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July 2026 Berkeley paths may not be the answer; early evacuation is key during wildfires For many years, the Berkeley paths were considered possible wildfire evacuation routes. Given Berkeley's steep
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For many years, the Berkeley paths were considered possible wildfire evacuation routes. Given Berkeley's steep hills and narrow roads, the paths may appear to be a viable option. However, residents fleeing on foot could be exposed to intense heat, heavy smoke, hazardous gases, and traffic collisions at road crossings. Depending on how a fire spreads, evacuees could encounter impassable areas or become trapped or overtaken by flames. |
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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.
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When: Friday, July 3, 2026 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Where: 972 Magnolia Avenue Piedmont, CA
Leader: Alina Constantinescu
Distance: 4 miles
Elevation gain: 700 ft
Accessibility: Many stairs and some uneven trails. Well-behaved dogs on leash are welcome. For this month's installment of the sunset Friday hikes, we are headed to beautiful Piedmont. We'll check out Piedmont Park and Dracena Park and walk by redwoods, creeks, and mansions with magnificent gardens and views. Read more |
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When: Saturday, July 11, 2026 10:00 AM-12:30 PM
Where: Central Ave and Ohlone Greenway
Leader: Janet Byron
Distance: 4.5 miles
Elevation gain: 680 feet On this walk, expect lots of uphill streets and stairs on this butt-kicker of a walk (then lots of downhill!). From the El Cerrito Plaza BART station, we’ll walk up to Arlington Park via as many hidden stairways as possible, then return via more paths and the PG&E property along Moeser Avenue. Read more |
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When: Saturday, July 18, 2026 10:00 AM-12:30 PM
Where: Sixth St and Harrison St, Berkeley, CA
Leader: Aaron Goldstein
Start: Corner of Sixth St and Harrison St in Berkeley (near the northern terminus of the 18 bus line and about 1.5 miles from the North Berkeley BART station)
End: Corner of Hopkins St. and Kains Ave in Berkeley
Distance: about 3 miles
Accessibility: The walk covers mostly level terrain, but there are several areas of narrow and/or uneven pavement. The tour involves periods standing for 10-20 minutes at each of the five sites. Because the surviving tanks are quite spread out, there are some long stretches of walking at the beginning of the tour. Well-behaved dogs on leash are welcome. This walk reconstructs a once ubiquitous but now largely forgotten piece of the circa-1900 Berkeley urban landscape. Back then, windmill-topped water towers stood on nearly every city block, pulling up water from wells into elevated water tanks and providing pressurized water for domestic use. Read more |
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Path Maintenance Work Parties
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Join us for a path maintenance work party!Sunday, July 5, 10:00 am - noon
Thursday, July 9th, 10:00 am - noon
Tuesday, July 14th, 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. |
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Berkeley Path Wanderers Association
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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. |
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