The East Bay Regional Park District spans Alameda and Contra Costa counties east of San Francisco with more than 125,000 acres in 73 parks and 1,250 miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding, nature study—and, of course, dog walking/hiking.
The Park District offers lakes, shorelines, campgrounds, visitor centers, interpretive and recreation programs, picnic areas, indoor/outdoor rental facilities and much more. The regional parks are ideal for healthful recreation and environmental education as well. And, for dogs and the humans who follow, the EBRPD is one of the most dog-friendly entities in the state of California.
Here are a few of our DogTrekker favorites for hiking with your dog.
Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve
Round Top, one of the tallest peaks in the area, is composed of ancient lava and volcanic debris from a volcano that existed 10 million years ago. Over time, the Hayward and Moraga earthquake faults lifted the Berkeley hills and tilted the Round Top volcano complex to its side. Quarrying part of the preserve exposed layers of bedrock and is now an outdoor laboratory for the study of volcanism in the Central Coast ranges.
This trail is a multi-use trail between Concord and Pleasanton. It follows the Southern Pacific Railroad right-of-way established in 1891 and abandoned in 1978. The completed Iron Horse Regional Trail, as of 2014, spans a distance of 32 miles, and when fully complete, will be about 55 miles, connecting 12 cities from Livermore in Alameda County to Suisun Bay in Contra Costa County.
Charles Lee Tilden Regional Park
So much to do at Tilden Park in Berkeley, a lot of which is dog-friendly. Kids (and dogs) of all ages are love riding the Tilden/Redwood Valley Railway, a miniature train that has been looping around the park since 1952. Rides cover 1.25 miles of track on a scenic route that offers the occasional ocean view.
For the safety of everyone who uses the park (including dogs and horses), the East Bay Regional Parks District has guidelines for bringing your dog. Please check it out before you go, and Leave Only Paw Prints® so that dogs continue to be welcome at the parks.
