03 Aug Slopes and Scenery: Explore the Trails of West Contra Costa

The view upon crossing a bridge into Point Pinole is just the beginning of some great sights to come.

Photo essay, Joe Porrello

West Contra Costa County features some of the East Bay’s best hiking trails — four of which are free on weekdays, with shaded paths, picnic areas, dogs allowed, ample parking, great views, weather that’s often ideal with refreshing breezes (and hardly any mosquitoes).

Despite all the benefits, there are regularly very few people walking along the beautiful paths in wildlife areas that were once home to different Native American tribes and are now operated by the East Bay Regional Park District. 

As in any similar landscape, perhaps potential hikers are deterred by the possibility of rattlesnakes, ticks, poison oak, mountain lions, coyotes and bobcats, as well as steep and narrow paths. Additionally, trails so dry that they crack during the summer become so muddy they’re almost unwalkable in winter.

 

Nevertheless, each of the four trails below has unique traits making them worth a visit.

Sobrante Ridge

 

Sobrante Ridge Botanic Regional Preserve is the least frequented of these four hiking areas. While a small parking lot at the end of Coach Drive in Richmond is considered the main entrance, the park is also accessible through multiple different neighborhood trailheads.

Its lack of visitors may stem from being the only trail on this list without a restroom or water station, but the serenity alone is worth it. It’s also the only one with free parking on weekends and holidays from April through October.

Not to mention, Sobrante Ridge is one of only two sites in the world where the Alameda Manzanita grows. The rare tree’s burgundy bark reveals a neon orange color underneath when it peels — a sight to behold. In the spring, it blossoms with flowers.

 

Although there are only small stretches of flatground and trails can be slightly strenuous, picnic tables scattered strategically placed throughout provide opportunities to catch a quick break — and a great view.

 

Dedicated to the EBRPD by a construction company in 1985 after developers agreed to preserve the scenic ridgelands, Sobrante Ridge opened to the public three years later. 

Originally, the site was an ancestral homeland of the Saclan, one of six California Native tribes whose primary language is called Bay Miwok today. Decades later, the site became known as Cutter Ranch in the 1970s when it was owned by Berkeley-based Cutter Laboratories — which developed vaccines for tetanus and diphtheria through testing on horses and cattle raised there. Now tranquil wilderness, the area was once known for dirtbiking and loud partying.

 

Open every day from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., the 277-acre park and its four paths — covering a little over four miles — offers seemingly endless rolling hills and views of Mt. Diablo, along with both sun and shade. It stretches from the Pinole Valley Dog Park all the way to our next park, Kennedy Grove.

Kennedy Grove

 

Kennedy Grove Regional Recreation Area also features four paths of roughly four miles in total with even sun and shade that take about two hours to complete altogether.

Each unpaved path has very rough, steep and narrow sections, other than the moderate Laurel Loop Trail. On the bright side, the way back is all downhill and often has refreshing winds.

The 222-acre park has views of San Pablo Dam and rolling hills. Visitors can hear whispering eucalyptus trees and critters like salamanders scattering off paths over dry leaves when they hear footsteps approaching.

 

Kennedy Grove’s base features a vast grassy meadow surrounded by tall trees and a paved walkway, two areas with a number of picnic tables and grills, a volleyball court, restrooms and ADA-approved water stations.

Dedicated to and named after John F. Kennedy in 1967 following his assassination, the site used to be home to ranchos and wheat fields, along with stations for a narrow gauge railroad that ran from Oakland to Orinda through Richmond and the El Sobrante hills.

The park opens every day at 8 a.m. and closes between 5:30-8 p.m. depending on the month. Parking is free except on weekends and holidays from April through September, when the fee is $5.

Alvarado Park

 

A 42-acre section at the northern tip of the 2,789-acre Wildcat Canyon, Alvarado Park sits on the opposite side of San Pablo Dam from Kennedy Grove and has trails that run all the way to Berkeley’s Tilden area.

 

With numerous interconnected paths and entrances in many neighborhoods, it offers the chance for changes of scenery depending on which trail one takes. Lots of slight climbs pay off with unique sights of the bay and even up close and personal encounters with grazing cattle. 

 

One highlight of Alvarado Park’s paths is the remnants of a two-story mansion. It was used as a sanitarium until the 1960s when it was abandoned. Then, in 1977, it was burned down by vandals. Now, all that remains is a small portion of concrete wall, a two-step staircase and palm trees planted to adorn what was once a front lawn. According to a sign at the park, it was where Bay Area elites sent their family members with mental illness; locals were told to stay away.

 

Though. originally, Wildcat Canyon in its entirety was the homeland of the Huchiun, an Ohlone tribe whose members spoke the Karkin language and thrived there for generations.

The area had a 220-foot winding slide during the early 1900s, and in Prohibition times was home to a speakeasy, the Chateau Cafe. The park is named for Juan Bautista Alvarado who was governor of Alta California before the region entered the union. It became part of Wildcat Canyon in 1985 when it was transferred to EBRPD from the city of Richmond.

Relatively busy on mornings and weekends, Alvarado Park is always free and is open 5 a.m.-10 p.m. The main parking lot opens at 7:30 a.m. and closes between 5-7 p.m. depending on the time of year.

Point Pinole

 

Designated as a state landmark with 2,432 acres and over 12 miles of intertwining trails, Point Pinole Regional Shoreline is the flattest and overall easiest to hike of the four areas.

The interconnected paths have abundant shade, multiple restrooms and water fountains with attached dog bowls, views of marshes and up close sights of San Pablo Bay, accessible beaches and bay breezes.

 

Visitors can also stand on a bridge waiting for trains to pass beneath them, go fishing on a 1,250-foot pier, look at bunches of shedding eucalyptus trees, or read from the many information tables placed throughout.

 

Some of the information tables allude to why there are so many eucalyptus trees. Now, they are seen as an invasive species, though they do provide shelter for wildlife like deer, owls, monarch butterflies and over 100 species of birds. The trees were initially planted as protection against possible explosions from one of four companies manufacturing dynamite and gunpowder there from 1881-1960. 

Remnants of said industry are seen in a black powder press, multiple bunkers and the skeleton of an old wharf that once bustled with business from employees of the companies. Tracks used to haul explosives from the area were later purchased by Walt Disney and shipped to Anaheim to become part of the Disneyland railroad.

 

Long before that, the Huchiun tribe called it home for decades and flourished there along with the land. After California gained statehood in 1850, the area was home to Chinese and Croatian fishing villages. It opened to the public in 1973 after a long process of acquisition of EBRPD from Bethlehem Steel.

The point is open 8 a.m. through 4-7 p.m. depending on the month. Parking is free except on weekends and holidays between April and October.

 

Friendly Reminder

Always remember to respect the land and wildlife. Anything you bring into the park and any trash you create should come out with you or be properly disposed of. And don’t forget to bring enough water to stay hydrated. Adventure awaits.

Finding Balance As More People Visit East Bay Parks