Tilden Regional Park

Tilden is the GOAT place to go for a run. There are so many trails that connect to this, that, and the other. You can easily end up in Walnut Creek because you never want to turn around and head back home. You want to keep going to see what’s beyond that hill. But now you need to see what’s beyond *THIS* hill.
The hills are steep, but you really become accustomed to them after six months. If you’re looking for the most challenging run of your life, here it is:
Start on Northside. Then head up La Loma to Glendale. Hang a right on Grizzly Peak, and continue up the mountain toward Lomas Cantadas. After you find El Toyonal, take that road and then turn left at Baby Bottle Terrace. There’s a barbed wire fence that stands outside the park, but there should be an opening somewhere.
Anyways, take the Baby Bottle trail up near Volmer Peak. Beware that this is the steepest part.
Having begun the run at ~500 feet elevation, already you would have reached 1700 ft before the downhill that takes you to the Baby Bottle. The bottom of the Baby Bottle is around 950 ft, and from there it’s up to 1900 ft if you take the additional mile to Volmer Peak.
Also at the Baby Bottle, I encountered millions of these weird-​looking insects because you’re off trail in this rural area. I think wild horses are around here. Watch out for insect-​borne pathogens. Either continue on Seaview Trail or add the extra mile to get to the top with an amazing view of Mt. Diablo and points west. Then the hard part of the run is over, and it’s all downhill from there. It’s 11 miles total. Take Grizzly Peak back and then camp out at La Vals for a post-​run meal.
Alternatively, there are many other trails in the park. The Wildcat Creek trail takes you along the cool creek and then after some turns you are heading up a hill with tremendous vistas!
Tilden is a cool place to bring a date. Pack a picnic lunch and get your girly girl out into nature because we can only go to Santana Row so many times to look at the Tesla showroom, ogle at all the yocool Maserati drivers, and stuff. Nothing against Santana Row though!
Tilden is Berkeley’s hidden treasure. Go out and explore, and remind yourself how beautiful nature can be.

Great place to take a significant other, hike around, enjoy the weather… The air tastes delicious out here

Finally made it out to Tilden Regional and it definitely lives up to its hype. Went on a beautiful California day, hence the weather was perfect. There was some nice steep climbs and worth the hard work when you get to the top and see the view. I do wish there were markers but if you have a map, it’s easy enough to follow. I must come back and try a different trail.

This park is truly a gem in the Bay Area. Tilden park is a huge park that connects from Richmond all the way up to Berkeley. Because the park is huge here are many picnic areas, a private hall for weddings and parties, hiking trails, little farm, playgrounds, large open fields, lake anza, golf course, mini train, flower garden, merry go round, and great scenic routes all around. The park itself is always well taken care of and there is always park rangers around the are to keep an eye on things. The park can get pretty busy during the spring and summer time as the area is a popular hang out spot during that time of the season. One of my favorite parks to go to for a golf run, hike or for a nice peaceful drive around. Definitely check this place out of you haven’t already!

Tilden Regional Park is gorgeous. You get to see breathtaking views of the bay, eucalyptus trees and coast live oak as you drive up here! Similar to what many claim, Tilden is an east bay gem, comparable to other beautiful trails nearby, i.e., Wildcat Canyon.
The first time I came here was for the Berkeley Adventure Run. It’s a huge park with shady trails that (depending on elevation gain) are moderately challenging.
It’s perfect for hikers, trail runners, bikers or simply those who love outdoors. Along the seaview trail you can find some benches where you can catch a spectacular glimpse of the skies. It’s perfect to watch the sunrise or sunset overlooking the bay, the Golden Gate bridge or even the Mt. Tam on clear days.
As for other sights, the botanical garden and the farms here are well maintained
Make sure to dress in layers here in the morning as it could get very chilly, especially in the canyon areas. Also, I lose cell reception every time I go here (I have AT&T) — so that’s something to keep in mind when you check in or try to contact other people.

Tilden Regional Park is a gem that should be appreciated by anyone living in the East Bay. From westbound 24, coming in from Walnut Creek, you can access the park via Fish Ranch Road (exit Fish Ranch, make a right, then right on Grizzly Peak and soon you will start to see signs for various attractions in the park,) or taking the Orinda exit (right on San Pablo Dam Road and then left on Wildcat Canyon.) Over the years, I’ve gotten lost a few times given that cell phone and GPS service is spotty. However, the windy roads have gotten to be a happy familiarity to me and I also have noticed better signage develop in the park more recently.
There are so many adventures to be had in the park– you can come back several weekends in a row and never do the same thing twice. It’s free to enter the park and there are so many well maintained facilities and attractions. I am so lucky to live in an area where a wonderful and generous park like this can exist. Some of my favorite areas are as follows:
–Tilden Nature Area Visitor Center. There is a small but educational center here. It has trail maps of Tilden and other East Bay parks, some cute diamoramas and displays of the East Bay animals and geography, as well as a small gift shop. This is a great jumping off point if you want to simply familiarize yourself with the park. The docents here are very helpful-they’ll point out appropriate trails for your skill level and give you directions to other areas of the park.
–Little Farm (separate review written) Feeding the cows and goats, seeing bunnies, and getting to pet said animal friends is one of my favorite activities in the park!
–Hiking! I’ve hiked quite a few trails, but still haven’t hit them all. A favorite loop of mine starts out behind the visitor’s center. Follow the signs to Laurel Canyon which will loop you up to Wildecat Peak. From there you can take the Peak trail back down. I particularly love this hike because it takes you through oak forests, eucalyptus, views of the small canyon, foot bridges, expansive views of the Bay & park and chaparral areas.
–Botanical Gardens (separate review written) Free with an amazing California Natives collection and it’s own redwood grove
–Inspiration Point (separate review written). Well travelled, paved walking trail
–Lake Anza. Great short hike around the lake
–If you visit their web site, you will see many free and educational activities for kids and kids at heart. I’ve noticed everything from twilight docent led hikes to bird walks and more!
–AND MORE (steam trains, carousel, many picnic areas and scenic views throughout the drive.)
Tilden also has a featured hike in the 2016 East Bay Regional Park Trails challenge:
I’m happy to say I logged this hike for my challenge: Laurel Canyon/​Wildcat Peak.
Tilden is truly the playground of the East Bay and should be enjoyed and appreciated to the fullest extent! It’s free to enter, free to park and you can spend the better part of the day visiting various areas. Other tips: Dress in layers (woods and canyon areas can be chilly, while many hillside hikes are open to the sun,) bring plenty of water and snacks (a picnic lunch is a great idea if you plan to stay all day since there are no concessions in the park,) wear shoes
you can get muddy, bring celery and lettuce to feed the farm animals and bring your inner
child ready to stay and play,.
#2 East Bay Regional Parks 2016 Trails Challenge
Miles Hikes: 3.15
Total Miles of challenge: 5.15

A great FREE garden in a great park.
I loved strolling through here on weekends with my coworkers. There’s plenty to see for 2 to 3 hours here. It’s not tiny and I was very impressed. There are tours here but we just did our own thing.
This is a wonderful place to unwind and chill.

Its a gorgeous hike me and my buddy (dog) went on a long hike plenty of off leash trails, moderate level trail not too strenuous and not that easy either. I saw quite a few wild animals along the trails… Nature, views and overall ambience is terrific, love this park…

Nothing is better than getting away on a nice hike. After a long crazy work week I like to get away for a few hours in the early mornings. I always tend to end up at a tilden park. The trails here are amazing ! It’s never super crowded unless you come on an holiday. Once you get here you have so many great choices. It’s trails after trails of hidden gems. The farm is super cute a great place to take the kids or adults that act like kids. Then you have the train fun fun fun! Don’t let me forget the free botanical garden! Oh shoot and the carousel i mean really this place is awesome. There is nothing like hiking in this park. If you looking for an adventure or just a place hang this place has it all!

Go way up high, above Grizzly Peak Blvd, and up on Wildcat Canyon Road to the parking spot for Quarry Trail and Seaview Trail (It’s before «Inspiration Point»). When hiking, make sure you head uphill towards Seaview Trail: you’ll know it by giant (exotic) eucalyptus trees. Along the crest of the Seaview trail you’ll find a couple of humble park benches that overlook the entire panoramic view of the San Francisco Bay. This is one of the best spots to view sunsets over the entire Bay.
The trail is mostly deserted and the overview spot (built on a platform that once hosted a military canon or viewpost of some sort) doesn’t have any special sign or marker giving pointers about all the features/​islands/​bridges on view. It always surprises me how these amazing spots in the U.S.A are improperly billed for their true value. This should really be a tourist highlight, alongside Lombard Street in San Francisco but it’s probably overlooked for various reasons such as the need to walk on a non-​developed trail, uphill for over ½ mile; lack of public transportation access; lack of lighting, and so forth.
This spot is deserted and can be romantic. Get you a bottle of wine, warm woolies for the chilly breezes off the Bay, and enjoy the magnificent sunset views from Seaview trail.

We visited to botanical gardens. Wow it was free? We love Berkeley and so checked this out on our way out to dinner. The garden wasn’t crowded and were really well kept. We were able to see a decent amount of the displays but not everything as we had a stroller for our baby.
We also went on the stream train ride for $ 3 each (kids under 2 are free). Best train ride in the Bay Area by far! And the view was spectacular!

We did the Quarry hike. Moderate hike that should be accessible to most people. Great views and very close to Berkeley so you can grab lunch or dinner afterward.
On balance I recommend it if you’re looking for a 1 – 2 hour hike.
Pros:
+ awesome views of the city to the west and Mt. Diablo and rolling hills to the east
+ close to the city and to Berkeley and Oakland
+ free entry and parking
Cons:
+ pretty windy (not sure if like that all the time but exposed on the ridge so guessing usually high winds)
+ moderate traffic, we saw lots of people on the trail
+ signs of civilization (you can see power lines, a golf course, etc)

A beautiful part of the chain of east bay hills parks, from north to south:
— Wildcat
— Tilden
— Sibley
— Huckleberry
— Redwood Regional
— Lake Chabot
Tilden has small micro climates. You might find yourself walking or running along a trail and putting your sweater on, just to take it off again when you climb back out of a small dip in the trail.

This is such a wonderful park!
It surprisingly has plenty of spots for bbq and secluded spacing to relax and spread out!
I love the lake and hiking is possible if you want to go for some cardio exercise. There’s also a farmhouse — great for children to be entertained at.
It was an enjoyable day here to gather, eat and be merry at.

I discovered this park because a couple of the park’s trails are featured in the East Bay Regional Parks trails challenge this year. What an awesome place for hiking! I went in a loop that consisted of the following trails: Volmer Peak, Lower Big Springs and Seaview. It is steep in places but nothing too over the top. I had a tough time here and there mostly because I am not that fit. The exertion is worth it because there are wonderful panoramic views of the bay and San Francisco almost at every turn. And when you start heading east, you can see all of the way to Mount Diablo.
I suggest packing a lunch and enjoying it on one of the benches stationed along the path. You can eat and enjoy the view at the same time. There is no water and no bathrooms on the trail so be sure you take care of your needs before heading out. I parked at the steam train area where there are public bathrooms. My reward for finishing the trail was going on the steam train for the first time. A perfect way to end a beautiful day.

Great park to take hikes in. My parents come here almost everyday to hike along Jewel Lake and Wildcat Canyon. Lots of wildlife that can be observed along those trails and they aren’t too strenuous either.
Hiking around Lake Anza, the Merry Go-​Round, the Petting Zoo and the train are also favorites for little ones.

I went here while visiting. I did not venture down to see the cows, I guess that’s a thing.
Parking was easy at the top of the hill and the walk is nice. It was a sunny day and I got a nice view of the bay and he Golden Gate Bridge as you can see in the photo.
Great place for runners and bikers. I really enjoyed little stroll we took.

I found this little gem on Weekend Shepra and OMG I still cannot believe that I have never been there nor heard of Tilden and I have lived in the bay-​area most of my life. The Inspiration Point trail was nothing short of breath taking. From the peak, you are almost as high as Mt. Diablo and can see ever bridge in the bay– just beautiful.
Lake Tiden was a cool little bonus. Its like Don Castro only cleaner and a bit smaller, too. I will most certainly be back and really enjoyed the 7.5 mile hike.

Stopped by yesterday because we were nearby (tasting cakes) and found the best weather. I just hope it’ll be like this next year.
Still no (AT&T) cellular signal up there so I checked-​in later at home.
There are botanic gardens along Wildcat Canyon Road on the way up to the park.
The Brazil Room looked wonderful, although there was a sign that it was occupied so I didn’t get a closer look. The weather was great also.

If you’re looking for a super easy weekend outdoor activity in the Berkeley area, Tilden is a good spot to check out.
We parked as close as we could to Lake Anza and did a whole loop around it which wasn’t difficult at all for most entry level hikers.
We didn’t go too far off the obvious trail around the lake, just because we had lunch and beer on the brain, but it took about 45 minutes with a few detours to take pictures and stop and check out the beach.
If you’re looking for a relaxing spot to take the dog swimming that’s not too far off the beaten path, or you’re just looking for a quick outdoorsy thing to do, add Tilden Regional Park to your bookmarks!

Such a beautiful park in the east bay. …this park is so BIG and so hard to find but so damn worth visiting. great for hiking, jogging, having picnic, and just enjoying nature. there’s a farm so plz bring lots of celery and lettuce to feed the farm animal, and they also have train rides. very beautiful park!
there’s 2 entrance to get into Little Farm Park… easiest way to find the Little Farm is to make a sharp turn into an almost hidden road that’s across from a big Church, go striat down that road then make a left to the Indian Camp parking lot. U will see a kids playground on right side. Park your car here. At the end of this road is the walking entrance to the little farm. They have 3 big nice n very clean bathrooms, one at this front entrance, 2^nd on the right towards the barn animal, and the 3^rd one u will find it wen u hike towards the Rat Pack Trail. (there is no rat anywhere).
All parks r free n has free parking as well. of course the train ride n merry go round rides has a small fee. there’s no where to buy food here, no vending either so dun try to look for one, bring ur own food n drinks!
Wonderful most amazing park thru out, so damn freaking clean too, one thing I didnt like was the signs, the direction signs wasnt clear, some signs dun have arrows, some road should have signs to tell u which park is which, and there sud be more signs to tell u where to find the different parks, there’s also many turns to take but no clear direction to tell u which u sud take!
if u are meeting someone here n its ur first time, its best to meet them somewhere away from this park such as at the nearby Church, then follow each other to which ever park u want to go cuz once u are inside the park area, there’s NO signal at all!
the road r very grizzly and curvy n small so plz DO NOT TEXT OR TALK ON PHONE WHILE DRIVING, there’s many bicycling too!

Tilden Regional Park is a massive 2000+ acre park located just northeast of San Francisco and Oakland in northeast Berkeley. It’s a very hilly, almost mountainous, and tree-​dense park with many trails and attractions such as the Regional Parks Botanic Garden, Little Farm, vintage merry-​go-​round, Lake Anza, and an 18-​hole, 6,300-yard golf course. It’s a free and fantastic getaway for folks in the Bay Area.
The roadways into and out of Tilden are curvy and windy with plenty of inclines. Drive carefully as there are many hikers, bikers, families, children, and pets around. There are lots of nooks and crannies to this sprawling park. We parked at both the parking lot on Central Park Drive, near the Tilden Nature Area and the Little Farm, and at the parking lot at Inspiration Point off Wildcat Canyon Road. On a busy and beautiful Sunday, we had no problems finding a parking spot in either of these lots.
We took my almost-​two-​year-​old niece here and had a blast. We spent most of our time at the Little Farm feeding animals, playing at the playground on Central Park Drive, and checking out the amazing views at Inspiration Point. On our visit, the park’s hours were listed as follows:
Gates open: 8am — 7pm
Park curfew: 10pm — 5am
There’s no charge to enter the park and some of the attractions are free such as feeding the animals at the Little Farm and visiting the Botanical Garden. If you plan to plan to visit the Little Farm, which I highly recommend, you must bring your own celery and lettuce to feed the animals. There are cows, goats, pigs, ducks, geese, lamb, and more. Celery and lettuce are the only foods you’re allowed to feed to the animals.
Also recommended is the old Tilden Park merry-​go-​round. It’s an authentic antique carousel originally built in New York in 1911. The carousel is filled with restored wooden menagerie animals. It costs $ 2 per ride. You can buy a seven-​ride ticket book for $ 10. Another ride for kids is the miniature steam engine. The trains cost $ 3 per ride or $ 12 for five rides. For both attractions, children under two are free!
Each attraction has different hours than the general park hours. Consult a park map or check out Tilden Regional Park’s web site (
) for specific hours.
There are numerous trails for hikers, horses, and bicycles. The park’s map will let you know who/what’s allowed on each trail. There’s a popular, paved, four-​mile long trail that stretches from Inspiration Point to El Sobrante. The trail has great views and magnificent panoramas of the Bay Area.
The park is teeming with picnic tables and benches as well as multiple grills. The restrooms are in satisfactory condition. Overall, I think this park is cleaner and better maintained than the parks inside San Francisco proper.

Oh berkeley! You have seemed to amaze me again with this lovely amazing park! So many things to see and explore ;)
Came here as this was my first time. I was a little skeptical at first because as soon as we entered the park I had lost all phone service!
This park is amazing for all ages, I mean you have the small park for little children, you have the free farm area like the cows, sheep’s, and the chickens. I felt like a little kid all over again! It was amazing. I wish I would have known that we could feed the animals. Don’t forget to bring lettuce or celery to feed the animals! ;)
Not only do they have the farm but also the small train for children up to ages 7 and they have the carousel.
We took a nice hike up the trail afterwards which was very nice and peaceful! There were so many different ways you could take I didn’t know where to start! This park is indeed huge! It was so nice to be able to explore the park and see all the different parts.
On our walk we was able to pet a big snake that one of the hikers had on the trail! Whoot whoot first experience for me and totally NOT in the plans. I’m excited to come back here again for another weekend adventure! I feel that there is so much to see and do here!
Definitely a great park to experience and explore when in berkeley!

Wow, I don’t even know where to begin. Wow. Mind = Blown.
My pal and I decided that we would go hiking on a beautiful day like the day we went to Tilden. It was a little bit of a confusing drive, but just set «Tilden Regional Park» on Google maps, and you’ll be just fine.
After parking, the adventure begun! I had to go potty and was too grossed out to use public park restrooms cause they’re usually trashed and filled with grossness. It took a lot of courage and support to enter the vicinity, but I eventually did. To my surprise, Tilden proved me wrong. I was amazed by how clean the restrooms were. Wow. Wow.
I’d say Tilden was a getaway; a nice stroll in the park while admiring the beauty of every single thing around with good company made this day complete. With every step, the bay was in sight. It was quiet and mellow, and sometimes we’d come across other friendly individuals doing exactly what we were doing, embracing everything around us.
After a while, we eventually reached the top, and just in time too. The sun was setting. Wow. Wow. In front of me was the bay the bay bridge to one side and the golden gate bridge to the other. To my right was the forest. Behind me was a huge lake, and by my side was my best bud. Super!
We left a little before the sun completely set because the dark comes fast. Although it eventually turned pitch black, it was still and peaceful.
Tips: Bring a flashlight just in case cause it turns to dusk quickly. There are no garbage cans around so be prepared to hold your trash.
Overall, I’d definitely come again to enjoy the other trails at Tilden. The options are endless. This place can continue to wow me. TIlden holds a special place in my heart. (cue aww)

I’ll admit I’m biased, and will probably rate parks in Oakland over anything else — e. g, Joaquin Miller park, still, Tilden is pretty stunning. From the merry-​go-​round, to Lake Anza and the steam trains, so the stunny vistas of the Bay and inland areas, it’s a pretty nice place to visit.
My biggest beef is the singage, the roads through it are very windy, and there’s some complex intersections, and despite several visits, I’ve taken several wrong turns. A couple of large maps woulnd’t go amiss.
Hopefully go back soon though, and try out some of the hikes.