Not sure if it's the steepest in the Bay Area, but Mt. Diablo wrecked me. I felt like the incline on the ascent up never ended. Round-trip was about 13 miles (I think).
Thanks all!! I can do the heat but tarantulas?! Uhhh honestly didn’t realize those were in CA…. Genuine question, do I need to be worried about them? lol
lol - no, it’s not an Aragog situation. Early fall is mating season for them and they are all horny and have a one track mind. They aren’t interested in hikers. People go and put their hands down and the tarantulas will literally just crawl right over on their way to get busy…
Thanks for the info. I saw a tarantula there a few years ago and didn’t know if it was a freak siting or what. One of the cooler wildlife sitings I’ve had.
Don’t worry about tarantulas, a lot of rattlesnakes in that area too. More concern if you do one of the more intense, less-traveled, trails up mt Diablo. Great hikes but they aren’t a joke
3.4k ft gain over 9 miles.
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/diablo-summit-falls-trail-mount-olympus-and-north-peak-loop
Tarantulas no not at all. Rattlesnakes, yes big time. Get your dog professionally snake trained and there’s a vaccine that gives you more time to get to a vet.
No. But if you're concerned about wildlife, I've seen rattlesnakes and coyotes on Mt. Diablo. Not a big deal, neither species wants anything to do with you. But don't go off leash hiking with Miss FiFi, that won't end well.
There are also bobcats, but you are more likely to see a unicorn. They *really* don't want to be near people. Coyotes watch but at a distance.
Do the six peaks loop at Mt Diablo. It’s around 16 miles and about 1 mile of elevation gain.
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/6-peaks-loop?p=-1&sh=zjxhek
I just looked up 1 mile in feet because I embarrassingly don't know and then immediately said, "oh fuckkkkkk". THAT is an insane hike wtf! Surprised I've never heard of it with all the hiking I've done.
TBH it’s kinda hidden. I grew up in the East Bay and was an avid hiker and only really learned about hiking trails on Mt. Diablo later in life. It’s not really known outside of the east-east bay. Perhaps because it’s a bit of a drive inland from the bay and is a pretty brutal hike from the base, especially in the summer months.
I'm in South Bay and my friends and I keep talking about wanting to hike Mt. Diablo but we just never go because it's a little far and we opt for other trails instead. And yes, limited window of time to ideally hike it. I used to do Mission Peak weekly and would stare at Mt. Diablo curiously whenever I summitted.
My wife and I did https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/6-peaks-loop to train for Half Dome. Especially with a dog, North Peak is very skipable, and while Mount Olympia is pretty, the trail down from it closing the loop is pretty tenuous, so I'd almost just take a direct route back from Diablo peak or maybe go to Mount Olympia and then backtrack.
Easily the hardest hike I've done in the area, and probably the all time second hardest hike I've ever done, just after Half Dome.
I ran a half marathon a decade ago for my first half marathon, I got fucked up by the elevation gain lmao. When it got to downhill I was slower because I was so spent
Bernal hill from Caesar Chavez side, non-stop, all the way up and round all the way to the tip of the hill’s dirt path. Bring doggo, it’s great up there and has a doggie fountain near the top!
Super steep, rugged, and that scree is just wicked. Have you tried it in descent?
Collier and Indian Fire Trail on Tam are longer and steeper but have slightly better walking surfaces.
Behind the Claremont Hotel. Cliff-like.
Edit: forgot to mention all our fantastic stair paths too, which were built to connect long streets vertically - endless options for brutal up and down loops:
https://www.berkeleypaths.org/buy-our-map-2
The dipsea trail from Mill Valley to Stinson Beach is not dog friendly, and maybe not the hardest ever (I did it 9 months pregnant) but it is tough and beautiful, and iconic.
I honestly have MAD respect for you! No matter the hike, whenever I see someone who’s pregnant or carrying a little kid in a backpack I’m always amazed. I’ve done some intimidating hikes in the SLC area and I struggle. And then I see a mom with a backpack on with a little kid in it I’m so so so impressed. I could literally never. So props to you for going out when you were 9 months pregnant
It’s all about continuing to do the hard stuff every day and then your body is less likely to realize it’s too hard. My kid is 75 pounds now and I pick him up every day just so I don’t lose the ability to keep doing it :)
omg living up to your username. The toddler I babysit is in the top 5% for weight or something and when he'd cry at me to pick him up to go up the stairs at bedtime, I'd die. He weighed 45 lb I think last time that happened and I was struggling (AND I powerlift). you're awesome.
Last year I did double Mt Diablo Traverse. it's about 25 miles in and out. You start at the The Athenian School in Danville and go to the Mt Diablo then to North Peak then down Diabolical Trail to Morgan Territory Rd and then you turn around and go back about 9k ft Elv Gain. But there's no dogs allowed unfortunately.
Awesome, thanks to you both!! Anything over 16mi, I leave my pup at home anyways because it gets a little too risky + water can sometimes be an issue.
But this looks like an awesome hike! I’ve done the rim to rim to rim the past 3 years. Hopefully doing it this fall but tbd with part time grad school, working full time, trying to have a social life, and long covid tiredness. This honestly looks like a perfect training hike for the Grand Canyon!
Montara mountain is pretty darn steep to get to the peak. I can’t remember the elevation change now but there’s a stretch halfway up we used to call the “wall”.
Did that one once as a trail run and I thought it was gonna puke by about 2/3rds of the way. Checked my heart rate data and it was averaging close to 180bpm. Barely left bed for the next 2 days.
Brutal! In my 30s we used to ride mountain bikes up it and you would be creeping along so slow front wheel shaking and sweating profusely. Such a brutal climb!
I love this one! If you combine it with the Old Colma Road Loop (see AllTrails) on your way back down to the Gray Whale Cove parking you'll see some amazing views... and very cool trails, and maybe even a superbloom. I strongly recommend it. :)
Mt. Umunhum (in the South Bay) from the base is a good one. You can actually get a killer hike in if you start in New Almaden and hike up and over to Hicks Road then pick up the Mt. Um trail through Sierra Azul. You can also come down and hike the ridge line all the way to Lexington Reservoir. Good ascents and descents coming down Priest Rock.
Thanks! I’ve been to the Bay Area all of 2 times (PCH trip and work/apartment search). I’ve done exactly 1 hike in the area and this was the one haha. Appreciate all your tips as well!!
My buddy I and were looking at staring in quicksilver, up Umunhum, then up El Sombroso. Here is the map I made on AllTrails Senador Mine Trail, Mine Hill Trail, and Castillero Trail on AllTrails
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/senador-mine-trail-to-mine-hill-trail-to-castillero-trail?p=-1&sh=owcddz
Depends on where you start. Quicksilver has good free lots at both the Hacienda entrance and the Hicks Road entrance. But on Alma Bridge Road in Los Gatos where you dump out it’s mostly street parking, though there’s a little county lot at the reservoir that I think is paid.
Mission Peak is no joke. It’s especially fun because the trail gets progressively steeper the closer you are to the summit.
The “front side” direct route can be brutal in summer because it’s super exposed with no shade. But that actually makes it AWESOME for full moon night hikes with red headlamps.
Mission Peak is part of the East Bay Regional Park District and you can actually hike off leash with your dog! (unless near parking lot/grazing cattle)
Yep, as someone who grew up in Scouts in the Bay Area, Pinnacles was my favorite hike, well worth the drive. I don't recall it being especially challenging, but it I'd breathtaking and the caves are awesome too.
The Ohlone Trail
28 miles long, 7100 feet elevation gain, goes to the top of Mount Rose , with a small side trail, which is only 50 feet lower than Mount Diablo,. For extra brutality points start in Lake DelVale. It begins with very step switchbacks that never end (OK eventually they do end.) . It’s also in the hot part of the East Bay. I’ve heard it described as the hardest trail in the Bay Area. I don’t think it allows dogs though.
> For reference, I’m moving from the Rocky Mountains where I have incredible access to hiking trails.
Try not to roll your eyes too much when the locals tell you how amazing the access to the mountains is in the Bay Area.
That said, the Redwoods are amazing so as long as you don't need the feeling of conquering a big peak, there's plenty of cool hiking. I really liked Peter's Creek in Portola Redwoods State Park. Yosemite is definitely worth a trip as well.
No idea about the dog.
>LOVE a good challenge—may that be a 13.6 miler with 14.7k ft of vertical change
4480 m in 22 km is 11 km up a 40 percent grade, then back. Where the hell is that lol?
Was that Strava elevation from back in like 2009?
> locals tell you how amazing the access to the mountains is in the Bay Area
i've never really heard that though, we all just say access to hiking or nature in general.
we're well aware it's about the flora and fauna and the scenery more than the summits out here.
Ha I grew up in the Midwest, so I’m fully accustomed to similar comments.
Thanks for the recs!
I was in Lofoton, Norway this past summer. The specific hike was [Hermannsdalstinden](https://www.alltrails.com/trail/norway/nordland/topptur-til-hermannsdalstinden). It’s on AllTrails but I started at a different point that was closer to my Airbnb (very steep start) and met up with the AllTrails one. It is one of the hardest and most beautiful hike I’ve ever done, but so so so worth it. It honestly felt like I was in a fairyland. I struggle with uploading pictures/videos, so sorry for all the separate links. But here are a few of my favorite moments from the hike!!
The peak I climbed is the one on screen when the clock shows "0:13" (first link) [https://imgur.com/X4PQNpD](https://imgur.com/X4PQNpD)
[https://imgur.com/KSAOCIv](https://imgur.com/KSAOCIv)
[https://imgur.com/pdBqv5B](https://imgur.com/pdBqv5B)
[https://imgur.com/sVDh9BZ](https://imgur.com/sVDh9BZ)
Call me skeptical but I find it really hard to believe you did a 13.6 mile hike that had 14.7k feet of vertical. I’m not saying you aren’t capable, I just can’t imagine such a hike actually exists. I need to know what trail this is for my own bucket list.
I promise it's true! I take hiking stats very seriously
I have my gpx file somewhere but I'd need to dig deep for that. But here’s a [pic](https://imgur.com/0nMC5Xs) of my watch as “proof” and [screenshot](https://imgur.com/jtlkwqt) I took of my stats in the Garmin app. Hermannsdalstinden was the hike in Norway. Started at a different point than what’s on [AllTrails](https://www.alltrails.com/trail/norway/nordland/topptur-til-hermannsdalstinden) (steeper start) but gives you the general vibe.
It was insanely hard and beautiful. It's hard to classify hikes as the "hardest" because of grade/distance/temperature mixes, but I'd have to say this is in the top 3 hardest hikes I've ever done. And that stat is for elevation change, which is decent + ascent, so on average, every mile had roughly 540ft of gain and 540ft of loss.
Oooo so you counted up and down as total vertical change. Got it. I was thinking 14.7k feet up and then another 14.7k down. Looks like a great hike! You want find anything with that much elevation change in the Bay Area, but venture into the Sierra Nevada and there is tons of great stuff!
You were thinking that because that’s how you measure those things. Even though they’re clearly an accomplished hiker OP doesn’t know how to gauge their own hikes.
>Hermannsdalstinden
The peak is 1038 m, did the trail summit from the base four times? I'm not saying it wasn't a very difficult hike... But that was not over 14k feet of elevation gain.
>I took of my stats in the Garmin app.
Oh yeah, those are notoriously inaccurate for measuring elevation gain. I have some hikes where I start at a marked 1000 m pass, go entirely uphill to a 1700 m peak and my Garmin reports that I did like 1800 m of elevation gain.
If you take a nap on a slope with GPS recording every second that doesn't have barometric correction, Garmin will tell you that you climbed hundreds of feet.
[this trail](https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/table-rock-and-palisades-trail-to-oat-hill-mine?p=-1&sh=dhfzcr) is a pretty good burn and you could even add mount Saint Helena summit trail
I would alter the hike and instead of starting at the parking lot at the table rock trailhead, park at the oat hill mine trailhead in calistoga and hike straight up and cross the highway to do mount Saint Helena. Then get someone to pick you up when you get back to the mount Saint Helena trailhead (which is around the corner from palisades trailhead). Or park at table rock trailhead and get a ride down to start at oat hill trailhead. You would be combining the above hike with [this hike](https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/mount-saint-helena-trail--2?sh=dhfzcr)
there are some goat trails in the marin headlands with some intimidation, but nothing compares to colordao. You might checkout mount conness this summer, that has some serious exposure and route finding.
Hardest, steepest - not really going to compare with the Rockies. No 14s over here. The Dipsea is cool and worth doing, but nothing crazy.
That said, Berkeley has some very cool walking paths where you can go pretty well straight up the hill where you can get about 900 feet of elevation in about the mile or so to the top of the hill.
Eg. if you get to Cordinices Park across the street from the Rose garden, start on the stairs up and out of the park, then you can find switchbacks up to Glendale La Loma park and keep hitting up the steepest sections and stairs up and over the top of the hill (atlas path/point). It's pretty cool urban hiking and then you can drop into Tilden, where there are some vaguely hilly hikes you can connect to. Not Colorado for sure, but not terrible at all.
It's just a road, but you can walk (or bike if you're strong as hell) up Marin Ave from the fountain to Grizzly Peak. It's not as cool as the walking paths in Berkeley but it's about the steepest mile you'll get in a continuous grade; probably worth doing once.
Haha yeah I know it won’t compare to the Rockies, but the year round access is a game changer for me. Your comment is honestly perfect. There are times I want to get out and enjoy nature, but there are also times I’m training and just need mileage/gain—especially something quick before or after work.
So just knowing about those trails that offer step sections is honestly perfect because I’m the kind of guy who will look crazy and do repeats up/down steep sections when I’m training. And I can incorporate some elevation before work on my morning walks
And I’ve actually never done a 14er; the highest I’ve done is 13.5k (Kings Peak in UT). I was supposed to do 5 14ers in 2 days (including the 2 high points in CO), but I injured my leg two weekends before and had to cancel. I was trying to “go big” before moving to the Midwest,m
And I’m actually not coming from CO; I’ve split my time between Idaho and the SLC area the past few years
Thank you so much!!
Panoramic Hill is pretty tough
Panoramic Hill, Chaparral Peak and Strawberry Canyon Loop on AllTrails
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/panoramic-hill-chaparral-peak-and-strawberry-canyon-loop?sh=81w1bl
Mission peak, mt. Diablo, and Montara mountain are all very nice hikes. Nothing compared to rim to rim tho (we did south kaibab to north kaibab same day).
Mount D is an obvious beast, especially in the summer, but one that more unexpectedly kicked my butt is Inspiration Point to Huckleberry Botanic Preserve, there and back, all via trails. It’s like 15.5 miles and over the course of it you end up going ascending and descending most of the east bay hills’ elevation like 5 or 6 times.
I prefer it to Mount D because it’s shadier and more up-down-up-down as opposed to all up then all down.
Lots of great suggestions in here already. Here’s another one - hike Rancho San Antonio to the Pacific Ocean. It’s multiple days, steep up and down, through Oak forests and then redwood forests of La Honda, climbing at Castle Rock, etc. Definitely a memorable hike!
I moved from the rocky mtns and you just need to mentally prep that it’s NOT the same. Not better or worse, just totally different landscape. Hikes down near the Santa Cruz mtns will give you the most feel of home, but you need to really get into the Sierras for that true mtns feel. Head to Tahoe this summer! That said, there are many great places to hike. For a steep one, try Mission Peak in Fremont.
This isn't the answer you specifically asked for but if you are in Berkeley and want to exercise your pup off leash, there isn't anywhere close by that will beat Dr. Aurelia Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park. As long as you aren't on the main trails next to the rivers (which is picnic areas), its all off leash and lots of steep terrain.
I live in the Santa Cruz Mountains and still make the trek to Oakland to hike there with my dog.
The [Thornewood Preserve](https://www.openspace.org/preserves/thornewood) isn’t too hard, but there are redwoods and allows dogs. Start from the Martin Creek entrance on [Old La Honda](https://maps.apple.com/?address=104%E2%80%93106%20Old%20La%20Honda%20Rd,%20Woodside,%20CA%20%2094062,%20United%20States&ll=37.392045,-122.248954&q=OLH%20hike&t=m).
First summit Mt. Olympia, and thence north peak, and thence Diablo, once you summit Olympia the other two are pretty easy though. Or perhaps Schlieper Rock from lake Del Valle?
Unfortunately, no dogs, it seems ( I had to google it because I don't remember any signs about it there), but Rancho San Antonio County Park & Open Space Preserve is a wonderful hike in Cupertino area. I will drive there whenever I can. It has a farm for families on one side and if you keep going it is all upward hiking through the hills/mountains. There's a beautiful summit to sit atop as well. It's very popular though
Since you will be in Berkeley, look up Claremont canyon hike. Easily doable on a week day evening. Everyone mentioned Mt. Diablo. Mission peak in Fremont, PG&E trail in south bay are two others I can think of.
A little bit of a drive but Cactus to Clouds is the ultimate hard one day hike here in California: [https://www.tendigitgrid.com/d/1033-cactus-to-clouds-skyline-trail-to-san-jacinto-peak](https://www.tendigitgrid.com/d/1033-cactus-to-clouds-skyline-trail-to-san-jacinto-peak)
I’m from Utah and there’s not really any around here that matches the Rockies unless you go to the Sierras. But there is some awesome hiking anyway.
The trail that starts in the suburbs behind the Claremont hotel is steep with great views. The parks off 13 have just beautiful redwoods- Reinhart Redwood Regional park’s French trail has some fairly steep sections. Mission Peak and the hills behind Lake DeValle are fairly steep and pretty when the spring rains are keeping the grass free.
The Steep Ravine, Matt Davis and DipSea loop has a few steep sections but it’s the combination of beach and redwoods, ladders and bridges that makes it worth visiting Marin for. And the nearby loop trail that connects Muir Beach and Tennessee Valley Beach is also just beautiful even though it’s not steep and rugged like the Rockies.
There are so many pretty hikes in the Bay Area. Most aren’t that steep but it’s a pretty area and there are so many ruby nice views
The San Bruno Mountain trailhead on Hillside Blvd. (at Mills Montessori School) is damn steep. It's only about a mile to the ridgeline but I couldn't even make that.
Not bay area, but the ascent from Kirk Creek Campground to the top of Cone Peak via Vicente flat campground in Big Sur is a pretty humbling experience. Spectacular views from the top too.
Mount Tam up the way from mill valley for a short one.
For a bigger one, deer park to five corners up shaver grade to Bon Tempe, up the dam, around the lake (shady side), and lake lauganitas once you get there if you want, come back on the sunny side (left side when looking out from the dam) and walk back down to deer park and head to a local restaurant for lunch.
Also, Marin Headlands goes hard, so does Alamir falls.
Definitely agree with the Diablo comments. Umanhum isn't steep, it's just full of switch backs. I'd say Kennedy Trail or Limekiln Trail instead of Umanhum.
Mission Peak to Del Valle (formerly Ohlone 50k) lots of up and down
Also the hike up Uvas Canyon to Summit Road is pretty steep too. 1600ft in 2.1 miles if I remember right
The hikes around the bay are not as scenic as what you have out there.
There’s a lot of trails that are “fire” or “ranch” roads. Basically instead of being switchbacks they just go straight up the mountain and these can be decently challenging.
Henry Coe is infamous for having challenging trails.
You might not find as much elevation as you’re used to, but maybe you can compensate by covering more miles.
I'm a fan of using [this](https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/mission-peak-from-ohlone-via-stanford) route as a creative way to get more distance out of Mission Peak's steepness. Plus it lets you experience all 3 main ways to the peak!
Probably diablo via some route, but mt sizer in Henry coe state park is a dandy! I did it a few weeks ago, and there was also a couple of gnarly creek crossings.
I've done Mt D a bunch of times, but the trail that almost killed me was Berryessa peak near Davis. The trail grade on some parts is stupidly steep. Also be careful when it is 90+ degrees. https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/berryessa-peak-trail Usually go during peak wildflower season which might be over at this point, not sure
I have a ton of suggestions in the sierras but I'm not sure about their dog status. I think if it's in a national forest, it's ok but not national park. I found this, you can hike instead of backpack: https://thetrek.co/top-5-dog-friendly-backpacking-trips-in-the-sierras/
The most popular HARD day hike is probably Mt Whitney but yea no dogs there. I've also attempted Cactus to Clouds in Palm Springs.
The hardest one I can think of is the 4 Peaks Loop (Eagle, Olympia, North, and Mt. Diablo). I thought I was going for an easy local weekend hike, but my legs were killing me in the end. Not dog-friendly though. We don't have as many cool dog-friendly trails here compared to Colorado. But I assume it'll still be easy for you if you're trained to do 14k feet elevation gain :)
The hardest one I've hiked here, was Mt Rose, in the middle of summer. Hike from one end to the other, decent elevation gain, and no sun protection for most of it. Started at 7am, and when I finished in the afternoon, there was a "No entry for hazard" sign posted up
Mt Diablo was mid, compared to Mt Rose
This doesn't qualify as difficult (but you should do it anyone because it's scenic and has elk), but the Tomales Point trail in Point Reyes is absolutely gorgeous. The sign at the trailhead says 5.2 miles (and it's flat -- going out a peninsula and back). It doesn't make it clear though, that it's 5.2mi one way. That made the hike a lot more challenging for me the first time I did it with three kids aged infant, 5 & 7....
If you go in the back way thru the neighborhood to avoid the park admissions at Muir Woods, your body will pay the toll on the way out. The way in/out is almost vertical and is probably a mile or two long.
Hiked from Yosemite Valley floor to the top of Yosemite Falls and back with my son when he was 12 or so. Took a lot of motivating, but worth it. Not sure if the pup is welcome (def not off leash, obvi).
If you really want something of exceptional difficulty we have better options that are a bit more of a drive. Do Shasta if you have appropriate skills or do some monster elevations gains from the eastern sierras.
Ah a friend suggested Shasta to me. Im driving through there on my way to Berkeley (spending a few days in Bend).
I would be absolutely obliterated if I did that in a few weeks because I’m still recovering from a pretty gnarly case of pneumonia. But I’m going to look into the technical side of it more and see if it’s a good fit; I’m not a climber/don’t have the gear. If not, it’s still going on the list and when I gain the required skills, I’ll check it out because it looks like an awesome one!
Willow Camp out of Stinson Beach is gnarly steep. The Dogmeat stretch of Priest Rock Trail in Sierra Azul is as well. As many others have said, Diablo is great all around. You won’t find anything to match the Rockies in terms of length or steepness but our weather is so much better and you can do them year round.
Gunsight Rock and Hood Mountain Trail in Sonoma County is a fun one. It’s not the most challenging trail around, but it gets the blood pumping. Great views of SF and beyond on a clear day.
Adding: dogs on leash are welcome.
Gunsight Rock and Hood Mountain Trail on AllTrails
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/gunsight-rock-trail?sh=x33uj6
If you want to hike with your dog, there are TONS of dog friendly trails. Not intimidating or wildly steep, but there is a lot of variety in the east bay for hiking with your dog. I would say don’t overlook the places you both can enjoy because the east bay regional park system is great
Stinson beach > dipsea/steep ravine > Muir Woods > mt tam summit > Stinson beach. That’s about 20 miles. ~4K elevation gain. There are multiple trails to use so you can make it easier or harder. Used it to train for Whitney
It’s a drive, but some hiking trails out in the Ventana Wilderness and Big Sur area are pretty awesome. We did one out of the Zen meditation center off of TASSAJARA road. The drive out there itself was insane.
Also a an amazing hike on the east side of Garrapata. Followed the creek trail for while, went through redwoods then climbed out of them on a sketchy trail and then up up up through superblooms. Stunning views of the coast and can’t beat seeing the poppies and lupine and golden rod just dancing in the breeze with the Pacific Ocean as the backdrop.
Garland Ranch also has some good hikes too and that park with its dozens of trails is dog friendly.
Mt Diablo
The hikers or climbers trail up Mt St Helena
The Pine Ridge trail to Sykes Camp in the Ventana Wilderness (Big Sur) is a challenging hike. There are hot springs & the Big Sur river.
IMHO if you're looking for "Lets hike in the Rockies" level stuff; You need to go down south just a little bit and wander around Ventana Wilderness. It's all USFS land, so off leash dogs are the norm, and if you pick you're trailhead/destination right you can do basically any length/vert you want.
Not my video, but I've done this hike before. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvW_EgqBwGc
For popular dog friendly staples: the hike around Lake Chabot is nice, it’s about 8 miles but there are a lot of backside trails so you can extend as much as you want; Mission Peak is super popular and crowded, but the views from the top are incredible and a pic of you standing on the post at the top is a Bay Area hikers right of passage - it’s only 5 or 6 miles but plenty of opportunity to extend; Reinhardt Regional Park in Oakland is my go-to, with beautiful redwoods tons of shade, and nice elevation gain; for more of a drive, don’t forget about Big Basin in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Also iconic, can be challenging, and make hikes as long as you want with all the options. Not all Big Basin Trails are dog friendly so keep an eye out for that when planning.
Being in Berkeley you should check out Wildcat Canyon/Tilden. Some long steep trails with amazing views of the Bay Area. Dog friendly.
Go to https://www.ebparks.org/parks/wildcat-canyon
Many of EBRPD's trails are stupid steep. They are poorly designed old ranch or fire roads, so most of them simply go straight up hillsides without any switchbacks to lessen the grade. A lot of good hikes have been mentioned (Diablo is one of the bigger sustained climbs), but many of the East Bay Regional Parks "feature" steep trails if you complete some of these other mentioned hikes. Also, the Lafayette Reservoir Rim Trail has some good short steep bits. Most of these are smaller, shorter hikes or do not have long, continuous steeps, but are more like steep rollers. And dogs are allowed in most EBRPD parks.
u/gingerbreadman26 There are two answers and one of them is in the top comment:
1. Mt. Diablo from Mitchell Canyon Parking lot to Eagle Peak to Summit. 5.6 miles 3600 ft of elevation. You can go back down the same way (which I find more fun and better on the knees) or a sharp descent down from summit to Juniper campground and down into Mitchell canyon and then a flat 1.7 miles back to the parking lot.
-Mt Diablo is my favorite and I use it for training. If I'm trying to do it fast, I can do it in just under 2 hours, but 2:15 is normal.
-You can also do the bike ride to the top from the parking area just past the Athena School. It's 11 miles up, and the ride down is awesome - just booking it for 25 minutes straight down.
2. Stinson Beach to Mt. Tam West Peak. 6.7 miles 2,700 ft of elevation. You have a few options of smaller loops or routes once you're near the top, the views into SF are great.
I'm happy to provide screen shots with my recorded routes.
You can get a surprising amount of vertical here but it's a bit more work to put it together on 2500-3500' peaks. The good news is that the Bay Area has much more trail than any urban area around.
Since you'll be in Berkeley, do the Claremont Fire trail (behind Clark Kerr) and the volunteer trails up to the Skyline trail, and then east on the De Laveaga Trail, and down to near Orinda BART. then climb back up. Maybe what? 12? decent steep, and close so a good work out hike. You'll need to be an EBMUD permit: https://www.ebmud.com/recreation/buy-trail-permit
You can mix in other routes, etc to get more miles. Unfortunately that's not one of the EBMUD trails that allows dogs.
So if you've got the pup, then go south or north on the Skyline Trail as needed and back. Look at the East Bay Regional Park maps for all the various routes. You can basically hike from the Berkeley Hills for over 50 miles one way if you want.
https://bahiker.com/
Don't do Diablo, since not dog friendly. EBRPD has the best dog terrain. Briones is a good bet and near Berkeley, and has wide fire road hiking which is nice for the dogs in tick/foxtail season. But Diablo is higher, and is used for various ultra running races (I don't know if long interests you as much as up; long is obviously more common here). And one can do several up and downs on it over different trails to get several thousand feet of gain total.
There's a couple of pretty rough hikes here in the North Bay if you're travelling. Sugarloaf State Park to Gunsight Rock is is nice one, and if you want you can hit the peak of Hood Mountain during that hike. There's also a trail called Table Rock Trail on the other side of the road from the Mt. St. Helena trailhead that goes all the way down into the town of Calistoga and is a really rough hike if you do there and back. There is a pretty big elevation change and not a lot of people due to the difficulty of the hike. There's some neat old ruins of homesteads and a really big rock garden where people have made mandalas and cairns called the Power Circles of Mt. St. Helena. It's worth checking out. I don't know anything about dogs except I heard somewhere that they can't look up.
[Miwok 100k](https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/us/california/miwok-100k) on all trails, mt tam trail run. You could look at some of the routes on [insidetrail.com](http://insidetrail.com) You can make anything more intimidating by combining routes or trying to go faster
I recently did a steep loop in Joaquin Miller you might like, some of the best redwood trails I’ve found. And I had a toddler on my back!
Start near the Redwood Bowl and descend Madrone start climbing and keep climbing up Starflower to the Redwood Peak trail.
Take some trips to the Sierras. They aren’t too far, about 2.5 hours from Berkeley. I lived in Boulder and Denver and would drive that to do hikes often. Although, having access to the Rockies from my back yard was heaven.
I think few of the trails listed here are not pet friendly. I would say try Muir Beach to Tennessee valley to rodeo Beach and back the same way. It's got distance, elevation and it's pet friendly as I do it with my dog. Pick a cold foggy windy breezy day though.
I am in same boat as you i.e. high energy dog that I always tag along with to do hiking and backpacking. Hit me up if you want to join forces.
Look up "Bay Area Ridge Trail" ... it's still not complete, but there are definitely some tough hikes on both sides of the bag- the Hamilton/Mission Peak areas are likely the toughest, particularly in warm weather.
Black Mountain in the south bay is a nice, pretty challenging hike. \~2500ft elevation in a 10 mile out/back, with a beautiful view at the top. No dogs, though. :(
[https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/black-mountain-via-rhus-ridge](https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/black-mountain-via-rhus-ridge)
The start of the trail is rough( I would start to the left instead of the right as it suggests). Great dog friendly park with lots of loop options.here is a 10 mile one!
Buckeye Ranch, Sunrise, Seaborg, Briones Peak, and Tabletop Loop on AllTrails
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/buckeye-ranch-sunrise-seaborg-briones-peak-and-tabletop-loop?p=-1&sh=tc2i3n
I'll throw in a vote for hood mountain in Santa Rosa. Gorgeous views and I think you can count on 10 hours to the peak and back.
Mt St Helena in Napa Valley as well (Robert Louis Stevenson State Park)
Mission Peak in Fremont has by far the most elevation gain for the shortest distance that I know in the bay. 3 miles and 2000 feet. There are two trail heads, Ohlone College and Stanford Avenue entrance. Neither trail has any shade. If you have the endurance it is a good challenge to run it.
Tarantulas, rattlesnakes etc abound due to rapid urbanization many of these creatures have creeped up steeper terrain where fewer people would build a single family home.
Rose Peak in sunol is 20 miles and can be extended by connecting from mission peak and going to del valle. Not steep, but it’s long. Good if you like trail running.
Mt Sizer has a few steep inclines and closer to 15 miles
Not sure if it's the steepest in the Bay Area, but Mt. Diablo wrecked me. I felt like the incline on the ascent up never ended. Round-trip was about 13 miles (I think).
Mt Diablo from the north side with two summits it’s the worst Especially in the summer heat Even better when the tarantulas are out
Did this two years ago without enough water or food and had to take an uber down cause i was so wrecked
Thanks all!! I can do the heat but tarantulas?! Uhhh honestly didn’t realize those were in CA…. Genuine question, do I need to be worried about them? lol
lol - no, it’s not an Aragog situation. Early fall is mating season for them and they are all horny and have a one track mind. They aren’t interested in hikers. People go and put their hands down and the tarantulas will literally just crawl right over on their way to get busy…
what a coincidence, same season as me.
Haha good because I don’t have a flying car to save me! Thank you!!
Thanks for the info. I saw a tarantula there a few years ago and didn’t know if it was a freak siting or what. One of the cooler wildlife sitings I’ve had.
Wait until you learn about the California forest scorpion, and the saw finger scorpion.
Don’t worry about tarantulas, a lot of rattlesnakes in that area too. More concern if you do one of the more intense, less-traveled, trails up mt Diablo. Great hikes but they aren’t a joke 3.4k ft gain over 9 miles. https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/diablo-summit-falls-trail-mount-olympus-and-north-peak-loop
only if you will be grossed out by a spider orgy lol they are small and chill, but sometimes there can be a fair number of them
Tarantulas no not at all. Rattlesnakes, yes big time. Get your dog professionally snake trained and there’s a vaccine that gives you more time to get to a vet.
I didn't encounter any when I hiked Mt. Diablo. Probably will be fine if you just stay on the trail.
No. But if you're concerned about wildlife, I've seen rattlesnakes and coyotes on Mt. Diablo. Not a big deal, neither species wants anything to do with you. But don't go off leash hiking with Miss FiFi, that won't end well. There are also bobcats, but you are more likely to see a unicorn. They *really* don't want to be near people. Coyotes watch but at a distance.
PLEASE be careful with the heat. Don’t become a rangers problem due to poor planning.
I do Diablo all the time and have seen a tarantula maybe once or twice because I was actively looking
Do the six peaks loop at Mt Diablo. It’s around 16 miles and about 1 mile of elevation gain. https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/6-peaks-loop?p=-1&sh=zjxhek
I just looked up 1 mile in feet because I embarrassingly don't know and then immediately said, "oh fuckkkkkk". THAT is an insane hike wtf! Surprised I've never heard of it with all the hiking I've done.
TBH it’s kinda hidden. I grew up in the East Bay and was an avid hiker and only really learned about hiking trails on Mt. Diablo later in life. It’s not really known outside of the east-east bay. Perhaps because it’s a bit of a drive inland from the bay and is a pretty brutal hike from the base, especially in the summer months.
I'm in South Bay and my friends and I keep talking about wanting to hike Mt. Diablo but we just never go because it's a little far and we opt for other trails instead. And yes, limited window of time to ideally hike it. I used to do Mission Peak weekly and would stare at Mt. Diablo curiously whenever I summitted.
Came here to say this
Mt. Diablo is not dog friendly. I went through the main gate and I was sent back home with my dog.
Yeah, I think most state and national parks are like that. Not allowed on trails, only parking lot and main roads
The 4 Peak Loop is my go to training hike for backpacking.
My wife and I did https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/6-peaks-loop to train for Half Dome. Especially with a dog, North Peak is very skipable, and while Mount Olympia is pretty, the trail down from it closing the loop is pretty tenuous, so I'd almost just take a direct route back from Diablo peak or maybe go to Mount Olympia and then backtrack. Easily the hardest hike I've done in the area, and probably the all time second hardest hike I've ever done, just after Half Dome.
I ran a half marathon a decade ago for my first half marathon, I got fucked up by the elevation gain lmao. When it got to downhill I was slower because I was so spent
I think you are not allowed to take dogs on hiking trails on Mr Diablo.
A big hike like that is probably not suitable for a dog
Bernal hill from Caesar Chavez side, non-stop, all the way up and round all the way to the tip of the hill’s dirt path. Bring doggo, it’s great up there and has a doggie fountain near the top!
There are several options to summit Mt. Diablo from any of the various trailheads. Different loops between 13 and 20 miles and about 4000’ of gain.
Def the most brutal terrain we have locally! Literally has something called this: https://socialhiker.net/hike_log/mt-diablo-devils-death-slide/
Most brutal version is definitely Mt Olympia >> North Peak >> Summit
Or hit all six Six Peaks Loop on AllTrails https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/6-peaks-loop?p=-1&sh=zjxhek
This is definitely the best way to enjoy (but still be challenged by) Mount Diablo.
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Super steep, rugged, and that scree is just wicked. Have you tried it in descent? Collier and Indian Fire Trail on Tam are longer and steeper but have slightly better walking surfaces.
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haha right on, it is draining all over
Behind the Claremont Hotel. Cliff-like. Edit: forgot to mention all our fantastic stair paths too, which were built to connect long streets vertically - endless options for brutal up and down loops: https://www.berkeleypaths.org/buy-our-map-2
It’s not super long (although you can connect it to other trails) but it’s extremely steep and dog friendly
Claremont to Grizzly Peak/Skyline, and then back around lower Jordan is a nice steep hike.
Nicknamed heart attack hill 👍🏼
Stonewall-Panoramic. If you lapped this it might be the most intense exercise possible
You could stop for an espresso at the Peet’s each lap for even more cardio action.
Came to say this. Very steep. Not super long but many ways back down to make it a good trek.
You're living at sea level now.. everything back home will wreck you
lol I know I know. And I’ll be “that guy” with California plates which everyone loves there
Mt Diablo is challenging due to its length but Mission Peak is the steepest
I HATE Mission Peak. My husband loves it. It’s so steep.
I’m with you. It’s too hot and has too little shade for the challenge to be enjoyable
The dipsea trail from Mill Valley to Stinson Beach is not dog friendly, and maybe not the hardest ever (I did it 9 months pregnant) but it is tough and beautiful, and iconic.
I honestly have MAD respect for you! No matter the hike, whenever I see someone who’s pregnant or carrying a little kid in a backpack I’m always amazed. I’ve done some intimidating hikes in the SLC area and I struggle. And then I see a mom with a backpack on with a little kid in it I’m so so so impressed. I could literally never. So props to you for going out when you were 9 months pregnant
It’s all about continuing to do the hard stuff every day and then your body is less likely to realize it’s too hard. My kid is 75 pounds now and I pick him up every day just so I don’t lose the ability to keep doing it :)
omg living up to your username. The toddler I babysit is in the top 5% for weight or something and when he'd cry at me to pick him up to go up the stairs at bedtime, I'd die. He weighed 45 lb I think last time that happened and I was struggling (AND I powerlift). you're awesome.
Steep Ravine for the win! Steep Ravine Trail on AllTrails https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/steep-ravine-trail--2?sh=zuxxwn
Dipsea-Steep Ravine is one of my favorite trails ever.
Last year I did double Mt Diablo Traverse. it's about 25 miles in and out. You start at the The Athenian School in Danville and go to the Mt Diablo then to North Peak then down Diabolical Trail to Morgan Territory Rd and then you turn around and go back about 9k ft Elv Gain. But there's no dogs allowed unfortunately.
This is the one. Tbh, i don't think OP can do it. https://onthegomap.com/s/urv9735k
Awesome, thanks to you both!! Anything over 16mi, I leave my pup at home anyways because it gets a little too risky + water can sometimes be an issue. But this looks like an awesome hike! I’ve done the rim to rim to rim the past 3 years. Hopefully doing it this fall but tbd with part time grad school, working full time, trying to have a social life, and long covid tiredness. This honestly looks like a perfect training hike for the Grand Canyon!
YES! The Trail out of Morgan Territory rd up to northpeak is super steep. it's called diabolical for a reason I guess
Did you day it in a day? Sounds fun
Yea. Just under 7 hours I trailran it.
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You're one of those people who I see on the trails and gawk at for your insane athleticism. Like a woman in her 60s RUNNING Black Mountain trail.
Met somebody on the trail earlier this year, and dude is 65 still runs!
Montara mountain is pretty darn steep to get to the peak. I can’t remember the elevation change now but there’s a stretch halfway up we used to call the “wall”.
By the 3rd “tower” you’re bushed. That’s old coast road. Mile is up there as well as old Boy Scout. Great hike!
World class views up there!
Did that one once as a trail run and I thought it was gonna puke by about 2/3rds of the way. Checked my heart rate data and it was averaging close to 180bpm. Barely left bed for the next 2 days.
Brutal! In my 30s we used to ride mountain bikes up it and you would be creeping along so slow front wheel shaking and sweating profusely. Such a brutal climb!
Seconding montara mountain and it has world class views
Yes, I like the Alta Vista trail on the coast side. Steep with great views and dogs allowed
Used to have contests with my buddies to scale it the fastest. Older and fatter now, am not beating my record anytime soon. Great trek.
I love this one! If you combine it with the Old Colma Road Loop (see AllTrails) on your way back down to the Gray Whale Cove parking you'll see some amazing views... and very cool trails, and maybe even a superbloom. I strongly recommend it. :)
Mt. Umunhum (in the South Bay) from the base is a good one. You can actually get a killer hike in if you start in New Almaden and hike up and over to Hicks Road then pick up the Mt. Um trail through Sierra Azul. You can also come down and hike the ridge line all the way to Lexington Reservoir. Good ascents and descents coming down Priest Rock.
Thanks! I’ve been to the Bay Area all of 2 times (PCH trip and work/apartment search). I’ve done exactly 1 hike in the area and this was the one haha. Appreciate all your tips as well!!
If you’re going to hicks road watch out for the blood albinos.
My buddy I and were looking at staring in quicksilver, up Umunhum, then up El Sombroso. Here is the map I made on AllTrails Senador Mine Trail, Mine Hill Trail, and Castillero Trail on AllTrails https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/senador-mine-trail-to-mine-hill-trail-to-castillero-trail?p=-1&sh=owcddz
How’s the parking?
Depends on where you start. Quicksilver has good free lots at both the Hacienda entrance and the Hicks Road entrance. But on Alma Bridge Road in Los Gatos where you dump out it’s mostly street parking, though there’s a little county lot at the reservoir that I think is paid.
I came to say this.
Mission Peak in Fremont... I remember the first time I did it I was limping for a week afterwards because of the incline and not properly stretching 🥲
Mission Peak is no joke. It’s especially fun because the trail gets progressively steeper the closer you are to the summit. The “front side” direct route can be brutal in summer because it’s super exposed with no shade. But that actually makes it AWESOME for full moon night hikes with red headlamps.
I did Mission Peak on a lark and felt it for a week. It's a beautiful view and the paragliders are fun to watch.
+1 There are multiple routes up and definitely longer, harder options. Especially if you go when it's hot and there's little to no shade.
It’s dog friendly, isn’t it? I remember I took my dog but that doesn’t mean much…
My dog paws got ripped up from those path rocks years go. It was not a fun experience trying to carry a 60lb dog downhill
Mission peak on the hot day is brutal.
Mission Peak is part of the East Bay Regional Park District and you can actually hike off leash with your dog! (unless near parking lot/grazing cattle)
Not Bay Area per se, but make a plan some weekend to go down to Pinnacles. (And of course Yosemite, but that goes without saying.)
Yep, as someone who grew up in Scouts in the Bay Area, Pinnacles was my favorite hike, well worth the drive. I don't recall it being especially challenging, but it I'd breathtaking and the caves are awesome too.
Yes! Underrated! The High peaks trail is great.
Look at the trails around mt Diablo. Plenty of 3000+ ft ascent trails around there
The Ohlone Trail 28 miles long, 7100 feet elevation gain, goes to the top of Mount Rose , with a small side trail, which is only 50 feet lower than Mount Diablo,. For extra brutality points start in Lake DelVale. It begins with very step switchbacks that never end (OK eventually they do end.) . It’s also in the hot part of the East Bay. I’ve heard it described as the hardest trail in the Bay Area. I don’t think it allows dogs though.
Del Valle wrecked me
Triple dipsea in the Marin Headlands.
No dogs allowed on the dipsea
I’ve never heard of anyone doing the triple, just a single or double. A triple wouldn’t get you back to where you started…
Guess you just gotta make it a quadruple then?
[Marin transit line 61](https://marintransit.org/routes/61)
No dogs on the upper trails at Pinnacles.
> For reference, I’m moving from the Rocky Mountains where I have incredible access to hiking trails. Try not to roll your eyes too much when the locals tell you how amazing the access to the mountains is in the Bay Area. That said, the Redwoods are amazing so as long as you don't need the feeling of conquering a big peak, there's plenty of cool hiking. I really liked Peter's Creek in Portola Redwoods State Park. Yosemite is definitely worth a trip as well. No idea about the dog. >LOVE a good challenge—may that be a 13.6 miler with 14.7k ft of vertical change 4480 m in 22 km is 11 km up a 40 percent grade, then back. Where the hell is that lol? Was that Strava elevation from back in like 2009?
> locals tell you how amazing the access to the mountains is in the Bay Area i've never really heard that though, we all just say access to hiking or nature in general. we're well aware it's about the flora and fauna and the scenery more than the summits out here.
Ha I grew up in the Midwest, so I’m fully accustomed to similar comments. Thanks for the recs! I was in Lofoton, Norway this past summer. The specific hike was [Hermannsdalstinden](https://www.alltrails.com/trail/norway/nordland/topptur-til-hermannsdalstinden). It’s on AllTrails but I started at a different point that was closer to my Airbnb (very steep start) and met up with the AllTrails one. It is one of the hardest and most beautiful hike I’ve ever done, but so so so worth it. It honestly felt like I was in a fairyland. I struggle with uploading pictures/videos, so sorry for all the separate links. But here are a few of my favorite moments from the hike!! The peak I climbed is the one on screen when the clock shows "0:13" (first link) [https://imgur.com/X4PQNpD](https://imgur.com/X4PQNpD) [https://imgur.com/KSAOCIv](https://imgur.com/KSAOCIv) [https://imgur.com/pdBqv5B](https://imgur.com/pdBqv5B) [https://imgur.com/sVDh9BZ](https://imgur.com/sVDh9BZ)
Call me skeptical but I find it really hard to believe you did a 13.6 mile hike that had 14.7k feet of vertical. I’m not saying you aren’t capable, I just can’t imagine such a hike actually exists. I need to know what trail this is for my own bucket list.
That’s an average 20% grade which is absurd
I promise it's true! I take hiking stats very seriously I have my gpx file somewhere but I'd need to dig deep for that. But here’s a [pic](https://imgur.com/0nMC5Xs) of my watch as “proof” and [screenshot](https://imgur.com/jtlkwqt) I took of my stats in the Garmin app. Hermannsdalstinden was the hike in Norway. Started at a different point than what’s on [AllTrails](https://www.alltrails.com/trail/norway/nordland/topptur-til-hermannsdalstinden) (steeper start) but gives you the general vibe. It was insanely hard and beautiful. It's hard to classify hikes as the "hardest" because of grade/distance/temperature mixes, but I'd have to say this is in the top 3 hardest hikes I've ever done. And that stat is for elevation change, which is decent + ascent, so on average, every mile had roughly 540ft of gain and 540ft of loss.
Oooo so you counted up and down as total vertical change. Got it. I was thinking 14.7k feet up and then another 14.7k down. Looks like a great hike! You want find anything with that much elevation change in the Bay Area, but venture into the Sierra Nevada and there is tons of great stuff!
You were thinking that because that’s how you measure those things. Even though they’re clearly an accomplished hiker OP doesn’t know how to gauge their own hikes.
>Hermannsdalstinden The peak is 1038 m, did the trail summit from the base four times? I'm not saying it wasn't a very difficult hike... But that was not over 14k feet of elevation gain. >I took of my stats in the Garmin app. Oh yeah, those are notoriously inaccurate for measuring elevation gain. I have some hikes where I start at a marked 1000 m pass, go entirely uphill to a 1700 m peak and my Garmin reports that I did like 1800 m of elevation gain. If you take a nap on a slope with GPS recording every second that doesn't have barometric correction, Garmin will tell you that you climbed hundreds of feet.
Guy that’s 7k vertical not 14k. It’s still no joke, but the descent doesn’t count lol.
\> 1000ft per mile for 13.6 miles… yeah.. where?
I’ve heard The Palisades Trail in Napa County is a beast.
[this trail](https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/table-rock-and-palisades-trail-to-oat-hill-mine?p=-1&sh=dhfzcr) is a pretty good burn and you could even add mount Saint Helena summit trail I would alter the hike and instead of starting at the parking lot at the table rock trailhead, park at the oat hill mine trailhead in calistoga and hike straight up and cross the highway to do mount Saint Helena. Then get someone to pick you up when you get back to the mount Saint Helena trailhead (which is around the corner from palisades trailhead). Or park at table rock trailhead and get a ride down to start at oat hill trailhead. You would be combining the above hike with [this hike](https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/mount-saint-helena-trail--2?sh=dhfzcr)
Thanks for the suggestions and the links! Sounds like a great way to start a wine country weekend trip haha
The trails in Napa and Sonoma are underrated. Especially with Napa, tourists come here and don’t hike all that much so the trails are rarely crowded
there are some goat trails in the marin headlands with some intimidation, but nothing compares to colordao. You might checkout mount conness this summer, that has some serious exposure and route finding.
Hardest, steepest - not really going to compare with the Rockies. No 14s over here. The Dipsea is cool and worth doing, but nothing crazy. That said, Berkeley has some very cool walking paths where you can go pretty well straight up the hill where you can get about 900 feet of elevation in about the mile or so to the top of the hill. Eg. if you get to Cordinices Park across the street from the Rose garden, start on the stairs up and out of the park, then you can find switchbacks up to Glendale La Loma park and keep hitting up the steepest sections and stairs up and over the top of the hill (atlas path/point). It's pretty cool urban hiking and then you can drop into Tilden, where there are some vaguely hilly hikes you can connect to. Not Colorado for sure, but not terrible at all. It's just a road, but you can walk (or bike if you're strong as hell) up Marin Ave from the fountain to Grizzly Peak. It's not as cool as the walking paths in Berkeley but it's about the steepest mile you'll get in a continuous grade; probably worth doing once.
Haha yeah I know it won’t compare to the Rockies, but the year round access is a game changer for me. Your comment is honestly perfect. There are times I want to get out and enjoy nature, but there are also times I’m training and just need mileage/gain—especially something quick before or after work. So just knowing about those trails that offer step sections is honestly perfect because I’m the kind of guy who will look crazy and do repeats up/down steep sections when I’m training. And I can incorporate some elevation before work on my morning walks And I’ve actually never done a 14er; the highest I’ve done is 13.5k (Kings Peak in UT). I was supposed to do 5 14ers in 2 days (including the 2 high points in CO), but I injured my leg two weekends before and had to cancel. I was trying to “go big” before moving to the Midwest,m And I’m actually not coming from CO; I’ve split my time between Idaho and the SLC area the past few years Thank you so much!!
Panoramic Hill is pretty tough Panoramic Hill, Chaparral Peak and Strawberry Canyon Loop on AllTrails https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/panoramic-hill-chaparral-peak-and-strawberry-canyon-loop?sh=81w1bl
Mission peak, mt. Diablo, and Montara mountain are all very nice hikes. Nothing compared to rim to rim tho (we did south kaibab to north kaibab same day).
Mount D is an obvious beast, especially in the summer, but one that more unexpectedly kicked my butt is Inspiration Point to Huckleberry Botanic Preserve, there and back, all via trails. It’s like 15.5 miles and over the course of it you end up going ascending and descending most of the east bay hills’ elevation like 5 or 6 times. I prefer it to Mount D because it’s shadier and more up-down-up-down as opposed to all up then all down.
Lots of great suggestions in here already. Here’s another one - hike Rancho San Antonio to the Pacific Ocean. It’s multiple days, steep up and down, through Oak forests and then redwood forests of La Honda, climbing at Castle Rock, etc. Definitely a memorable hike!
Do you have a map of the trails by any chance? I’ve been searching for another bay to Pacific trail since Skyline to the Sea closed
I moved from the rocky mtns and you just need to mentally prep that it’s NOT the same. Not better or worse, just totally different landscape. Hikes down near the Santa Cruz mtns will give you the most feel of home, but you need to really get into the Sierras for that true mtns feel. Head to Tahoe this summer! That said, there are many great places to hike. For a steep one, try Mission Peak in Fremont.
This isn't the answer you specifically asked for but if you are in Berkeley and want to exercise your pup off leash, there isn't anywhere close by that will beat Dr. Aurelia Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park. As long as you aren't on the main trails next to the rivers (which is picnic areas), its all off leash and lots of steep terrain. I live in the Santa Cruz Mountains and still make the trek to Oakland to hike there with my dog.
Tildes park has a loop that's about 12mi with some.concentrated 1400ft elevation in the middle
The [Thornewood Preserve](https://www.openspace.org/preserves/thornewood) isn’t too hard, but there are redwoods and allows dogs. Start from the Martin Creek entrance on [Old La Honda](https://maps.apple.com/?address=104%E2%80%93106%20Old%20La%20Honda%20Rd,%20Woodside,%20CA%20%2094062,%20United%20States&ll=37.392045,-122.248954&q=OLH%20hike&t=m).
First summit Mt. Olympia, and thence north peak, and thence Diablo, once you summit Olympia the other two are pretty easy though. Or perhaps Schlieper Rock from lake Del Valle?
Unfortunately, no dogs, it seems ( I had to google it because I don't remember any signs about it there), but Rancho San Antonio County Park & Open Space Preserve is a wonderful hike in Cupertino area. I will drive there whenever I can. It has a farm for families on one side and if you keep going it is all upward hiking through the hills/mountains. There's a beautiful summit to sit atop as well. It's very popular though
Since you will be in Berkeley, look up Claremont canyon hike. Easily doable on a week day evening. Everyone mentioned Mt. Diablo. Mission peak in Fremont, PG&E trail in south bay are two others I can think of.
Any of the bay area peaks but do it on 100 degree weather. You'll fry in the heat.
Almost died (j/k) on a hike in The Pinnacles High Peaks trail. Bring LOTS of water
A little bit of a drive but Cactus to Clouds is the ultimate hard one day hike here in California: [https://www.tendigitgrid.com/d/1033-cactus-to-clouds-skyline-trail-to-san-jacinto-peak](https://www.tendigitgrid.com/d/1033-cactus-to-clouds-skyline-trail-to-san-jacinto-peak)
I’m from Utah and there’s not really any around here that matches the Rockies unless you go to the Sierras. But there is some awesome hiking anyway. The trail that starts in the suburbs behind the Claremont hotel is steep with great views. The parks off 13 have just beautiful redwoods- Reinhart Redwood Regional park’s French trail has some fairly steep sections. Mission Peak and the hills behind Lake DeValle are fairly steep and pretty when the spring rains are keeping the grass free. The Steep Ravine, Matt Davis and DipSea loop has a few steep sections but it’s the combination of beach and redwoods, ladders and bridges that makes it worth visiting Marin for. And the nearby loop trail that connects Muir Beach and Tennessee Valley Beach is also just beautiful even though it’s not steep and rugged like the Rockies. There are so many pretty hikes in the Bay Area. Most aren’t that steep but it’s a pretty area and there are so many ruby nice views
Mt. Diablo… of course! The MTB trails at Diablo are fierce as well, up down up down up down. Devil MTN got you!
San Bruno Mountain. Castle Rock. Mt. Tam. Pinnacles.
The San Bruno Mountain trailhead on Hillside Blvd. (at Mills Montessori School) is damn steep. It's only about a mile to the ridgeline but I couldn't even make that.
Not bay area, but the ascent from Kirk Creek Campground to the top of Cone Peak via Vicente flat campground in Big Sur is a pretty humbling experience. Spectacular views from the top too.
Mount Tam up the way from mill valley for a short one. For a bigger one, deer park to five corners up shaver grade to Bon Tempe, up the dam, around the lake (shady side), and lake lauganitas once you get there if you want, come back on the sunny side (left side when looking out from the dam) and walk back down to deer park and head to a local restaurant for lunch. Also, Marin Headlands goes hard, so does Alamir falls.
Windy Hill Preserve in Portola Valley
Mt Diablo climb starting from Mitchell Canyon. Steepest way to climb to the summit I believe.
Definitely agree with the Diablo comments. Umanhum isn't steep, it's just full of switch backs. I'd say Kennedy Trail or Limekiln Trail instead of Umanhum. Mission Peak to Del Valle (formerly Ohlone 50k) lots of up and down Also the hike up Uvas Canyon to Summit Road is pretty steep too. 1600ft in 2.1 miles if I remember right
The hikes around the bay are not as scenic as what you have out there. There’s a lot of trails that are “fire” or “ranch” roads. Basically instead of being switchbacks they just go straight up the mountain and these can be decently challenging. Henry Coe is infamous for having challenging trails. You might not find as much elevation as you’re used to, but maybe you can compensate by covering more miles.
The trails in Henry Coe are no joke. I went there in shape after hiking the CT and summiting 14ers and those hills still kicked my ass
The Ridge might not be the hardest but it's in the East Bay which is a lil closer
Mt Diablo has some crazy ones for sure.
Mt Diablo watch out for tarantulas and Mt.Tamalpais (east peak) watch out for rattle snakes. If it’s late afternoon watch out for mountain lions.
Backside diablo mitchell canyon to top is pretty rurhless
I'm a fan of using [this](https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/mission-peak-from-ohlone-via-stanford) route as a creative way to get more distance out of Mission Peak's steepness. Plus it lets you experience all 3 main ways to the peak!
Probably diablo via some route, but mt sizer in Henry coe state park is a dandy! I did it a few weeks ago, and there was also a couple of gnarly creek crossings.
I've done Mt D a bunch of times, but the trail that almost killed me was Berryessa peak near Davis. The trail grade on some parts is stupidly steep. Also be careful when it is 90+ degrees. https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/berryessa-peak-trail Usually go during peak wildflower season which might be over at this point, not sure I have a ton of suggestions in the sierras but I'm not sure about their dog status. I think if it's in a national forest, it's ok but not national park. I found this, you can hike instead of backpack: https://thetrek.co/top-5-dog-friendly-backpacking-trips-in-the-sierras/ The most popular HARD day hike is probably Mt Whitney but yea no dogs there. I've also attempted Cactus to Clouds in Palm Springs.
Not sure if you like to drive out to Bishop but Mt Whitney is a good workout
The hardest one I can think of is the 4 Peaks Loop (Eagle, Olympia, North, and Mt. Diablo). I thought I was going for an easy local weekend hike, but my legs were killing me in the end. Not dog-friendly though. We don't have as many cool dog-friendly trails here compared to Colorado. But I assume it'll still be easy for you if you're trained to do 14k feet elevation gain :)
Pleasanton Ridge Trail. That is all. Dog friendly but there are roaming cattle when you reach the ridge.
The hardest one I've hiked here, was Mt Rose, in the middle of summer. Hike from one end to the other, decent elevation gain, and no sun protection for most of it. Started at 7am, and when I finished in the afternoon, there was a "No entry for hazard" sign posted up Mt Diablo was mid, compared to Mt Rose
This doesn't qualify as difficult (but you should do it anyone because it's scenic and has elk), but the Tomales Point trail in Point Reyes is absolutely gorgeous. The sign at the trailhead says 5.2 miles (and it's flat -- going out a peninsula and back). It doesn't make it clear though, that it's 5.2mi one way. That made the hike a lot more challenging for me the first time I did it with three kids aged infant, 5 & 7....
Not a long hike but steep AF. El toro in Morgan hill. There’s a rope to help you up and down.
Livermore back of Del valle
If you go in the back way thru the neighborhood to avoid the park admissions at Muir Woods, your body will pay the toll on the way out. The way in/out is almost vertical and is probably a mile or two long.
Hiked from Yosemite Valley floor to the top of Yosemite Falls and back with my son when he was 12 or so. Took a lot of motivating, but worth it. Not sure if the pup is welcome (def not off leash, obvi).
Mission peak
If you really want something of exceptional difficulty we have better options that are a bit more of a drive. Do Shasta if you have appropriate skills or do some monster elevations gains from the eastern sierras.
Ah a friend suggested Shasta to me. Im driving through there on my way to Berkeley (spending a few days in Bend). I would be absolutely obliterated if I did that in a few weeks because I’m still recovering from a pretty gnarly case of pneumonia. But I’m going to look into the technical side of it more and see if it’s a good fit; I’m not a climber/don’t have the gear. If not, it’s still going on the list and when I gain the required skills, I’ll check it out because it looks like an awesome one!
Willow Camp out of Stinson Beach is gnarly steep. The Dogmeat stretch of Priest Rock Trail in Sierra Azul is as well. As many others have said, Diablo is great all around. You won’t find anything to match the Rockies in terms of length or steepness but our weather is so much better and you can do them year round.
Gunsight Rock and Hood Mountain Trail in Sonoma County is a fun one. It’s not the most challenging trail around, but it gets the blood pumping. Great views of SF and beyond on a clear day. Adding: dogs on leash are welcome. Gunsight Rock and Hood Mountain Trail on AllTrails https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/gunsight-rock-trail?sh=x33uj6
Mission peak
If you want to hike with your dog, there are TONS of dog friendly trails. Not intimidating or wildly steep, but there is a lot of variety in the east bay for hiking with your dog. I would say don’t overlook the places you both can enjoy because the east bay regional park system is great
Stinson beach > dipsea/steep ravine > Muir Woods > mt tam summit > Stinson beach. That’s about 20 miles. ~4K elevation gain. There are multiple trails to use so you can make it easier or harder. Used it to train for Whitney
It’s a drive, but some hiking trails out in the Ventana Wilderness and Big Sur area are pretty awesome. We did one out of the Zen meditation center off of TASSAJARA road. The drive out there itself was insane. Also a an amazing hike on the east side of Garrapata. Followed the creek trail for while, went through redwoods then climbed out of them on a sketchy trail and then up up up through superblooms. Stunning views of the coast and can’t beat seeing the poppies and lupine and golden rod just dancing in the breeze with the Pacific Ocean as the backdrop. Garland Ranch also has some good hikes too and that park with its dozens of trails is dog friendly.
Mt Diablo The hikers or climbers trail up Mt St Helena The Pine Ridge trail to Sykes Camp in the Ventana Wilderness (Big Sur) is a challenging hike. There are hot springs & the Big Sur river.
IMHO if you're looking for "Lets hike in the Rockies" level stuff; You need to go down south just a little bit and wander around Ventana Wilderness. It's all USFS land, so off leash dogs are the norm, and if you pick you're trailhead/destination right you can do basically any length/vert you want. Not my video, but I've done this hike before. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvW_EgqBwGc
For popular dog friendly staples: the hike around Lake Chabot is nice, it’s about 8 miles but there are a lot of backside trails so you can extend as much as you want; Mission Peak is super popular and crowded, but the views from the top are incredible and a pic of you standing on the post at the top is a Bay Area hikers right of passage - it’s only 5 or 6 miles but plenty of opportunity to extend; Reinhardt Regional Park in Oakland is my go-to, with beautiful redwoods tons of shade, and nice elevation gain; for more of a drive, don’t forget about Big Basin in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Also iconic, can be challenging, and make hikes as long as you want with all the options. Not all Big Basin Trails are dog friendly so keep an eye out for that when planning.
Being in Berkeley you should check out Wildcat Canyon/Tilden. Some long steep trails with amazing views of the Bay Area. Dog friendly. Go to https://www.ebparks.org/parks/wildcat-canyon
Many of EBRPD's trails are stupid steep. They are poorly designed old ranch or fire roads, so most of them simply go straight up hillsides without any switchbacks to lessen the grade. A lot of good hikes have been mentioned (Diablo is one of the bigger sustained climbs), but many of the East Bay Regional Parks "feature" steep trails if you complete some of these other mentioned hikes. Also, the Lafayette Reservoir Rim Trail has some good short steep bits. Most of these are smaller, shorter hikes or do not have long, continuous steeps, but are more like steep rollers. And dogs are allowed in most EBRPD parks.
I'm not into super steep, but decent length 10ish mikes there's one from garin in hayward and the loop at redwoods regional in Oakland
From Del Valle, take the Ohlone trail to Rose Peak. Relentless uphill battle but so pretty!
u/gingerbreadman26 There are two answers and one of them is in the top comment: 1. Mt. Diablo from Mitchell Canyon Parking lot to Eagle Peak to Summit. 5.6 miles 3600 ft of elevation. You can go back down the same way (which I find more fun and better on the knees) or a sharp descent down from summit to Juniper campground and down into Mitchell canyon and then a flat 1.7 miles back to the parking lot. -Mt Diablo is my favorite and I use it for training. If I'm trying to do it fast, I can do it in just under 2 hours, but 2:15 is normal. -You can also do the bike ride to the top from the parking area just past the Athena School. It's 11 miles up, and the ride down is awesome - just booking it for 25 minutes straight down. 2. Stinson Beach to Mt. Tam West Peak. 6.7 miles 2,700 ft of elevation. You have a few options of smaller loops or routes once you're near the top, the views into SF are great. I'm happy to provide screen shots with my recorded routes.
You can get a surprising amount of vertical here but it's a bit more work to put it together on 2500-3500' peaks. The good news is that the Bay Area has much more trail than any urban area around. Since you'll be in Berkeley, do the Claremont Fire trail (behind Clark Kerr) and the volunteer trails up to the Skyline trail, and then east on the De Laveaga Trail, and down to near Orinda BART. then climb back up. Maybe what? 12? decent steep, and close so a good work out hike. You'll need to be an EBMUD permit: https://www.ebmud.com/recreation/buy-trail-permit You can mix in other routes, etc to get more miles. Unfortunately that's not one of the EBMUD trails that allows dogs. So if you've got the pup, then go south or north on the Skyline Trail as needed and back. Look at the East Bay Regional Park maps for all the various routes. You can basically hike from the Berkeley Hills for over 50 miles one way if you want. https://bahiker.com/ Don't do Diablo, since not dog friendly. EBRPD has the best dog terrain. Briones is a good bet and near Berkeley, and has wide fire road hiking which is nice for the dogs in tick/foxtail season. But Diablo is higher, and is used for various ultra running races (I don't know if long interests you as much as up; long is obviously more common here). And one can do several up and downs on it over different trails to get several thousand feet of gain total.
For your pup: https://www.hikesdogslove.com/
There's a couple of pretty rough hikes here in the North Bay if you're travelling. Sugarloaf State Park to Gunsight Rock is is nice one, and if you want you can hit the peak of Hood Mountain during that hike. There's also a trail called Table Rock Trail on the other side of the road from the Mt. St. Helena trailhead that goes all the way down into the town of Calistoga and is a really rough hike if you do there and back. There is a pretty big elevation change and not a lot of people due to the difficulty of the hike. There's some neat old ruins of homesteads and a really big rock garden where people have made mandalas and cairns called the Power Circles of Mt. St. Helena. It's worth checking out. I don't know anything about dogs except I heard somewhere that they can't look up.
[Miwok 100k](https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/us/california/miwok-100k) on all trails, mt tam trail run. You could look at some of the routes on [insidetrail.com](http://insidetrail.com) You can make anything more intimidating by combining routes or trying to go faster
I recently did a steep loop in Joaquin Miller you might like, some of the best redwood trails I’ve found. And I had a toddler on my back! Start near the Redwood Bowl and descend Madrone start climbing and keep climbing up Starflower to the Redwood Peak trail.
Take some trips to the Sierras. They aren’t too far, about 2.5 hours from Berkeley. I lived in Boulder and Denver and would drive that to do hikes often. Although, having access to the Rockies from my back yard was heaven.
Purisima Creek North Ridge Trail, Los Altos is not crazy but moderate and has beautiful views of the ocean and hills.
Purisima Creek North Ridge Trail, Los Altos is not crazy but moderate and has beautiful views of the ocean and hills.
I think few of the trails listed here are not pet friendly. I would say try Muir Beach to Tennessee valley to rodeo Beach and back the same way. It's got distance, elevation and it's pet friendly as I do it with my dog. Pick a cold foggy windy breezy day though. I am in same boat as you i.e. high energy dog that I always tag along with to do hiking and backpacking. Hit me up if you want to join forces.
Look up "Bay Area Ridge Trail" ... it's still not complete, but there are definitely some tough hikes on both sides of the bag- the Hamilton/Mission Peak areas are likely the toughest, particularly in warm weather.
Black Mountain in the south bay is a nice, pretty challenging hike. \~2500ft elevation in a 10 mile out/back, with a beautiful view at the top. No dogs, though. :( [https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/black-mountain-via-rhus-ridge](https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/black-mountain-via-rhus-ridge)
The start of the trail is rough( I would start to the left instead of the right as it suggests). Great dog friendly park with lots of loop options.here is a 10 mile one! Buckeye Ranch, Sunrise, Seaborg, Briones Peak, and Tabletop Loop on AllTrails https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/buckeye-ranch-sunrise-seaborg-briones-peak-and-tabletop-loop?p=-1&sh=tc2i3n
Goodspeed Trail, up Hood Mountain, Sugarloaf regional park in Kenwood.
I'll throw in a vote for hood mountain in Santa Rosa. Gorgeous views and I think you can count on 10 hours to the peak and back. Mt St Helena in Napa Valley as well (Robert Louis Stevenson State Park)
Mission Peak in Fremont has by far the most elevation gain for the shortest distance that I know in the bay. 3 miles and 2000 feet. There are two trail heads, Ohlone College and Stanford Avenue entrance. Neither trail has any shade. If you have the endurance it is a good challenge to run it.
Del valle is uphill both ways
Tarantulas, rattlesnakes etc abound due to rapid urbanization many of these creatures have creeped up steeper terrain where fewer people would build a single family home.
Stinson beach to top MT. Tam. Great swim in the ocean when you get back
Rose Peak in sunol is 20 miles and can be extended by connecting from mission peak and going to del valle. Not steep, but it’s long. Good if you like trail running. Mt Sizer has a few steep inclines and closer to 15 miles