August News: Upper Columbia Path Gets a Drain

August 2026

Rocking and Rolling to the Finish on Upper Columbia Path

In our February blog post, we covered efforts to improve stormwater management for the benefit of public paths. Since then, our path building team has been hard at work improving Upper Columbia Path.

Join Us at the Solano Stroll! The ever-popular Solano Stroll is coming up September 13th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Be sure to stop by BPWA’s booth, located on the north side of the street just east of Ensenada Avenue. We’ll have lots of fun merchandise for sale, including our 10th edition map, our new T-shirt, and more. Come say hello and share your path stories with us!

Volunteers Needed at the Solano Stroll Booth

Can you help for two hours at one of our most important events of the year? Here’s what we do at the booth: 1) Sell maps, T-shirts, and other merchandise; 2) Answer questions about the paths and path-building; 3) Recruit newsletter subscribers, path builders, and walk participants. For details and times, email events@berkeleypaths.org.

Upcoming Walks

Note: Heavy rain cancels. If rain is in the forecast, check the www.berkeleypaths.org website the day before to see if the walk is cancelled.

Rose Garden to Grizzly Peak

When: Saturday, August 8, 2026 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Where: 1200 Euclid Avenue Berkeley
Leader: Gene Meyers
Distance: 5 miles
Elevation Gain: About 600 feet
Accessibility: Fast-paced. Sidewalks, several paths, some steep uphill roads. Not accessible for wheelchairs. Well-behaved dogs on leashes are welcome. Restrooms are available at Codornices Park at the start of the hike.

We will meet in front of the Rose Garden and head to Rose Walk for the start of this fast-paced hike covering 8 paths, 4 uphill and 4 downhill. There is usually plenty of on-street parking near the start of the walk. See Rose Garden to Grizzly Peak for a complete description of the walk with images.

Claremont / Uplands Evening Hike

When: Friday, August 21, 2026 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Where: 29 Domingo Avenue Berkeley
Leader: Alina Constantinescu
Distance: 3 miles
Elevation gain: 500 ft
Accessibility: Many stairs and some uneven trails. Well-behaved dogs on leash are welcome.
Meeting Location Details: Bottom of Oakridge Path East, near 29 Domingo Ave

August's installment of the Friday evening hikes takes us to the beautiful Claremont and Uplands neighborhood at Berkeley's border with Oakland. The route goes past stately mansions, creeks, fun yard art, and incredible views (of course). Read more

Berkeley in the '60s

When: Sunday, August 23, 2026 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Where: Sproul Hall Berkeley
Leader: Rodney Paul
Distance: 1.0 mile
Elevation gain: 20 feet
Accessibility: Fully paved with curb cuts; move at a moderate pace; well-behaved dogs welcome; restrooms at start and end in Student Union.
Signup: RSVP.

The Berkeley Free Speech Movement was one of the first major protests of the 1960s, a decade that would come to be defined by student unrest around the US and the world. Read more

Path Maintenance Work Parties

Join us for a path maintenance work party!

Sunday, August 9, 10:00 am - noon
Friday, August 14, 10 am - noon
Wednesday, August 19th, 5:30-7:30 pm

Do you enjoy working with your hands and seeing tangible results of your efforts? Join us to clean up Berkeley’s paths, work that’s mostly weeding, sweeping, raking, and clipping. We will have gloves and tools available, but feel free to bring your own. Please also bring your own water, as we won't be offering water or refreshments. To receive an email confirming the meeting place, please RSVP to the path maintenance team at path.maintenance@berkeleypaths.org.

Berkeley Path Wanderers Association

Berkeley Path Wanderers Association is a community organization of people who treasure the public pathways that crisscross our city. Learn more

The BPWA board generally meets monthly. Please contact info@berkeleypaths.org for more information.

We always welcome new volunteers to lead walks on Berkeley’s paths. If you are interested, please contact the BPWA Walks Coordinator at walks@berkeleypaths.org.

To support Berkeley's paths, you can donate online. All donations are tax-deductible and go toward building new paths, repairing and clearing existing paths, purchasing handrails, and advocating for paths and walkers.