ROOM WITH A VIEW
The Belgum Trail is named for the founder of the Grande Vista Sanitarium that stood here from 1914 to 1977. Dr. Hendrik Belgum established this sanitarium to house drug and alcohol addicts as well as people with mental health issues. You’ll know you’re entering the sanitarium’s former grounds when you suddenly see palm trees along the Belgum Trail. Dr. Belgum perished in a brush fire behind the center in 1948. After his passing, his brother, Bernard Belgum, and sisters, Ida Ruth Belgum and Christine Heiman, tended to the estate—though they had no medical training.
When Bernard Belgum died in 1963, there were no heirs to inherit Grande Vista. The grounds were abandoned and the rest of the buildings burned down in 1977. In 1978, the East Bay Regional Park District acquired the land.
On this 0.7-mile section of the route, you’ll climb an additional 100 feet. (Dogs must be on leash here.) About 0.4 mile into Nimitz Way, a former Nike missile site is above you on the hill to your right. You also start to see Mount Diablo to the southeast and the Golden Gate Bridge to the southwest across the bay.
When you reach the San Pablo Ridge Trail, head left. After 0.1 mile, bear right to stay on the San Pablo Ridge Trail at the junction with the Mezue Trail. For me, this 1.4-mile stretch of trail with views is the highlight of this hike. Though you’ve already done most of the climbing on this route, you still have to contend with a few rolling hills and then a big descent that drops you onto the Belgum Trail at a junction with the Clark-Boas and Oil Well Trails.
Take the Belgum Trail 0.9 mile—all the way back down to the Wildcat Creek Trail. After about 0.4 mile on this trail, take a quick detour to stop at a bench to get great views of San Francisco. When you reach the Wildcat Creek Trail, turn right and continue the final 0.3 mile back to the start.
Hikers on Tilden Nature Area’s Peak Trail can catch views of Mount Diablo.
BERKELEY
Berkeley packs a lot of action into 18 square miles. To the west is the San Francisco Bay, to the east are the hills, and in between, there is UC Berkeley. The hikes in this chapter explore the best that this city has to offer.
Tilden Regional Park’s Seaview and Big Springs Loop is a pleasant, moderate loop with San Francisco views and a small stone labyrinth. And Tilden Nature Area’s Wildcat Peak, a true highlight, offers my favorite panoramic view featured in this book. Next, there are two hikes around Berkeley’s campus. First, there’s the short but steep Charter Hill and the Big C hike, which takes you to a huge letter C (for “Cal”) and gives you great views of Berkeley and San Francisco. Then, there’s the challenging Claremont Canyon and Berkeley Fire Trails route, which takes you from Berkeley’s campus up to soaring views of San Francisco—and back. Down by the bay, there is a walk along the Berkeley waterfront that explores parks and a marina transformed from their former lives as the city dump.
The chapter also features three stairway walks that highlight some of the hundreds of paths and stairways scattered throughout this city. Berkeley Paths Rock: Part I and Part II visit city parks with medium-sized and even giant boulders, a vestige of volcanic eruptions more than ten million years ago. And the Claremont Stairway Walk crosses into Oakland, passing by the Claremont Club & Spa (a.k.a. the Claremont Hotel) and urban oasis John Garber Park, which has its own 0.75-mile self-guided nature walk.
| 6 | Tilden Regional Park |
| DISTANCE: | 3.6 miles |
| ELEVATION GAIN: | 740 feet |
| HIGH POINT: | 1630 feet |
| DIFFICULTY: | Moderate |
| FITNESS: | Walkers, hikers, runners |
| FAMILY-FRIENDLY: | Yes |
| DOG-FRIENDLY: | Yes, off-leash walking is permitted; dogs prohibited in Lake Anza |
| AMENITIES: | Picnic benches and a porta-potty at Quarry picnic area where hike starts and ends; a few other benches along the trail |
| CONTACT: | East Bay Regional Park District |
| GPS: | 37°54'1.4868" N 122°15'0.2952" W |
| MAP TO: | Quarry picnic area, Wildcat Canyon Road, Berkeley, CA |
GETTING THERE
Public Transit: There isn’t a straightforward public transit option for this hike. AC Transit bus 65 takes you to Grizzly Peak Boulevard and Stevenson Avenue, 1.8 miles from the hike start. AC Transit bus 67 takes you to Central Park Drive and Lake Anza (weekends only), 1.2 miles from the hike start. These roads are not very walker-friendly.
Parking: Free parking is available near the Quarry picnic area on Wildcat Canyon Road.
Tilden Regional Park (once part of Wildcat Canyon) joined the East Bay Regional Park District in 1936 and was named for Charles Lee Tilden (1857–1950), an attorney and businessman. In the 1930s, Tilden championed the creation of a system of regional parks, and he became the first president of the East Bay Regional Park District Board of Directors.
Today, 2079-acre Tilden Regional Park has almost 40 miles of trails, some of which allow not just hikers but also bikers, dogs, and horses. (Dogs are not allowed, however, in neighboring Tilden Nature Area.) Beyond its trails, the park features a number of other attractions including a steam train, a botanic garden, an antique merry-go-round, an entertainment space called the Brazilian Room, and an eighteen-hole golf course.
The Seaview and Big Springs Loop reminds me of the three bears in Goldilocks—and not just because you can see part of the much-loved Three Bears biking route from the trail—it’s because in many aspects this hike is “just right.” It’s short, but moderate. It includes both open meadows and periods of shade and trees. It climbs enough to give you views of San Francisco, the bay, and the San Pablo Reservoir, but it doesn’t tire you out too much.
GET MOVING
Locate the trailhead for the Quarry Trail in the back of the Quarry picnic area. Turn left to follow the Seaview Trail uphill.
After 0.1 mile, you reach a trail marker for the Bay Area Ridge Trail/East Bay Skyline Trail (this is also the Seaview Trail). Stay right and continue uphill. In another 0.2 mile, you see a singletrack trail on your right, the Lower Big Springs Trail. Stay on the Seaview Trail here, but you’ll be on the upper and lower portions of the Big Springs Trail later on in this route.
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