Yesterday, I hiked 32.3 miles in 13.5 hours (~ 2.4 miles per hour) along East Bay Skyline National Recreational Trail with three friends. The trail traverses six different parks and preserves. On the whole, there is 3000+ ft of elevation gain and drop. The trail is marked with small triangles on all the maps below.
For details, you may check out East Bay Trails: Hiking Trails in Alameda And Contra Costa Counties (2005, 288 pages) by David Weintraub. You don’t really need the book because maps for all parks are available online for free.
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Section A (7.2 miles): Wildcat Canyon Regional Park (Map and Text) — climbs about 800 ft: From Alvarado Staging Area (Wildcat Canyon) to Inspiration Point (Tilden): Wildcat Creek 0.45 / Belgum 0.87 / San Pablo Ridge Trail 1.21 / connector 0.07 / Nimitz Way 4.60 (0.68 + 1.38 + 0.45 + 0.30 + 0.45 + 0.72 + 0.62). Details from Weintraub’s book (pages 50 — 55). The initial portion of the hike takes you through open spaces among rolling hills with good views of cities. The latter portion (Nimitz Way) is a paved road.
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Section B (3.0 miles): Tilden Regional Park (Maps: North and South) — climbs 860 ft. From Inspiration Point (Tilden) to Steams Trains Parking Lot on Lomas Cantadas (Tilden): Curran Trail 0.13 / Seaview Trail 0.51 (0.14 + 0.19 + 0.18) / East Bay Skyline National Trail (Bay Area Ridge Trail) 1.81 (1.35 + 0.46) / Seaview Trail 0.55 / connector 0.11 to Steam Trains Parking Lot. Details from Weintraub’s book (pages 50 — 55). This short hike is quite scenic with excellent views of San Francisco on one side and a bunch of reservoirs on the other side. The hike is partly shaded with plenty of dogs sharing the trail with their owners. The last section (Seaview Trail) is a paved road.
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Section C (6.3 miles): Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve (Map and Text) and Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve (Map and Text). Steam Trains Parking Lot on Lomas Cantadas (Tilden) to Skyline Gate (entrance for Redwood Regional Park): Follow Bay Area Ridge Trial (East Bay Skyline) throughout until you exit Huckleberry Preserve. To reach Sibley Preserve, the hike drops 600 ft, then gains 300 ft. Within Sibley and Huckleberry Preserves, the hike drops 480 ft, then gains 200 ft. You don’t really need the map for Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve because it is part of the map for Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve. Details from Weintraub’s book (pages 55 — 60). The portion of the hike through Sibley is quite pleasing. Most of the hike is shaded and single-trail. Could be muddy during rains. Pictures:
The section through Huckleberry Preserve is especially beatific. Some pictures:
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Section D (6.5 miles) Redwood Regional Park (Maps: North, South, Full and Text). Skyline Gate (entrance for Redwood Regional Park) to MacDonald Gate (entrance for Redwood Regional Park). The trail is marked with small triangles. There are two choices: you may go along West Ridge Trail 3.83 (0.59 + 0.53 + 0.12 + 0.56 + 0.09 + 0.38 + 0.07 + 0.40 + 0.19 + 0.22 + 0.11 + 0.26 + 0.31) / Golden Spike Trail 0.67 / connector 0.11 to Big Bear Staging Area / MacDonald Trail ~ 0.4 to MacDonald Gate Staging Area (climbs 200 ft, drops 900 ft). Or you may go along West Ridge Trail 0.59 / French Trail 3.99 (0.60 + 0.08 + 0.48 + 0.13 + 0.12 + 0.62 + 0.54 + 0.40 + 1.02) / Orchard Trail 0.20 / West Ridge Trail 0.26 + 0.31 / Golden Spike Trail 0.67 / connector 0.11 to Big Bear Staging Area / MacDonald Trail to MacDonald Gate Staging Area ~ 0.4 (400 ft drop, 200 ft gain). The West Ridge Trail route is about 1 mile shorter, making the overall hike about 31 miles long. Details from Weintraub’s book (pages 60 — 63). French Trail is absolutely fantastic with several ups and downs through Redwoods. Golden Spike Trail is shaded.
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Section E (9.3 miles) Anthony Chabot Regional Preserve (Maps: North, South and Text) — 9.3 miles. MacDonald Gate (entrance for Redwood Regional Park) to Proctor Gate (an entrance for Anthony Chabot Regional Preserve). The trail coincides with MacDonald Trail 2.75 (0.25 + 1.05 + 0.31 + 1.14) / Grass Valley Trail 1.48 (0.96 + 0.52) / Brandon Trail 4.91 (0.40 + 0.49 + 0.37 + 0.45 + 0.59 + 0.20 + 0.20 + 0.41 + 0.13 + 0.56 + 1.11) / connector 0.2 to Proctor Staging Area. From MacDonald Gate to Bort Meadow, the trail is 2.74 miles long. It climbs 500 feet, then drops 300 feet. From Bort Meadow to Proctor Gate, the trail is 6.56 miles long. It climbs 320 feet, then drops 600 feet. Details from Weintraub’s book (pages 64 — 68). The last section of the hike through Anthony Chabot is quite easy with wide trails, mostly in the open and gentle grade. It’s just long.
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Notes
*We parked two cars, one at each end point of the trail. We parked a third car with food and water supplies at MacDonald Gate in Anthony Chabot Regional Preserve.
* Water is available at only 3 points along the trial: Steam Trains (10.3 miles) when we come out of Tilden Regional Park, “Staging Area” (14.8 miles) within Sibley Volcanic Preserve and Skyline Gate (16.5 miles) which is an entrance to Redwood Regional Park. We cached water in our car parked at MacDonald Gate (~ 23 mile mark).
* Each of us took a printout with trails marked with a highlighter. It is best if all members in a group have studied maps and know what they are doing along this unusually long hike.
* Layered clothing is helpful.
* Take a flashlight with you if you plan to hike beyond sunset. We met two large groups of hikers in Anthony Chabot Regional Preserve when hiking in the dark.
