TILDEN REGIONAL PARK
Seaview to Wildcat Gorge Loop | Berkeley, CA
★★★☆☆
An excellent, understated spot for a casual day hike. It's got views, climbs, trees, and a creek. Northern California vibes to its core.
Last hiked 3/6/21
Length: 7.4 mi.
Gain: 1660 ft.
Type: Loop
Difficulty: Moderate
Crowds: Moderate
Dogs: Yes
THE RUNDOWN
Tilden Regional Park is a conveniently accessible park in the East Bay, perched on the shoulders of UC Berkeley, with lots of options for recreation. The park itself has plenty of family-friendly features, including a small farm, Lake Anza, a botanic garden, and much more. One of its best features is its sprawling network of dog-friendly trails that are well-utilized by outdoorsy locals on foot and mountain bike alike.
The parking lot borders Meadows Picnic Area and fills up quickly on weekend mornings. If you arrive to a full lot, continue driving a bit further down Loop Road, as there's a second parking area there.
From the parking lot on Lone Oak Rd., make a clockwise loop.
Park on Lone Oak Rd. near the Meadows Picnic Area.
STEP BY STEP
↑ Proceed to Meadows Canyon Trail.
Tip: The entrance is adjacent to Loop Road Parking Lot, just past the Meadows Canyon picnic area. You'll see two trails that branch from the without signage. Take the left fork.
↑ At the junction, take the middle branch to Seaview Trail, which takes you across Wildcat Canyon Road.
← Bear left to stay on Seaview Trail (passing by branches to Quarry and Lower Big Springs Trails on the right).
→ Make a right onto Arroyo Trail towards Lupine Trail.
Tip: The signage is very ambiguous here as well. There is also a small network of footpaths that are labeled "Arroyo Trail" on Google Maps which you may find yourself on. Just make sure you're headed in the downhill, southwest direction.
→ At the subtle junction (which at first glance appears to be a 45 degree left turn, but a small footpath reveals a right fork), stay right for the narrow, unlabeled trail which happens to be Lupine Trail. Continue your moderately steep descent until you tee into Vollmer Peak Trail.
↑ Continue briefly onto South Park Drive before bearing right onto Quarry Trail.
→ Bear right at the fork onto Lower Big Springs Trail.
← Make a left onto Seaview Trail, stay right at the hairpin turn to remain on Seaview Trail, and cross Wildcat Canyon Road.
← At the junction, make a hairpin left turn onto Curran Trail.
→ Make a right onto Wildcat Gorge Trail to return to the parking lot.
'Tis the season for poppies starting early spring!
Impressive eucalyptus groves provide much needed shade on a warm day.
We all love a good labyrinth. This one caught us by surprise!
MUSINGS
Tilden is a great place to get away from the bustle of the city and spend a day enjoying some fresh air alongside outdoorsy Berkeleyans, speedy mountain bikers, and wine-toting yuppies who have found one of the best picnic spots in the Bay. Crowds are pretty high here when the weather is nice, but for good reason.
Meadows Canyon Trail is a relatively gentle uphill warmup. It provides some pleasant views, but more spectacular views await once you cross Wildcat Canyon Road onto Seaview Trail.
We don't think you'll mind the steeper grade on Seaview Trail, because it's here that you'll catch amazing glimpses of downtown San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge. We spotted someone sitting on the hillside, surrounded by California golden poppies, casually painting one of the best scenes of the Bay. To the north, you'll be able to enjoy views of the San Pablo Reservoir. And certain parts of the trail provide a view of the iconic Mount Diablo to the east. Perhaps you'll take a seat on one of the several strategically scattered benches along this trail to soak up the views. Next time we visit, we'd love to grab some Cheeseboard and wine and relive our undergraduate glory days (Go Bears!) over a picnic with our friends.
Lupine Trail is a brief descent into a more shrubby, covered portion of the park which would provide some relief for those sunnier days. We heard a pack of coyotes howling in the vicinity, so make sure your dog is close by or on a leash as a precaution.
Wildcat Gorge Trail follows a babbling creek back to the parking lot. It's a perfect, peaceful conclusion to this hike, in our opinion!
While there are plenty of parks in the Bay Area that have bigger reputations than Tilden, we think that Tilden is an excellent, understated spot for a casual day hike. It's got views, climbs, trees, and a creek. Northern California vibes to its core.
A long winter gives way to new beginnings.
The iconic Mt. Diablo in the distance, as seen from Seaview Trail.
The omnipresent contrast between natural and urban landscapes makes Tilden one of the more interesting parks in the Bay Area.
A babbling creek and lovely tree arch await you in the final mile.
MORE INFO
Some Reminders
Remember to share the trails with mountain bikers.
Please keep the trails clean by picking up after your dog!
Helpful Resources
Official park page here.
Good Eats
Vik's Chaat serves up tasty Indian street foods. They aren't shy with their flavors, which we love.
At Wat Mongkolratanaram, also referred to as "Thai Temple," you can purchase an authentic Thai meal in the courtyard of a temple. Purchase tokens that can be redeemed for delicious curries, noodle soups, Thai tea, and more. As of this writing, they're only open Sundays, so plan ahead. Oh, and cash only!
Cheese Board Pizza serves piping fresh pizzas on a unique sourdough crust. They serve one flavor per day, so check their website ahead of time. Don't forget to grab some of their addicting green sauce to top your pie.