Turn left at the top on Russell Peak Tr. Crusty and moist in some steep spots. Hike Details for Briones Regional Park - Bear Creek Staging Area - EBCHG We went clockwise and took a very steep connector trail up a hill that had gorgeous April wildflowers - poppies, lupines, etc. Year. Days of week Open hours; Thursday: 8 AM - 6 PM. It gets quite steep in the first quarter-mile, so watch your footing on the way up. NOTE: Trail use permit required. Explore Briones Bear Creek Staging - view hand-curated trail maps and driving directions as well as detailed reviews and photos from hikers, campers and nature lovers like you. Widgets, Explore Great trail but with all the rain it was very muddy in spots. IMBA Epics | Park It: Don't disturb it's tarantula mating season I couldnt get my dog leash fast enough and two instances and it was just a drag. Briones Regional Park is a 6,117-acre (24.75 km2) regional park in the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) system located in Briones Hills, central Contra Costa County, San Francisco Bay Area, California. I happened to spot one in February (see photo). But once year, the newts make an epic migration (at least for them) to nearby ponds for mating season. 85 in Mountain Biking [+] Seaborg trail starts mellow and then goes to a strong climb to connect to Briones Crest. Take exit 12, turn left from offramp onto Oak Hill, then right on Deer Hill, second right into parking area. The intersection of Briones Crest Trail/ Mott Peak Trail and Briones Crest Trail/ Lagoon Trail is currently damaged but passable with care. Its all green. Briones Regional Park--Bear Creek Staging Area. Briones Regional Park offers a number of first-come, first-served picnic sites with tables and barbecue stands at the Bear Creek Staging Area and the Alhambra Creek Staging Area. Information on Group Camping can be found on our Group Camping page. Join us for a 9:30 am hike at Briones Regional Park. nice and green. easily marked trail with some strenuous but brief uphill sections and a final slippery decent. . This review would be a lot better but I went on a rainy day. Old Briones Road Trail to Toyon Canyon Trail, Contra Costa County, CA, USA . Doesn't fling off the tire, builds and builds until your tires lock due to mud jammed in between the frame and tire. The short hike continues straight on down Briones Crest until the end, then left by Oak Grove Picnic area and back to the parking area. Take a right on Bear Creek Road and go five miles to the Bear Creek Staging Area. That was true on this trail as well, which caused me to take numerous detours in search of nice Narrow trails. Cattle were on the road. 4 reviews of Bear Creek Staging Area "Total Distance 6.4 Miles - Moderate with Elevation Gain of 725 Feet This loop meanders beneach dool shade along Bear Creek before climbing to the Briones Crest Trail as it runs northest towards the open meadow and spectacular views of Table Top. Alhambra Creek single track is bootlegged and not maintained by the park..is a blast, but be . . One of many hikes available from the Bear Creek Staging Area ($3 parking fee when gate is attended). Set. Briones Regional Park | Martinez Top Fence Contractor - FCR 1261 Locust St, Walnut Creek! link Copy Link. Martinez, CA 94553. Hiked 11/16, clear and dry and calm in the upper 50s, perfect hiking weather. Hike had quite a bit of up and down hills; our calves were definitely feeling it! Legoland aggregates bear creek staging area information to help you offer the best information support options. Briones Regional Park Bear Creek Staging Area RSVPs - 57 YES: 24 NO: 24 MAYBE: 9. You may see black-tailed deer, coyotes, squirrels, red-tailed hawks, turkey vultures, and if you are lucky, other more reclusive creatures. Walk up Old Briones Road from the Bear Creek staging area on Bear Valley Road about 5 miles east of Camino Pablo Road in Orinda. You will plunge a little less than a mile into the woods before heading out into the meadows. From Richmond take San Pablo Dam Rd to Bear Creek Road/Wildcat Canyon Rd and turn left. Shade. Stop by for a visit anytime! Maps at trail head. Briones Regional Park covers more than 6,000 acres in the rolling East Bay hills between Berkeley and Walnut Creek. It tracks a ridge with gorgeous scenery and reasonably gentle climbing. Newts, coyote, and cows all made an appearance. West Briones Regional Park . 13: 8am-6pm, Mar. When applicable, eBird generally defers to bird records committees for records formally considered to be of "uncertain provenance". The 7 Best Hiking Trails in Contra Costa County - California Briones Regional Park | Top Hiking Trails in Pleasant Hills, California For spectacular views and a solid workout, take the eight-mile Briones Crest Trail. Only dogs or motorcycles allowed on the trails. But very muddy and slow going in many spots. Sunscreen -- much of the hiking is unshaded Along the way watch for black-tailed deer, coyotes, squirrels, red-tailed hawks, and turkey vultures. Better wait until drier weather. Briones Overlook via Bear Creek Trail | Map, Guide - AllTrails Great view, lots of greens. I didn't think I could have a worse time biking until I went back a year later. Site-specific information is visible only to the observer and eBird reviewer(s) for the region.We encourage you not to share specific location information about this sighting via social media, public websites, or email listservs.Learn more about Sensitive Species in eBird. Explore a complete list of bird species observations in this area. Its maily fireroads but there is some slightly technical singletrack that you can take. Bear Creek Loop in Briones | The Undiscovered Hikes of Lamorinda The Briones Pilot Project is a two-year pilot program to test strategies in addressing trail congestion, trail safety, and illegal bootleg trails, which have negative impacts on wildlife, including sensitive and endangered species. Soon you'll come to a broad trail junction, where you can bear right on Briones Crest or go left on Table Top Trail. Do not waste your time. There are gorgeous wildflower displays in season. A wide variety of trees, shrubs and flowers make this an ideal nature-study hike. Briones Regional Park is a 6,117-acre (24.75 km2) regional park situated in the Briones Hills of central Contra Costa County in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, in the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) system. Briones is a hidden wilderness surrounded by the towns of central Contra Costa County, with its rolling, grassy hills and secluded, shady canyons. The area which today includes Briones Park and Russell Reservation was part of the 1842 Mexican land grant of Rancho Boca de la Canada del Pinole to the widow of Felipe Briones. don't bother with alhambra creek trail unless you want to be obnoxious and go on a weekday cuz theres a lot of people on sat and sun. You'll endure a fair amount of slogging along the way, but the panoramic views in every direction should ease your suffering. The Sindicich Lagoons - Redwood Hikes 2950 Peralta Oaks Court,Oakland, CA 946051-888-EBPARKS,1-888-327-2757(Deaf or Hearing Impaired, use the TRS at 711). Note: 8:30 am Start Time!! (A side trip to the nearby lagoons offers an excellent excuse to break for lunch). The park is named for Felipe Briones, who built his home in 1829 near what is today the Bear Creek Staging Area, raising cattle and farming. Reachable from the Hampton Staging Area at the end of Hampton Road, the wide trail through open landscape is your fast track to the trails that circle the Briones Reservoir. In the spring you might spot a California newt near the trail. start at reliez valley staging area and go up the fire road you see another fire road to the right, keep going strait than make a left after a gate onto singletrack. Owner Michael Park. Views of the west, north and east Bay Area. A bit muddy in patches, but overall really great! Dogs welcome for $2 fee. nice veiws when you get up top and beautiful in springtime* Review edited 3/15/2008. Mountain Bike Deals, Copyright 2023 Blue Spruce Ventures LLC | You'll be about 4 miles away at the Bear Creek Staging Area (which has bathrooms). Great hiking area nestled in the rolling hills of the Briones Regional Park. After passing the archery range, you will reach a three-way junction with Seaborg Trail. Follow Old Briones Road past Valley back to Alhambra, Can be very steep at times, rarely not steep LOL. Give the trails a few days to dry out after major rains. Good for dogs. We're a group dedicated to hiking and exploring trails in the East Bay and beyond. This hike is from Bear Creek Staging Area for EBRPD, not the Bear Creek for EBMUD!! Briones Regional Park covers more than 6,000 acres in the rolling East Bay hills between Berkeley and Walnut Creek. Fantastic night hike! Difficulty: Easy. Hike begins on Old Briones Road, left on Black Oak, right on Mott Peak, right on Briones Crest, left on Lagoon, left to stay on Lagoon, another left to stay on Lagoon. Every pond was overflowing. There were some pretty muddy spots, which were a little challenging but not horrible. View with Google Maps. 2537 Reliez Valley Road. Elevation gain: About 500 feet (trail to falls is mostly level with slight uphills) Fees: $3 day use fee for parking. Good, harder than I thought, but I loved the extra work. Long hikers continue on Russell Peak, left on Mariposa looping around right on a paved road and right to stay on Mariposa. Excellent hike, great views. . The first 1 mile of this trail is very pleasant, meandering through the woods. EBCHG - Briones Regional Park : Bear Creek Staging Area Hike The spring wildflower display is big enough to justify a visit from February to May, but not so spectacular that it attracts big crowds you might find at more popular parks. Mud sticks around for a very long time as much of the flat portion is well shaded. 10: 8am-7pm, Apr. Terms | Privacy, HWY 24 take the Orindo exit turn left ontu Camino Pablo then Right on Bear Creek Road. . Jake, thanks for sharing your experience on this trail! Bear Creek: To reach the Bear Creek Staging Area on Bear Creek Road, exit Highway 24 at the Orinda/Camino Pablo exit and head toward Richmond. Trail is dry along vast majority of its length. From Orinda take Camino Pablo north towards San Pablo Dam Road. Month. Exotic species flags differentiate locally introduced species from native species. Very green, poppies just starting, newts came out at dusk, dozens of them. Briones Bear Creek Staging | List | AllTrails In 1829 Felipe Briones built a home near the Bear Creek entrance, cultivating the land and raising cattle. In the Bear Creek Staging Area and the Alhambra Creek Staging Area, Briones Regional Park has a variety of first-come, first-served picnic sites with tables and barbecue stands. Go right instead of left at the fork when you start because the other way is some insane Incline!!! Very exposed and sunny with few shaded stops. Good trail muddy after the rain in parts. Im sure its great if your dogs arent desirous to chase Cows. A pleasant out-and-back using the Bear Creek Trail skirting the south and east shores of Briones Reservoir and ending near Briones Overlook staging area. This 7-mile circuit passes the two highest points in the park, Mott's Peak and Briones Peak. Due to the adobe soil right after a rain it becomes very muddy and almost impossible to ride up, or even walk in some spots. Horses are also able to use this trail. All other park entrances are open. 2023 East Bay Regional Park District.All Rights Reserved. Land Manager: . This park has several entry points from the surrounding towns. EBCHG - Details for Hike From the picnic area, the Bear Creek trail descends down to the creek. At the Bear Creek Staging Area, the park also has two larger, reservable community picnic areas: Oak Grove, which can host 50 people, and Newt Hollow, which holds 150. A few trees still down, and the trail is closed near Briones peak due to trail damage (the hill is washing out a bit, have to scramble up a ~3 foot wash). on the first Saturday of the month. Guide and Service dogs are free. 10 topics about : hammer toe separators ? Lots of flies near the cows. Abrigo Valley Loop at Briones Regional Park - Lonely Hiker Sa magulong, madamong burol at liblib, malilim na canyon, ang Briones ay isang lihim na kagubatan na napapalibutan ng mga bayan ng gitnang Contra Costa County. Hiker's choice of a short 7 mile/1670' moderate+ hike or a longer 8 mile/1870' challenging hike. Drive into the park - staying to the right - and park in the large gravel lot at the end of the road. Need a recreational permit to use the area. Abrigo Falls, Briones Regional Park - The NorCal Hiker Briones' 6,255 acres are home to many animals and birds, which forage on the grasslands or find shelter among the oaks and bays. For information or to make a reservation, call 1-888-EBPARKS or1-888-327-2757, press option 2. Best East Bay Picnic Spots - CBS San Francisco So pretty in spring. Nice views, good for winter hike. Briones regional Park is one of my favorite regional parks in the Bay area. . Not many people, some runners and hikers, some groups of MTBs. Park It: Nature, birding walks planned near Berkeley, Martinez One will be from 6 to 8 p.m. May 4 at Briones Regional Park. The trails reconnect after about a mile, then descend toward the trailhead. Mostly a wide trail so good for conversation with hiking friends. Beautiful hike. Beautiful. See wildflowers flourishing throughout East Bay open spaces Then continue to the Bear Creek staging area. East Bay park offers ample solitude, abundant sunshine. Briones Reservoir - Wikipedia DOGS welcome. The Alhambra and Bear Creek Staging Areas are open year-round, however hours vary seasonally. Location: Lafayette and Martinez Acres: 6,255 Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extended hours February through October Getting here: Take the Orinda/Camino Pablo exit toward Richmond on Highway 24. Note that only the Bear Creek Staging Area and the Alhambra Creek Staging Area entrances offer equestrian parking. Family Friendly While most kids won't be up for the full 9.5 mile loop, you can park at the Bear Creek Staging Area to shorten the loop to a kid-friendly distance. Lafayette Ridge Staging Area is closed due to significant landslides. What to bring: Hills are beautiful! Change). Hiked 2/11. Briones Regional Park Loop Hiking Trail, Pleasant Hill, California Saturday is an ODD date (April 29) - Bikes (& Hikers) are allowed on designated trails in the Pilot Zone- NO Horses in the Pilot ZoneSunday is an EVEN date (April 30) - Horses (& Hikers) are allowedon designated trails in the Pilot Zone- NO Bikes in the Pilot Zone, View Pilot Zone Map| View Project Information| Volunteer for Dig Days, Alhambra and Bear Creek: Jan. 1-31: 8am-5pm, Feb. 1-Mar. Grass lands between forested areas. Beautiful trail with lots of ups and downs. The following recommendations are some of the best picnic spots in the East Bay. Take the clockwise route, start with a steep climb then enjoy the view along the ridge. GPS. Basic East Bay rolling hills read some STEEP. Another sloppy mess, not much improvement despite the warmer weather. All hikers continue straight down Russell Peak which becomes Briones Crest, left on Seaborg, take your first left on the lovely shaded Bear Creek Trail (look for Homestead Valley camping area) back to the parking area. Share this checklist with other participants' eBird accounts. Look out for rattlesnakes in spring/summer - one was stretched across the trail! Then follow above info to reach the staging area. Welcome to East Bay Hikers. For a longer 5-mile loop, take a right on the Seaborg Trail. 2537 Reliez Valley Rd, Martinez, CA 94553, United States. Still beautiful up there. Trail use permit required. Time: 1 Hour 16 of the East Bay's Most Incredible Hikes - Thrillist Plenty of bootlegged single track that doesn't appear on the park's maps. Saw cows, millipedes, and a snake. Other than that, saw some cool nature. With the above information sharing about bear creek staging area on official and highly reliable information sites will help you get more information. Briones Regional Park, Fernandez Ranch and Surroundings Flora & Fauna This trail has lots of poison oak along and partially covering the trail. Still muddy. No mud. With its rolling, grassy hills and secluded, shady canyons, Briones is a secret wilderness surrounded by the towns of central Contra Costa County. These leash-required areas are indicated by signage within the park. Join us at 8:30 am for a trek through the southern end of Briones Regional; a hiker's choice of a Challenging 7.4 mile/1800' single loop or a Difficult 9.8 mile/2400' double loop. Nice trail for winter. Fairly low traffic. No Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve Labyrinth. From Oakland/Orinda: Follow CA-24 E to Oak Hill Rd in Lafayette. Watch for springtime wildflowers, with beautiful valleys and meadows throughout the hike. Cows and calves are in the Tabletop, Spengler, Blue Oak, Buckeye, Sunrise, and Lafayette Ridge trail areas. Horses are capable of using this trail as well. Menu. Stay on the Oursan Trail for the next 7 miles as you cross private and public lands with cattle gates that take you to walk within feet of the magnificent reservoir from high on the hills above. Bear Creek Staging Area | Spaulding Concrete Great moderate hike with beautiful green hills. If you do it the other way it'll take you down to Bear Creek Staging area. PDF Briones Regional Park MODERATE HIKE Photo: D. Little North MUIR . Take a left and descend back down into the valley. Water, snacks Briones Regional Park Loop from Bear Creek Trail Head - AllTrails.com The hike below represents a small sampling of the trails available from Briones' five trailheads. Reservations must be made at least 5 days in advance. Great hike with just the right amount of elevation. Hike begins on Old Briones Road, left on Black Oak . The trail is open year-round and is beautiful to visit anytime. Dry, hot, exposed fire roads that lead to cattle tracked, sun baked, moon crusty trails with zero fun factor. East Bay Hikers (Pleasant Hill, CA) | Meetup Highlights: When most people think of Briones Regional Park they think of rolling hills with a huge network of fire roads to hike or bike on. Most of us were aware of the situation as we arrived at the Briones Bear Creek Staging area for our Wednesday night group ride. Barricades and cones have been posted on both ends of the fire trail to warn park users. The Reliez Valley Road staging area is a small parking lot off of that road that's located right about where the cities of Lafayette, Walnut Creek, and Pleasant Hill meet on the east side of Briones . A few e bikes from Walnut creek side. What a beautiful day! . Homestead Valley group camping and picnic area. Hard rating is correct. West Briones Regional Park - Mt. Diablo Audubon Society (LogOut/ The hills were just so vibrant green and orange with flowers. And cows with calves. Muddy, poppies are starting, incredibly green water everywhere! Good opportunities for wild life sightings (rattlesnakes, lizards, birds) and cows. Great views. Length: 2 miles or 5 miles (longer version) People. I've linked up several trails in Briones and found the riding there to be challenging and steep. At the first intersection, stay left . . Turn right on Bear Creek Road and travel 5 miles to the staging area on the right. J_T. Probably a rookie move on my part, but definitely a learning experience. Home; Submit . Super spacious, so green and the cloud formation were stunning! share Share . really nice place to ride just firetrails if you wana hardtail it. This trail had way more ups and downs that I had expected, but was such a beautiful hike. bear creek staging area ? - LEGOLAND Steep climbs and fortunately steep downhill. Hiker's choice of a short 7 mile/1670' moderate+ hike or a longer 8 mile/1870' challenging hike. Updated April 30, 2023. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Easy to navigate but lots of Sun exposure so come with water, hats, and sunscreen. Couple steep uphills but pretty mellow overall. Careful on those tight turns as horseback riding is popular here. Briones Regional Park--Bear Creek Staging Area. 1-888-327-2757 (1-888-EBPARKS) www.ebparks.org Rev. Some nice cows and great trees. All other park entrances are open. ALLTRAILS and the AllTrails Mountain Design are registered trademarks of AllTrails, LLC in the United States as well as certain other jurisdictions. After a little ways you will start climbing into the hills and will reach the Briones Crest Trail. At Briones Regional Park, a popular autumn display All hikers will take a rest break at the top of the hill after a long climb. Cattle graze at this park; give them plenty of distance, don't alarm them, and don't get between cows and their calves. Diablo. There are five major access points, of which the two most developed are the Alhambra Creek Valley Staging Area off Reliez Valley Road near Martinez and the Bear Creek Road Staging Area near Orinda and Lafayette. I'm looking forward to going again on a bright, dry day. There are five main access points around the park, all of which offer to park. Northeast of Briones Regional Park off of Bear Creek Road, the Hampton Trail access to the EBMUD is often less crowded than the pawpular Bear Creek Staging Area. You may see black-tailed deer, coyotes, squirrels, red-tailed hawks, turkey vultures, and, if you are lucky, other more reclusive creatures. Small fees for parking and dogs collected at Alhambra and Bear Creek staging areas when kiosk is staffed. Briones Regional Park | Mga Parke sa East Bay Briones Regional Park - Reliable Receptionist Trail Directions: From the Bear Creek Staging . Briones Regional Park Mountain Bike Trail in Walnut Creek, California Beautiful scenery all around. To reach the Bear Creek Staging . Briones Regional Park Loop from Bear Creek Trail Head, http://www.ebparks.org/files/EBRPD_files/brochure/briones_map.pdf, http://www.ebparks.org/files/EBRPD_files/brochure/briones_mobile_map.pdf, http://www.tommangan.net/twoheeldrive/index.php/2009/04/12/briones-regional-park-from-bear-creek-tra, http://www.bahiker.com/eastbayhikes/bcbriones.html, http://www.kqed.org/quest/exploration/briones-regional-park-exploration. The trail winds along the side of the hill, above the creek, heading east. Continue on Bear Creek trail to the dirt parking lot and then follow the road up to Briones Park and Bear Creek Staging Area. Do not confuse it with Bear Creek Staging Area in Briones Regional Park, reached from the EAST side of Bear Creek Road via park access road just north of the EBMUD staging area.) In the spring enjoy a complete loop around the reservoir to capture the wildflower blooms. Lots of cows. Stay right and you will end up back at the staging area. Last night the Coast Range Riders MTB club aided Contra Costa Sheriff's Department's Search and Rescue (SAR) teams, in the search for an 81-year-old man who has been missing since Saturday at Briones Regional Park. Briones in Bloom Hosted By Greenbelt Alliance. The park also has two larger, designated community picnic areas in the Bear Creek Staging Area: Oak Grove, which can accommodate up to 50 people, and Newt Hollow, which has . Horses are also able to use this trail. This part of the 3.5-mile lollipop trail is well made and well graded. The staging area is on the right slightly past the Happy Valley Rd intersection. great after coffee. Weeknights late and very early AM weekdays and weekends will give the window to play in the no bikes allowed spaces. Not too difficult. Contra Costa County . Briones' 6,255 acres are home to many animals and birds, which forage on the grasslands or find shelter among the oaks and bays. Ni dung chnh. Several trees down on the last down, major carveout ravines on the ridge before the loop. Dogs are welcome and may be off-leash in some areas. It was a wet sloggy mess. Very few people were on the trails, so I had majority of it all to myself, which was a pleasure so I could hear the birds singing, the rustling of the breeze in the trees, and the crunching of the gravel under my feet. Alhambra Creek Staging Area - Brookwood Dr, Martinez, CA 94553 Meet: Bear Creek Staging Area . We gave it space and it moved off on its own. Amazing views of the reservoir from high above as well as serene views of the surrounding hills, among other wildflowers, dominated by California poppies, purpleheads, lupines and redstem stork's bill. Welcome to Briones East Bay Regional Park District 2950 Peralta Oaks Court, Oakland, CA 94605-0381 1-888-327-2757 (1-888-EBPARKS) (TRS 711) www.ebparks.org Rev. Old Briones Road Trail and Black Oak Trail Loop, Briones Crest, Old Briones, Table Top, Crescent Ridge and Seaborg Loop, Abrigo Valley Trail to Mott Peak Trail Loop, Briones Crest Trail and Valley Loop Trail, Crescent Ridge Trail to Briones Crest Trail Loop.