Ok this is the "first time" that I write a review on a hiking trail. I just couldn't resist doing…read moreso.. why? It's one of the, if not THE best trail I have ever hiked. My hiking criterias are simple :). They have to give me a good intense workout & with lots of shades, in the woods if possible. It's hard to find a trail with such combination and I found it here. It's also so blissfully quiet, fresh air with smells of the oak trees. First time on this trail and boy was I in for a good surprise! It's a "really" steep, challenging, inclined uphill hike all the way (starting from base to the top) with significant elevation gain every step of the way. Also unpaved with lots of pebbles/rocks along the way. So be sure to have a good sturdy pair of hiking boots/shoes with you. It's a good 4mile roundtrip (two mile each way which takes roughly 1hour to get to the top and another 1hour coming down). The maximum elevation was 1450feet. It's fairly narrow trail and you will find many folks doing mountain biking here .. on the same trail.,So you need to keep an eye out as you hike up and down. I was truly impressed with the cyclists who did the whole roundtrip up the hill as I found myself starting to pant just a 1/4 mile into the hike.. and this is me, someone who does high intensity workout 6days a week with most days double dipped (cardio+strength). Love that it has lots of shades as we walked through the woods with huge fallen trees and eroded land. On our way down we even saw sheeps and stopped to feed them some grasses & hear the bleat, meh and baa sound from their baby sheeps. This is now my top of the list favorite place to hike. Initially I was planning to hit the gym in the evening to do my usual strength and cycling classes.. but I ended up skipping it after that long strenuous hike.

This was my first time doing this particular trail. I chose it today because it does have shade…read moreoptions along the walk. It is pretty steep when you first get there. It does level out a couple spots, but just continues to have a gradual incline. So be prepared. It was busy and well traveled as I saw quite a few people going up and coming down. I did see one snake, but it was non-venomous in the shadow of the trees on the trail. Bring lots of water because it does get hot. I don't think I would do this hike again, but I'm glad I did it.

One of my favorite place for sunset stroll with my dog. The trail is pretty flat and takes around…read more10 min one way with lovely view of the valley. Along the trail, there are some picnic tables/ benches and a disc golf field. If you wanted to watch sunset at a summit without strenuous hiking, this is the place to go. Parking is easy around the neighborhood.

"Green Rolling Hills with Lots of Cows--Most Friendly but one Looked at me with Menacing Eyes."…read more I parked at the summit, and took the trail north. It's about 3 miles if you go all the way to the driving range at Bridges Golf Course. At that point the trail peters out. It looks like they are constructing a new trailhead there. The trail is open, so don't count on any shade in the summer. It's pretty much green hills, with a compacted dirt trail. Fortunately, it's not rutted. I found the hike mildly interesting, but honestly, nothing special. Near the golf course practice center, I saw a lot of range balls on the ground. I was tempted to take them, but I threw most of them back onto the range. I'm pretty sure I did not hit anyone, but a few times I heard some klunks, followed by shouts. I wasn't sure what that meant. They might have been mad that I still had 2 golf balls in my jacket. I did not notice I had borrowed some golf balls until I was pretty far away. These trails are good for beginner hikers, since there aren't any wild animals around. I'm pretty sure there aren't any rattlesnakes or mountain lions. But if there are, I did not see them. And even if I did see any, I had some golf balls I could throw at them. The only wild animals are herds of cows. And there are lots of them! At one point I had to go way around a huge herd. I'm not really afraid of cows, but one kept looking at me with menacing eyes and did not budge from the trail. I was afraid of that one. Could it be a boy cow? I was afraid to get close to find out, so I honestly don't know if it was a boy or girl cow. But he or she looked mean. The whole time I went around the cows I kept saying pleasant things like, "Hi Susie," or "Hi Betsy, how are you?" I'm pretty sure they knew I was a friendly man. I was surprised they knew English. So over all, a pleasant hike. Nothing really special, but plenty of parking makes this a convenient location. The incline is really not too steep, so most hikers will find this an easy hike. For yelpers who are geocachers, there are plenty of geocaches on this trail. I put out about 8 new ones, so there will be lots to find. Keep in mind that there really aren't any facilities such as restrooms or drinking faucets. On the other hand, it's really not a very long hike. Just watch out for that cow with the mean looking eyes.

Beautiful park in Pleasanton with over 20 hiking loops/trails according to the hiking app. No…read moreshortage of inclines so you're sure to get a good workout in no matter which path you choose. There is plenty of parking and clean restrooms and the trails are marked along the way.

Great hiking area in Pleasanton. There are a few staging areas and entry points. This review is for…read morethe Castleridge Trailhead along Foothill Road. Here, there are free parking spaces along street as well as a small parking lot down the road. At the trailhead, you reach the Courdet Trail and can hike up about 2-miles (1,000 ft elevation gain). It sounds strenuous but it actually isn't too bad as the incline levels out in numerous places and there is plenty of shade all along the trail. From the top of the trail, you can head back down the way you came, or connect with a handful of other trails at the top and keep going! I went on a Sunday morning around 7:30 and it wasn't too difficult finding parking. The trail also wasn't too crowded, but by the time I finished around 9:30 the crowds were picking up. Dog friendly and clean!

Beautiful hike in the Spring, and a bit hot and dusty in the Summer…read more Be aware, there are many ticks here in the Spring. I went hiking with my friends here in April, and both their dogs had tons of ticks crawling around in their fur. If you are hiking without dogs, tuck your pants or leggings into your socks and avoid the taller grass if you can. You can also spray tick repellent on your shoes and socks before starting. That usually does the trick. Very fun and laidback hike otherwise. We've been visiting this trail for years now, and always have a nice time. Great views, and rolling hills. Can't ask for much else, locally.

"Hot Dusty Trails, but Lots of Free Maps"…read more I love the East Bay Regional Park system, but this is probably my least favorite park. The main trails are just dirt tracks wide open to the elements. You can imagine how it is on a summer day out here. If you enjoy dusty, desert-like environments with no water, and dying of thirst, you'll love this park. I try to come here once a year. Honestly, that's enough. Besides the main staging area, there are a few tricky entrances to the park. In the California Highlands condo complex, there are a few trails that eventually lead into this park. Keep in mind that those entrances are not open to bikes. I found out the hard way. There is an interesting side trail called Donlon Point. I believe it's the highest point in the park. There's a good view up there, plus lots of cow material. There is drinking water and a modern restroom at the staging area. Additionally, there are plenty of free maps at the gate. That's one great thing about the East Bay Park system. They are not stingy about giving out free maps. The day that I visited, the parking lot was nearly empty. You will not have trouble finding a parking spot. On the other hand, there's probably a good reason for that. As a local alternative, I recommend Las Trampas. The trails there are more interesting. Check out the Camille trailhead in Alamo.

Beautiful, easy loop trail tucked away in Pleasanton…read more Not a lot of people know about this trail, so it is never crowded. It is about 1.5 miles around and takes no more than 45 min or so. There is a nice variety of elevation and scenery. There is a free parking lot and a lot of nice houses surrounding this area, so also fun strolling through the neighborhood after you are done with your hike. If you are going counter-clockwise, there is a final left turn you need to make to get back to the parking lot, otherwise you will end up at Foothill Road, so don't make the same mistake I did. Highly recommend for a hidden gem in the east bay.

If using google maps to get here, input "The Preserve Staging Area", and it will lead you straight…read moreto the parking lot. Otherwise you may end up among the neighborhood homes. This trail is not ideal for running. It's hilly so going uphill is work, and it's made up of rocks and dirt and uneven terrain so it's easy to trip or slip going downhill. But it's not bad for a simple hike, just a short 30-minute trek along the loop. Yes, my legs got a workout from the climbs, but the slopes weren't too steep, the views were lovely, and the atmosphere was peaceful on a Tuesday afternoon. Plus, there's a restroom near the parking lot for convenience.

We came here early in the AM to fish for a few hours, and it was largely unsuccessful aside from a…read morecouple small fries. They stock trout, catfish, bluegill, and black bass, and have convenient monofilament and fluorocarbon recycling bins. Parking fee is $5 (and plenty of it), as well as fishing, and additional fees if you bring boats here. There is no reception in various areas. It looks like it's a poppin' place for hiking, picnics, and other recreational activities. There is swimming allowed in the main lake only, though it's not the cleanest lake I've seen. The entire park area is quite expansive, that you'll have to drive around to visit everything efficiently. I suppose you can hike, but the road is a bit gravelly, rocky, uneven, and dirty with random poop. If you're walking to some of the fishing docks, you'll have to be careful about trekking up and down the hills with your gear. It could have been the day, but this was one of my least favorite fishing spot around the bay. The fishing docks were whatever, the fish weren't biting, the cleanliness wasn't there, and the trails were annoying. It started hailing/heavy raining randomly on our spot, even though it was going to be a warm afternoon. Also, an otter stole one of our catches. Still, the topography was interesting so I'd be open to coming here again to see if I'm being unappreciative.

Lovely place to get on the water in Pleasanton - we stopped by with our newly purchased paddle…read moreboards earlier this month. There is a $5 parking fee and a $7 boat inspection fee (inspections are valid for a month) as they are concerned about mussels getting into the lake. After parking, we inflated our paddle board and lowered it into the water, which was clean and calm. We all took it out for a spin, some of us staying close to shore, others venturing much further. Some of us rowed sitting down, others paddled standing up, till we were all tired and hungry and decided to call it a day. Will be back!

Came on a Saturday in February around 10:45am and there was no parking fee that day. Most of the…read morelots were pretty full, but we were able to find parking in the overflow area. We did the Canyon View to Little Yosemite trail and I recommend downloading the map ahead of time as there was no service in the park. Trail was well maintained and the views of the green hills were very pretty! Came across some very friendly cows as well. Just be aware if you are going during the summer that there are no trees so limited shade. We did the trail clockwise, which starts off with a somewhat sharp incline and finishes with a gradual decline. I would recommend this direction so that you tackle the difficult portion first and then recover at the end with the descent. We also did part of the McCorkle trail, which was pretty tiring, so we decided to skip Little Yosemite using Cerro Este Road - appreciated how there are shortcuts available. Canyon View trail was not too busy, and we ran into more people (+ dogs/kids) on the Camp Ohlone Road heading toward Little Yosemite. Overall, it was a great, moderate hike and I would definitely come back to see Little Yosemite next time!

A group of 5 of us decided to do Rose Peak Trail from Sunol. This is a brutal 17.8, 9.5-10 hour…read morehike and up to 20 miles depending if you start from the visitor center. Started late at 9 am with few breaks and got to 3k elevation and still didn't reach the peak at 1:30 pm. A lot of hills and valleys with climbing/walking for 4.5 hours straight. Going back wasn't as easy since there's still some hills to pass. All in all, we did 18 miles for 8.5 hours of hiking. At least know what to expect for next year. The trail markers are numbered decently with not all marked. Bring a map and plenty of water! 2.5-5 liters is recommended by people who finished. Start right at 8 am. Saw 3 tarantulas and there are rattlers/mountain lions from the signs. Definitely one of the hardest hikes in the bay! Not much to see on the trail or views.

The entrance to the trail is a bit hidden. I don't think I…read morewould've been able to find it if it wasn't for a couple of people in hiking gear that I followed, I probably wouldn't have found it. Okay, so here is the clearest directions I can give to the entrance. Head towards the clubhouse or venue where it looks like people can hold receptions. Go down the concrete driveway & keep going straight until you see a little sign that says "Callippe Trail" & it states a bunch of rules for the trail. I took the trail to the right, I didn't see the trail on the left until I was walking back. The trail has certain spots where you are hiking right by the holes so you have to be extra quiet if that's the case. There are shady parts of the trails so it isn't too bad. The trail is enough for a one person single file line, so if you're going to hike with someone, they will be either behind you or in front of you. The trail ends at the entrance of a neighborhood, it's weird. I was so confused. I just turned around & went back to where I was parked. I guess you're walking on the sidewalk half the time? I don't know, still confused. I'll be back, just to see what the other trail has to offer :)

The trail is decent. Most of it will be on a dirt path that is right next to the paved road for…read moregolf carts so you won't really get the feeling that you are away from civilization. There is a short portion of the trail that takes you through a neat area that is completely away from the golf course. There was a stream and small pools of water that were a nice sight after some rain. The trail is relatively easy and we did a loop that takes us 70% on a dirt path and 30% up the paved road that we drove up to get to the parking lot. Directions: You will drive up a single paved road that has houses to your right and left. If you entered the address found on this Yelp page, you will need to keep driving to the end of the road. At some point, you will reach a parking lot that is designated for the clubhouse. We parked in the parking lot. If you are standing in the middle of this parking lot facing the entrance of the clubhouse, you will want to go towards your 7 o'clock to a paved path that looks like it's for golf carts. Once you are down, make a left towards the hills away from the golf course. There will be a trail you can take on the left and another on the right if you keep walking. We took the one on the right that took us clockwise around the golf course.