San Francisco Bay Trail - South Bay
To see more photos of this area go to: www.LCPhoto.SmugMug.com
Vital Stats
Getting TherePretty much head towards the Bay and chances are you'll find one! Just kidding. This is huge area so the best bet is to get a map or see individual hikes posted here.
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Description and Map I'm not sure of the who's and when's of The San Francisco Bay Trail but those responsible are to be heartily thanked for this amazing idea. Basically the idea was to create a trail that circles the entire San Francisco Bay. Though as of this writing the trail is not complete it is surprisingly close when you really think of the magnitude of this undertaking. I can say that I'd feel pretty safe in guaranteeing that no matter where you live in the Bay Area you have quite a few chunks of this trail close by.
The South Bay section of the trail is great in that it has a large number of sloughs and marsh areas with trails on levees that allow you to get right out into the middle of things. Take your camera 'cause this is bird heaven. The best times to go are in the morning or late afternoon/early evening at low tide because the muddy bottom of the Bay is exposed and the birds find plenty to feed on. Yummy! Dress appropriately in layers because it can get a bit cold, especially if the wind comes up. Since these hikes are virtually flat the only limiting factor is how far you want to walk. Consequently, I decided any kind of difficulty categorization would be... well... difficult. While there are some loops to me it seems like the best way to approach these trails is for you to get a map, walk until you feel half done, then head back! That said, I'm not posting any specific hikes I took here. Rather below you'll find a list of the areas I've been to with directions to get you there and some of my impressions of the place. Point of interest: If you've ever hiked in the Santa Cruz Mts., this is where all those streams you cross empty into the Bay. Kind of a Zen-like cyclical thingy?! (if you go for that kind of stuff). Links
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Parks List
1. Don Edwards Wildlife Refuge
2. Stevens Creek & Shoreline OSP