The Oursan Trail in Orinda winds along the northern shores of Briones Reservoir, offering one of those rare East Bay hikes where you can have real quiet time with your dog. The trail stays lightly traveled even on weekends, which means your dog gets to explore without dodging crowds on the narrow sections.

You’ll walk through open fields with good views of the water, and the surrounding landscape shifts between grassland and scattered oak trees. The trail itself is straightforward to navigate—no complicated junctions to second-guess—and the northern exposure keeps things reasonably cool even in warmer months. Your dog needs to stay on-leash throughout, which is easy enough on the wide-open sections but worth noting if your dog gets anxious in tight spots.

One thing that catches a lot of people off guard: you’ll need an EBMUD trail permit to hike here. It’s not expensive and you can get it through the East Bay Municipal Utility District, but it’s a step some folks don’t expect. The permit system exists because the trail crosses watershed land, so check their website before you head out to make sure you’ve got everything sorted. Water availability depends on the season—Briones fills up after winter rains, so late fall through spring is when the scenery really shines. Summer brings lower water levels, but the trail dries out nicely and the grass turns golden.

Parking is at the Briones Dam lot, and from there it’s a straightforward walk to the Oursan Trail entrance. The permit requirement does keep crowds down, which honestly makes it worth the extra step. You get a genuinely peaceful hike without feeling like you’re racing other people to the good spots.