Bay Walks

I heard the sweet voices before I saw the singers.

“Valereeee, valerahhhhh . . . “

Through mist-shrouded Wildcat Canyon a platoon of kindergartners trooped, splashing in the puddles and singing in the rain.

“Valereeee, valerah ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha . . . “

The weather only seemed to increase the pleasure of the dozen little hikers and their teacher from a nearby elementary school. Storm clouds had sealed off the park from civilization’s sights and sounds. The 5-year-olds may well have imagined they were trekking in a remote wilderness, rather than a canyon located less than a mile, as the red-tail hawk flies, from Interstate 80 and the city of Richmond, just north of Berkeley.

As the father of a 5-year-old nature lover, I can attest that it’s not grand panoramas but such things as little trail-side sights and unexpected puddles that impress children. In Wildcat Canyon there was much to capture a child’s imagination: a banana slug crawled over a mossy log, a newt slithered across the trail, frogs croaked and a variety of songbirds maintained a subdued, but steady calling from their perches in the trees.

Not long after I encountered the little ones in their brightly colored raincoats and galoshes, the rain stopped, and from a perch atop San Pablo Ridge I watched the cloudy curtain part to reveal much of the Bay Area. At my feet were Mt. Tamalpais, the Marin headlands, the San Francisco skyline, Golden Gate Bridge, Mt. Diablo and lots of San Francisco Bay.

An hour’s walk in the rain through Wildcat Canyon Regional Park had rewarded me with both intimate and panoramic views. I had already learned to appreciate the breathtaking biodiversity of the area: rocky beaches, redwood groves, flower-festooned meadows, bold headlands, Monterey pine-topped ridges, muddy tidelands. But my visit a few days ago was inspired by nature photographer Galen Rowell’s newest book, “Bay Area Wild: A Celebration of the Natural History of the San Francisco Bay Area� (Sierra Club Books, $37.50), from which the photographs on this page were taken.

Alas, this return trip also served to remind me that even in this region of sublime beauty, populated by what is surely North America’s most eco-conscious citizenry, the wild lands still face heavy development pressures. Perhaps some eye-opening walks are good reminders that the price of living in paradise is eternal vigilance.

Certainly there’s a lot of soul-satisfying terrain for any hiker to ramble. More than 200 parks and protected areas can be found within 40 miles of San Francisco. Substantial chunks of two long-distance trail projects--the 400-mile Bay Trail and the 400-mile Bay Ridge Trail--are signed, mapped and ready for the adventurer afoot.

Where to start exploring?

I suggest Tilden Park and its wilder neighbor, Wildcat Regional Park. Together they form a microcosm of what is surely among the planet’s most pedestrian-friendly and photogenic regional park areas.

(Maps and park information are available through the East Bay Regional Park District, [510] 562-PARK.)

Tilden Regional Park

Mention Tilden Park to an East Bay resident, past or present, and it invariably brings forth pleasant memories: the antique merry-go-round, the Botanic Garden, the golf course, Lake Anza with its popular beach.

Hikers have a good time in Tilden too. The occasion is usually more a social experience than a solitary one because the hiker often shares the trail with joggers and dog walkers.

Tilden is tucked in a valley, bounded by San Pablo Ridge to the east and the Berkeley Hills to the west. Shady trails and picnic areas contain native forests of oak and bay, as well as planted stands of eucalyptus and Monterey pine.

Tilden’s trail system includes something for hikers of all abilities. A mile-long, self-guided nature trail loops around the enchanting duck pond, Jewel Lake. The park is crossed by Skyline National Trail, a 31-mile path that links several East Bay parks, including Wildcat Canyon and Redwood regional parks.

The park is full of contrasts: wild, brushy slopes and irrigated lawns, seasonal creeks and artificial lakes. Tilden is no wilderness, but it does promote ecological values and learning with classes and exhibits at the Environmental Education Center. The center is also the trail head for several family-friendly nature trails and the terminus or starting point of the moderate (4.5-mile, one-way) walk through Wildcat Canyon.

For a more ambitious Tilden Park ramble, head over to Inspiration Point, the trail head for paved Nimitz Way, a 4.5-mile trail that ascends to Wildcat Peak for fabulous bay and metropolis views.

Access: From California Highway 24, just east of Caldecott Tunnel, exit onto Fish Ranch Road and head west to Grizzly Peak Boulevard. Make a right, then another right on South Park Drive. After a mile, turn right on Wildcat Canyon Road and proceed to the Inspiration Point parking area.

Wildcat Regional Park

Wildcat is Tilden’s quiet neighbor. It is far less developed, far less visited. Wildcat is for hikers. Trails offer the only access to its oak woodlands, wide meadows and remote canyons.

For a short (2.4 miles, round trip) but superb look at the park, hike along Wildcat Creek Trail--an old asphalt road--for 0.5 mile, swing left on Belgum Trail and hoof another 0.7 mile to a vista point. Before you return the way you came, sit down on the welcome bench and survey the great San Francisco Bay panorama.

For a more ambitious walk (6.2 miles, round trip, with a 600-foot elevation gain), continue on Belgum Trail to San Pablo Ridge Trail. Ramble the ridge top, enjoy the views, then drop down into Wildcat Canyon via Mezue Trail. Turn right on Wildcat Creek Trail and follow one of the more handsome sections of Wildcat Creek back to the trail head.

The most ambitious of hikers can make an 11.5-mile circuit of the park by continuing along San Pablo Ridge via Nimitz Way Trail, climbing to the top of 1,211-foot Wildcat Peak for fabulous views, then descending Wildcat Peak Trail to Tilden Nature Area in Tilden Park. Return to the trail head by traversing the 4.5-mile length of Wildcat Canyon via Wildcat Creek Trail.

Access: From Interstate 80 in Richmond, take the Amador/Solano exit and head east on Amador Street. Turn right on McBryde Avenue, continuing until it forks. Take the left fork (Park Avenue) and it will soon dead-end at the trail head.

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Wildcat, Tilden Trails

Where: Wildcat Canyon Regional Park and Tilden Regional Park

Terrain: Wildcat Creek, ridges

Highlights: Great Bay Area vistas from Wildcat Peak

Degree of Difficulty: Moderate-strenuous

For more information: East Bay Regional Park District; (510) 562-PARK