Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve

Awesome gem tucked away in Oakland. The huckleberries are in season now so they’re ripe and absolutely delicious! Shaded hike with diverse foliage. I’d say is doable for anyone who is active. The pathways can be a little confusing, so just make sure you follow the posts for huckleberry. Check it out!

What? Huckleberry without the Hound? Some recall that old classic cartoon! Indeed, we usually use the nearby Sibley for our short hikes, mostly because of our one and only boy, Bear (the big Akita who loves trail hiking). Believe it or not – there are no dogs allowed here, and you will see why on your venture. So… one morning I took him for his usual, then went for my first hike in the Huckleberry Preserve. It is so cool that just over a stones throw from Sibley, there is a markedly different park. We are so fortunate to have the opportunity to enjoy these public places. PLEASE never take them for granted, and always respect these preserves as God’s gift here on Earth :)

Look to one side and you see the beautiful Nor-​Cal hills. Look to the other and the entire bay is beneath you feet. Truly amazing and beautiful.

The gist: There’s a nice short loop (1.5−2 miles?) that gets some pretty views and has some nice skinny trail sections (as opposed to the big fire road/​multi-​use trail that you get in a lot of the EBRPD.
I came on a quasi-​rainy sunday, and was surprised at how few folks were out. The parking area was just about full, and the area could probably hold 20 – 25 cars. it was free to park, there was a nice map nearby, also a gross porta-​potty type thing, but still, nice to have that on-​site.
While not as unique as Sibley with its geology or redwood with its redwoods, it’s a great part of the regional parks and totally worth doing the loop if you haven’t before. On the side of the trail closest to the road, there are a couple of nice offshoots that go into some cool Manzanita-​microclimates that are awesome and fun to check out.
So sad about the man who was murdered out here. There was a nice little memorial for him.

BE CAREFUL!
The day I went here, a friend and I were approached by reporters from KRON4 midway through our hike. They asked if we saw any cops down the trail and when we asked why they were looking for cops, they said a body was found here the night before I IMMEDIATELY START SWATTING MY FRIEND for convincing me to get off my lazy butt but putting me in the line of fire LOLJK. But yeah, turned out a 60-​something teacher was robbed and shot the day before :((RIP).
I still can’t rate the park low though because, I mean, who would rate nature low ahahaha.

I hiked from Silbley, Huckleberry, then to Chabot.
This is one of East Bay’s popular park. I was hiking very fast because it was 25-​mile day hike, so I didn’t stop much, but still enjoyed green bush. I saw many dogs and it was fun. (I love both dogs and cats!)

Easy 2 mile loop (great for a trail run!) or you can turn off the trail to Sibley and add another mile or so and gain some elevation ~700ft. Nice shaded hike for the summer time with some great views of Mt. Diablo. There are huckleberry and blackberry bushes on the way as well as different ferns and manzanita trees. Nice hike.

This is California Gold! There are a crazy amount of cool little eco systems on this short little trail. It’s a mild hike if you’re a hiker (I wouldn’t take someone with mobility issues on it though).
Two suggestions:
1. Grab one of the trail maps at the trail head kiosk (it’s easy to get turned around back there).
2. Watch out for poison oak!!! It’s literally waiting to jump out at you from everywhere!
Enjoy :)

This is a great hike with beautiful greenery that makes you feel like you’re out of the city, and it’s only 10 minutes away! We drove all the way up Snake Road, which took us to the entrance, and kind of did a «choose your own adventure» type deal when we came across forks — and depending on which way you choose, your hike can end up longer/​shorter. It’s mostly shady and we had fun making up stories for the sign posts (before we knew that they marked native plants). It wasn’t too hard and was easy to access for an hour or two. Hiking can often feel like it is a full day adventure, but this is a short and sweet hike that you can take on an extended lunch break!

This park is great for a short hike. Unlike Sibley, it’s mostly shaded, so you don’t have to suffer from heat. The trail doesn’t connect to Sibley, however, you have to walk on Skyline Blvd for a bit to get to Sibley. Lovely drive to get there as well.

Just when I think I have found the ultimate local park for a quick hike, another pops up on my radar! I love that being born and raised in Oakland does not mean there is ever more to discover and enjoy in this fabulous town — especially in nature.
This preserve’s dirt trail is mostly flat, with some single track and gentle rolling hills that make this a great hike for kids, native plant lovers, and runners. It’s mostly covered by an oak and California Bay canopy with lush ferns and wildflowers that hug the trail.
I hiked mid-​morning, mid week, and never ran into a soul! There is good parking, and the loop is easy fit into any busy schedule.
Note: Do not use the official park directions coming from the east bay, if you are west of the Caldecott take Snake road all the way up via Montclair from Park Blvd/​Hwy 13 instead.
Have a great hike!

This is often described in Bay Area hiking guides as an «easy» hike, but the trail conditions actually can make things challenging. The trails are overall narrow, and the lower trail can at sections be somewhat scary because of how it drops off to the side. There’s a lot of elevation wobble, and the loose dirt can make the trail perceived to be slippery even when dry. On top of that, the trail that connects the lower and upper trail in the middle of the preserve is a combination of steep steps and steep slopes (one pitch in particular was very steep) that was challenging for someone as used to hiking as I am because of my bad right leg joint. I definitely wished I brought my walking stick with me.
It may be pretty inside, but there’s not enough of the view to justify the effot for what’s supposed to be an easy urban, nature hike.

Well, this was my first time visiting the Oakland Hills, and that view of SF/​the Bay is un-​freaking-​believable. Holy crap. More and more, it becomes apparent to me that Oakland/​the East Bay is truly where it’s at in this area. My friend recommended this hike, and it’s great — a lil under 2 miles, and somewhere between an hour — 1.5 hrs. Great.

This is what I would call a quick fix hike. You need some nature but only want to commit an hour or two.
This a very sweet short roundabout hike. Nothing too strenuous, but some great plant life and a couple decent vantage points. I recommend getting the map located at the beginning of the trail. It helps with taking the right path and finding good lookouts. This hike is great for a hot sunny day because the trail is in a canopy of trees.
Have fun!

This is a nice, quick trail hidden in the Oakland hills. It’s shady all around, can be narrow at times, but not a rigorous hike. You can start at trail marker 1 or work your way backwards and start at 16. Either way, it’s one big loop that meets and takes you back to the same starting point. Stray off the main path and work your way uphill for breathtaking views of the hillside.
Tip: Don’t use your Google Maps app for directions here! The trail entrance is on Skyway but Google Maps led us all the way up the hill into a neighborhood. Luckily, a nice local resident showed us the correct direction.

Nice park in the eb-​hills. It’s a regional preserve so biking is a no-​no.
Once again, it makes you forget that you are in Oakland.

Huckleberry trail is a gorgeous hike. There were a lot of trees, so it blocked a lot of the city life and let you enjoy the natural environment. It was a shady hike, so less sweating but still exercising. Win-​win situation! It isn’t very strenuous on the body at all, I think I broke a sweat only 2 – 3 times the entire trail.
I didn’t find a spot that I could see the city in a new inspiring way from on top so if you are expecting breathtaking views from this hike, you might want to go somewhere else.
There was this spot though, that looked reminded me of the scene from Alice and Wonderland where Alice falls into the tree hole while she is looking for Mr. Rabbit. So, the spot was in the middle of the trail somewhere, and on the left side. Imagine, a tree’s roots (thin) growing out of the ground and twisting within itself while also leaving space for a certain Alice to enter. I know this doesn’t make sense, I just don’t know how to describe it, but if you see it, you might know what I am talking about. :) Use your imagination!
Since this trail is named after huckleberries, my friend and I were looking for huckleberries the entire time. I looked up huckleberries and took a picture of what I found online and even looked up poisonous berries just to be prepared. Unfortunately we didn’t find any, so I can’t tell you if they were any good.
Tips: Wear hiking shoes, long leggings/​pants (it is really dusty), bring lots of water (as always per exercising activities), and also come ready to clear your mind (let nature’s beauty sink in and leave whatever worries behind).

This is a very fast, short hike. But do bring your hiking boots and pay attention. Short doesn’t mean mindless. The trails were a little overgrown when I last went (June 2012) and I nearly brushed into a nice spiky branch across the trail. And some of the trails are pretty dang thin in spots.
This hike is good as an add-​on to a Sibley loop, or as a fast gotta-​hit-​a-​trail-​before-​sunset loop. Sometimes you just have a day that only a hike can clear from your head. 45 minutes of watching your footing as you jump little streams and brush, while listening to the sounds of nature, will clear that icky meeting/​client (in my case, Bridezilla) out of your head. Works better than two glasses of wine.
It’s not a workout hike. It’s a mind-​clear hike.
For some reason I prefer this loop backwards from the prescribed direction. To put it another way, the botanical highlights are numbered on the loop in a clockwise fashion. I like to go counterclockwise.

This is one of my favorite parks — I like to take the trail that goes down from the ridge to the spot off Pinehurst where there is a sharp bend — in the winter, you can visit BILLIONS of ladybugs that overwinter there in the clearing just before the last 100 yards before the gate at Pinehurst.
The trail goes back and forth through some very pretty, heavy woods — mostly mixed bays and oaks with some redwoods in one area — and then you have a pretty easy hike back up — it’s not too strenuous.
From the ridge top, there are outstanding views!

This is the very best jogging trail if you’re a new trail runner– a little up and down, lots of shade and natural beauty. One day while running this trail I encountered Jerry Brown (the Gov– yep) and saw a SWAT team take down a fugitive, but usually it’s a very peaceful place.
For walking, you can take the self-​guided numbered tour and learn about some native California plants.
The outhouse is gnarly, but you can always poop before you come.
Gotta leave the dog home.