Upcoming Hikes
El Cerrito Hillside Festival 2025
Saturday - Sunday, May 3 - 4, all day at various locations in the El Cerrito Hillside
Saturday - Sunday, May 3 - 4, all day at various locations in the El Cerrito Hillside
Join us for many hikes led by experts on varied topics throughout the weekend. For a PDF file of the Hillside Festival Brochure, including a map of the Hillside Natural Area indicating the locations for the start of each event, click here (opens new page or tab).
Recent Hikes
BioBlitz 2025
Saturday, April 26, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm. Meet at end of Regency Court
Saturday, April 26, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm. Meet at end of Regency Court
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Join us for a BioBlitz to explore, discover, and learn about the wildlife and biodiversity in the Hillside Natural Area (HNA). With oak woodlands, small creeks, and open meadows, the HNA hosts a remarkable amount of biodiversity, but there is still so much we don’t know.
This BioBlitz event is part of the 2025 City Nature Challenge, a global friendly competition among cities to make the most observations of their local plants and wildlife April 25-28. It helps (1) El Cerrito’s planning to manage and conserve the HNA while making it more fire resilient, (2) the SF Bay Area’s stats and rank in the CNC global competition, and (3) scientists more broadly to understand biodiversity and the effects of climate change. No experience needed - ambassadors & wildlife experts will be on hand to help us explore. If you can, please install the iNaturalist app on your device and create an account. If you can’t, please join us regardless. Meet at the trailhead at the end of Regency Court (Map it: 1590 Regency Court, El Cerrito). |
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San Francisco Pier to Pier
Sunday, April 13, 2:00 - 5:00 pm.
Sunday, April 13, 2:00 - 5:00 pm.
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Join El Cerrito Trail Trekkers on a San Francisco Pier to Pier Hike on Sunday, April 13, 2 to 5 pm. Meet at the rear, bay side of the Ferry Building at the northeastern end of the building (find Gott’s and then walk behind it to the bay side of the building).
Years ago, finger piers reaching into the sea formed the shorelines of many American cities. Most cities have lost their piers – but not San Francisco. Several have been restored and opened to the public – and more will see similar changes in the future. Learn about their history and future as we walk from the Ferry Building to Pier 39’s sea lions. Consider joining us at a café after the hike. Dress in layers! Leader: Dave Weinstein, 510-529-5432, [email protected] |
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Harem Scarem Walk:
El Cerrito History Through the Eyes of a Local Author
Saturday, April 5, 2025, 1-3 PM
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Learn about El Cerrito in the 1930s and 1940s on this guided walk which highlights the places referred to in Neva Calvert Carpenter’s 2006 memoir, Harem Scarem: The Life of a Little Girl Growing up in El Cerrito, California. Barbara Lass and Meredith McGuire will lead this 3 mile walking tour at an easy pace on level ground with one short optional climb.
The starting point for the hike is the southwest corner of Pomona and Fairmount. This event is co-sponsored by El Cerrito Trail Trekkers and the El Cerrito Historical Society. The El Cerrito Historical Society Book Club will meet to discuss Harem Scarem on Saturday, March 29, at 2 PM at the Kensington Public Library. All are welcome. For more information on this meeting, click here to visit the El Cerrito Historical Society website. You do not have to read the book to enjoy this walk. Those interested in reading it can download a PDF version at this Google Drive location, also linked from the El Cerrito Historical Society website. If you would like a paper copy, please contact Barbara Lass by email: barbara.lass --at-- att.net. |
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Friday Sunset Ramble
Friday, March 21, 2025, 5:00 pm
Friday, March 21, 2025, 5:00 pm
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Celebrate Spring and later sunsets on an evening hike through the Hillside Natural Area with El Cerrito Trail Trekkers’ Alina Constantinescu on Friday, March 21 from 5:00 to 7:30 pm. Meet at the Memorial Grove entrance to the Hillside Natural Area on Schmidt Lane near the Recycling Center. The green hills are nothing short of spectacular this time of the year. The hike is about 3.7 miles and 800 feet elevation gain. It is expected to take 2.5 hours. The trails are steep, but we'll walk at a moderate pace, with breaks as needed to enjoy the scenery and the conversation. Free.
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Madera Open Space 10th Anniversary
Wednesday, March 19, 2025, 6:00 pm
Wednesday, March 19, 2025, 6:00 pm
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Attend a celebration marking the 10th anniversary of the preservation of Madera Open Space. The city acquired Madera Open Space, a central part of the Hillside Natural Area, on March 19, 2014, thanks to the effort of Trekkers, the El Cerrito High School Mountain Biking Team, Trust for Public Land, and dozens of volunteers and donors.
Let’s celebrate this accomplishment 10 years later to the day with a compact stroll of about 45 minutes through the many diverse areas that make this 7.5 acres so special: grassland dotted with native flowers, a riparian corridor along a year round creek, oak forest and more. The Madera Open Space connects the two sides of the Hillside Natural Area, providing opportunities for loop hikes. |
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Did you help save this land by working or donating to its purchase? Join us! Are you just learning about this preservation campaign for the first time? Please attend.
Meet at 6 p.m. by the sign honoring donors who helped purchases this valuable property. It is just below the stairs to the open space from Madera Circle, with the trailhead between 1552 and 1560 Madera Circle.
Footsteps to the Past: Hiking Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline
Sunday, February 23, 10 am - 12:00 pm
Sunday, February 23, 10 am - 12:00 pm
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Join El Cerrito Trail Trekkers for Footsteps to the Past: Hiking Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline. Walk the water’s edge and climb Potrero Ridge for magnificent bay views. The peaceful park you see today belies the struggle for its preservation and the slow process of reclaiming nature from industry. Peek into a storied past as we visit spots such as Ferry Point, terminus of the transcontinental railroad, and Nicholl Knob, where the Botts airship was once wrecked. Retired East Bay Regional Parks supervising naturalist Dave Zuckermann leads this easy-paced 2.5-mile hike with a few very, very steep sections. Free.
Meet at the park’s main entrance: the first parking lot to the right off Dornan Drive in Richmond: https://www.ebparks.org/parks/miller-knox#reach. |
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Sausalito Stairways
Saturday, January 18, 3:00 - 5:00 pm
Saturday, January 18, 3:00 - 5:00 pm
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Join El Cerrito Trail Trekkers in Sausalito on Saturday, January 18th at 3:00 pm for a Sausalito Stairway hike as we explore some of Sausalito’s most charming public stairways and paths – and some of the more obscure. There will be many very steep stairs and the footing can get questionable, especially if it is wet. We will also discuss historical and architectural tidbits about this fascinating town.
Join the group after the hike for refreshments in a local watering hole. Led by David Weinstein. Meet at the corner of Bee and Bonita streets. |
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