist. would be able to service. On a nice day my commute home from work will sometimes take me out to Pt. Richmond and back to Albany just to enjoy the end of day and get a couple of extra miles in. I do have to say that the only really BAD section of the trail is in my home Town of Albany read more

We're lucky to have this trail! I use the area around Berkeley. This section of the Bay Trail is terrific. Would give it 5 stars if it connected around bay or across Richmond bridge and easily across bay bridge. When this happens it will be excellent. read more

This piece will rate a solid five stars once it's fully connected up, which I understand is on schedule for 2163 CE.

There are some truly spectacular views of the city from the east bay side of the trail--it makes up for the the massive freeway and side road with the gas-belching cars. It's especially nice for biking, and the whole thing explodes into a beautiful display of light and color at sunset. This is a great place to work out! read more

Such a nice and relaxing place to go for a run or a walk. There are benches so you can take in the scenery, baggies for your dog so you can clean it up, and the people I've seen there have been friendly and aren't shy with their hello's. read more

It's such a phenomenal place to run, walk and bike. Makes me glad to be in the bay.

A jewel in a very unexpected place. Follow the signs to Point Isabel in Richmond and you will find a great bike trail that is both family friendly and romantic all at once. The trail wraps around the edge of the bay and is flat as a pancake so it's an easy ride for even those who are athletically challenged (like me!). With the wind (although blustery at times) in our hair and an amazing view of the city, the 8 mile ride to and from the Boilerhouse Restaurant was a cinch! Bring your camera, because the trail is spotted with perfect places to score a photo. For those with pets, the local dog park, complete with grooming center and a cafe for hungry owners, is a bonus too! read more

Very scenic and relaxing. Love taking the grandkids to run and play. There's always a nice water breeze and the hills aren't too steep for these old legs. read more

You've got to go up and down this trail when it's nice out. Take a bike, eat some lunch! Stop and get a smoothie in the middle. Fly a kite.