SF Bay Area long day hikes

[Amy Lauterbach]

We have just published a route guide for 32 different twenty-mile day hikes scattered throughout the SF Bay Area. Since we have walked all of these, we decided that Post-Trip Reports might be the best place to share the information. Many of these hikes might make good training walks for backpacking trips or challenging day outings for folks visiting the Bay Area from out of town. Perhaps some BPL members could walk one or more these and tell us what they think.

Please see: http://doingmiles.com/bay-area-twenties/

Amy and James

[Greg Mihalik]

Thank you Amy.

I’ve been looking for an excuse to visit the Bay.  This is it.

[Rex Sanders]

Fantastic! I’ve hiked most of your list in shorter segments over the decades, and you have chosen many outstanding hikes.

Time to start working my way through the list.

Thanks!

— Rex

[David Thomas]

Thanks for a great resource.  I’m usually in the East Bay (and go around Lake Chabot) or in Inverness and hike in Tomales Bay State Park and the National Seashore.  It’s a nice reminder of how much variety there is to be sampled.

My stupidest SFBA hike was though Chabot, Redwood, Huckleberry, Roundtop, Sibley, Tilden, Wildcat Canyon and back again.  My only ever 100 km day hike.  Back in the Reagan administration.

[Ryan “Rudy” Oury]

Man does this make me miss living in the Bay Area!! So much good hiking within a short drive, or even BART ride. If I end up back there, will def refer to this great resource!

[Bruce Tolley]

Amy and James

Many thanks!  I am always looking for hikes and routes I can do close to home not to mention backpacking recommendation for the local Boy Scout Troop.

[Adam White]

Did you consider Rose Peak (#5 on the nifty ninety) and the Ohlone Wilderness?

From either Sunol or Del Valle, it is around 20 miles R/T to Rose Peak. From Del Valle, you can add Murrieta Falls, which purportedly has water, sometimes (I jest–I have seen it flowing). The entire Ohlone trail as a one-way is another great dayhike, but perhaps not in the vein of your post; it is ~29 miles, with no convenient way to return to your starting point via public transportation.

One criterion of yours that it seems to violate is parking–both Sunol and Del Valle charge a few bucks to park, and only allow access during park hours. This seems like a minor inconvenience, given the surprising isolation, beauty, wildlife, and views.

[Amy Lauterbach]

Adam,

Sorry for the delayed response; we just returned home from a river trip in Utah. In answer to your question, yes we did consider Rose Peak as a possible route. We have been up it several times and agree completely with your positive assessment of the area. The reason we did not include it is that as far as we know, Rose can only be done as an out and back if you wish to return to your car, and, as you say, a through hike is 29 miles. We believe Sunol only opens at 8 AM, meaning a very late start. You can get into Del Valle earlier in the morning and park near the boat ramps near the main picnic area.

We do include Rose Peak in our Big Diablo Loop. http://doingmiles.com/route-big-diablo-loop/

regards,

James and Amy

 

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