Short hikes to great views in the East Bay

Short Hikes, Cool Views

Who says good views require big hikes? These three tame trails in the East Bay offer visual rewards without the extra miles.

Week: 02.27.2020
Regions: Northern CA

Hill Yeah!

Hike Crockett Hills Regional Park in the East Bay

Hike Crockett Hills Regional Park in the East Bay
The East Bay's Crockett Hills Regional Park has a 3-mile loop overflowing with rolling landscape and beautiful scenery.
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Bridge the Distance

Hike Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline in the East Bay

Hike Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline in the East Bay
You like a good trail mix? Hike a blend of ridgetop rambling, bridge and bay views, and a eucalyptus forest at Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline.
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Wanda-ful Hike

Hike Mount Wanda in the East Bay

Hike Mount Wanda Nature Preserve in Martinez
When John Muir wasn’t trekking the Sierra, he could usually be found hiking near his home in Martinez, at Mount Wanda, named for his daughter.
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  1. Serene Las Gallinas

    A serene stroll alongside marshland, passing ponds and grasses frilled in seasonal wildflowers, with Mount Tam a beacon in the background … how nice. As part of the esteemed Bay Trail, San Rafael’s Las Gallinas Valley Birding Loop and Wildlife Ponds comprises about 3.5 miles of wide-open trail.

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  2. Paint Brushy

    This time of year you’ll have good reason to head for the hills—the electric-green rolling hills of Brushy Peak Regional Preserve in Livermore. This 4.5-mile loop hike is like stepping into a plein air painting.

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  3. Sponsored

    2025 POST Wildflower Walks

    Get flower empowered! POST’s complimentary 2025 Wildflower Walks guide blooms with the best places to see a variety of florals across the Peninsula and South Bay this spring.

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  4. All right, Almaden!

    Take a trip through time on this 5-mile loop in Almaden Quicksilver County Park. Explore the ruins of an old cinnabar mine and enjoy the first hints of wildflower season.

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  1. Sponsored

    Weekend in Reno Tahoe

    Weekend plans? Reno Tahoe! Just a few hours by car or a short flight away, Reno Tahoe springs to the moment with great ways to combine adventure and relaxation in its beautiful mountains-meets-desert setting.

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  2. Hiker walking along the North Bluff Trail on Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands National Park

    Purely Wild

    Channel Islands National Park lives up to its nickname as “North America’s Galapagos.” This less-traveled national park is an undeveloped and isolated series of five dramatic and distinct islands reached by boat. Hike the largest of the islands, Santa Cruz.

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  3. Woman hiking the South Kaibab Trail in the Grand Canyon

    Truly Grand Day Hike

    One of the best spring day hikes in the Grand Canyon? See layer upon layer of the park’s grandeur—including the river—on this 3-mile (one-way) journey to Skeleton Point via the South Kaibab Trail.

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  4. A woman stands amid an array of yellow and purple flowers at Descanso Gardens in Los Angeles

    Petal Paradise

    Tulips, lilacs, and daffodils—flower power is in full bloom at Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge. Sprawling across 150 acres surrounded by mountains, the gardens are putting on their best show right now.

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