Amazing park. So peaceful and enjoyable to spend the weekend. Easy parking. Clean restrooms.read more

Currently, there is free parking during the week. This week and last week there are summer camps…read morereserving the beach area. There is no swimming right now. My kiddo loves to fish here. I walk the dog around the lake. The path is paved most of the way but along one side it is rocky. If mobility concerns are a thing for you, stick to the paved path.

There's no place in California that will ever equal the beauty and friendliness of this dog park. I…read moredon't know how many acres it is but it's huge and all the dogs are off leash and they all get along. I rarely ever see a dog fight. There's access to the water for the swimming dogs, there's access to mud for the mudders and there is a group of canals that they've incorporated paths so I can do walk around and see the wildlife. The view from here of San Francisco the Bay Bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge you cannot believe it until you're sitting right here looking at it. I love this place and I always plan to have time just to relax before I go back to the car. Needless to say since it is a dog park, the dog comes with us and she's always very happy to have an adventure with us.

We've been Hera handful of times and this park/open area is nice for runners and dog walkers alike…read more If you start at the parking lot with the Cafe, and walk on the pathway across to the bridge and then the point with the single table/look out, it's .90mi. Since it's by the shore, it's usually pretty windy here, so layer up. Dogs also g in the water, so be aware of the open access to the water. There's 2 sets of restrooms, one by the Cafe/grooming area and another by the bridge. We're definitely coming back here with our puppies.

Yep, this is one of the almost dozen rock parks that freckle the Berkeley Hills, but this one…read moredidn't necessitate a passion for rock climbing to enjoy it. Patience, however, helped since the location required winding through narrow residential streets. It's definitely an upward trek albeit on pavement, but the end result was worth. It consisted of an ideal patch of green surrounded by a low rock wall which provides climbing opportunities below for the more adventurous. For the rest of us, there's a nice panoramic view of the bay from the covered terrace. There are several picnic tables if you're looking to hold an outdoor party. I was just looking for steps. RELATED - Exploring Berkeley? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2CbVh8u

A tiny little space nestled in the middle of a residential area in the Berkeley Hills, Cragmont…read morePark pretty much serves one purpose, and one purpose only... rock climbing! I was here two weekends ago for the first time on a Living Social Adventures excursion, which consisted of two hours of rock climbing instruction from the team at Castle Rock Climbing School, and a BBQ lunch provided by Looney's Smokehouse (http://bit.ly/iAgzYa). I'll leave the reviews for those two businesses for later, as this is about the park itself. Cragmont can basically be broken down into two parts - the flat, grassy field and picnic area up top (including a dilapidated half court hoop) with spectacular views of UC Berkeley, downtown Oakland, and the Bay; and the cliff area below, which is used almost exclusively for rock climbing. The cliff provides just about enough room for the folks at Castle Rock to put up eight different courses of varying difficulty. Although I'm no formative expert on the art of rock climbing, I would say that there is an adequate variety of terrain to satisfy individuals of all levels. I am quite amazed at how mother nature could have created this topography suitable for a wide skill range within such compact confines, as if it were sprouted up from the earth specifically for rock climbing. On the side closer to the entrance, the wall is less steep, with more jutting ledges for gripping and securing your footing. As you head further down the path, this is where you can tackle some of the more advanced rock formations. Some are even partially upside down! I was kind of bummed at myself for only being able to go halfway up on the eighth and final course, but later on, I noticed that some of the instructors themselves were having a difficult time. Ahh... self vindication. Although the park is far up into the hills, access is pretty easy, and it is just a straight shot up on the main road (which eventually turns into a small road). 3G access is quite spotty though, so if you are using the GPS on your phone, it may cut out a bit. Would I suggest going all the way up to Cragmont for anything other than rock climbing? Probably not. However, the view alone is spectacular enough that if you are having a picnic, or perhaps you are a guy looking for a romantic, scenic spot to take a girl, it's worth a quick detour.

From a six year old- "well I like the monkey bars and climbing pirate ship thing. And I also like…read morethe slide, creek and caterpillar!" Creek was a huge hit! Adult review, "I can get coffee near by at hidden cafe!" Win. Win.

Great little park away from the noise, cars, and hustle of the city. You want a little peace and…read morequiet to chill, read, or do nothing. Pro tip.... Bring a blanket in case the grass is wet. This is the place. Also, Hidden Cafe is right there for great coffee and snacks. (Closed Monday) This park stretches for a few blocks behind the busy streets with tennis courts, a kids playground and a clean creek flowing through it. Kids were playing in the creek and having a great time. The rope play structure is awesome. A very nice place to get away from it all in Berkeley and let's be real, there's a lot to get away from on Berkeley.

One of those backyard discoveries that makes me question why it's taken me so long to actually get…read morehere. Welp... I finally made it here. And it is truly sensational. I've pretty much been all up, down, and around Tilden Park. But even with that, I always seem to discover trails that I've never hiked before. It's a huge park, so that makes total sense. Wildcat Peak was one of those recent discovery trails and vista points for me. I've always seen it on the park map, but you know when you get used to hiking on your favorite trails and you neglect all of the rest? That was me. I mean, that IS me. A creature of habit I guess. So on this very day, I decided to explore a different part of Tilden. Entered the park through the nature area and started near Jewel Lake on the Wildcat Creek Trail. This trail is super easy, flat, and partially paved. You'll pass by Jewel Lake along this trail. Turned right onto Sylvan and then left onto the Wildcat Peak Trail. This part of the Wildcat Peak Trail features switchbacks that incline up to the peak. It's a nice workout in general, but the views of the Bay is what makes this jaunt super enjoyable. Once you reach the peak, you'll have the most incredible views of the Bay Bridge, Briones Reservoir, San Pablo Bay, and Berkeley city views. There's a little brick barrier wall at the summit where you can sit and admire the views. It's 360 degrees of pure scenic bliss up there. From here, you can go back the same way you came up, or you can connect to another trail. I connected to the Laurel Canyon trail which looped me back around to the Tilden Nature area. There are so many vibrant wildflowers and plants nestled along this trail loop. The trail has a nice mix of covered and exposed paths. You'll pass through beautiful groves and notice the rampant wildlife on the trails. In the late winter and early spring, it's so incredibly green here. Wildcat Peak is such a gorgeous vista point within Tilden Park. I'd highly recommend the Wildcat Creek/Wildcat Peak/ Sylvan/Laurel Canyon trail loops. It's simply marvelous.

It's hard to imagine that the bucolic fire roads in Wildcat Canyon and Tilden Park once connected…read morethe US military with missile radar stations and launch sites during the depths of the Cold War. Or maybe not given the escalating tensions we have with Russia. But back in 1962 during a moment of atypical calm, a stone circle was built by the Berkeley Rotary Club to allow people agitated by the Commies a meditative spot to take in panoramic, 360-degree views of the SF Bay Area to the west and San Pablo Reservoir to the east. Years later it's still a nice respite if it isn't crowded up here as it sometimes does on warm weekends. Most people walk on Nimitz Way, the mostly paved path from Inspiration Point, to get here. However, my favorite route starts on the Wildcat Creek Trail where I take the gradual climb on the Conlon Trail where you get the same bay views you get from the peak. Except maybe for a herd of unimpressed cows in your way. I then descend on the zig-zaggy Wildcat Peak Trail back to Wildcat Creek. Gee, I sound like an actual hiker, don't I? RELATED - Up for a hike? Here's a collection of trails I've walked and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2OrC8nU

I did the seaview big springs hike this past Saturday. Not too strenuous 4.3 miles. Slight incline…read morebut doesn't get over 994 ft of elevation. Some nice views of the bridges. Tilden park is a big park with a lot of different trails.

An amazing parking with so much to offer for the whole family…read more My photos paint the picture. There's a lot more than the photos I posted.

Beautiful day at Point Emery! I came here with my husband for a quick late lunch picnic to avoid…read morethe crowd. We were thankful to found a last parking spot when we arrived. Got to come down and sat on a bench for a quick picnic lunch. Love the view on a beautiful sunny day on a Saturday afternoon!

Close access to the beach and trail for running/biking!…read more You can still see the freeway, but overall it's a relaxing route to run/bike and to see the coastline.

I love walking along the water. In Oakland, it's Lake Merritt and here, it's along the marshes here…read morebetween El Cerrito and Richmond. I love this place to walk! It's beautiful and people are pretty respectful of distance. I've run here (very few times), walked here (many times) and I just feel calm. There's a lot of bird crap on the ground, so you have to be mindful of where you step, but there was so much history here and I still stop to read the kiosks. I remember visiting with my sister here a few years ago and she loved it. And like me (turned three out here), a lifelong Richmond resident and she had never heard of this place. My mom probably hadn't heard of it, because she would take us to SF or Oakland for events, and this place was in our backyard. The only gripe for me is that it is soooo far away from the city, city. But that's just me. I wish it were easier to access. But that's a "rich person's problem" and really not a reason to lose stars. What draws me to this place is that I've walked in a lot of places and the experience is nothing like this. I come away from my walks feeling rather soothed and much calmer for having been there. The main thing that I have to be careful of is walking too far and having to lumber back over a longer distance than expected. Again, a "rich person's problem" that says more about me than about this space. I'm just glad that it's here and that we can enjoy it!

They say that it's a friendship park but the only friendship park I'm seeing are a bunch of geese…read morehere. Simply no one goes here but I guess the geese are occupying it! Nothing much going on here, but still a nice place to relax if you like have yourself some time here.