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December 2025 Welcome to December, and the approaching winter solstice! December 21 will be the shortest day of the year, bringing the fewest hours of sunlight per 24-hour period. It’s a time of quiet
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Welcome to December, and the approaching winter solstice! December 21 will be the shortest day of the year, bringing the fewest hours of sunlight per 24-hour period. It’s a time of quiet reflection, of celebrating the past year. It’s an opportunity to appreciate our natural surroundings and observe seasonal changes. Even in temperate Berkeley, a colder, quieter time has begun.
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Here are a few ways to celebrate the winter solstice: Go for a walk – Take a stroll in nature or along Berkeley’s paths and stairways to enjoy winter elements like evergreens, pinecones, or winter flowers like camelias, cyclamen, calendula, and California lilacs. Or join one of our Festive Hikes on December 12 or December 19.
Star gaze – Because the winter solstice is an astronomical event, it’s a great time to watch the night sky (fog notwithstanding!).
Build a fire – Gather with friends and family around a safe home fire or bonfire to welcome the return of the sun, just as they did in ancient times. Make a Yule log – Create a festive yule log as a centerpiece or to burn in your fireplace. Read some winter poetry – Some of our favorites include “Approaching Solstice” by Patricia Monaghan and “To Know the Dark” by Wendell Berry.
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BPWA MERCH: A PERFECT STOCKING STUFFER!
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If you’re searching for a gift or stocking stuffer for your favorite path wanderer, check out our online store on the BPWA website! We’ve got newly designed T-shirts, maps, bandanas, bucket hats, and copies of Berkeley Walks, the popular guidebook by our own Robert Johnson and Janet Byron. ‘Tis the season to support BPWA!
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SHOW YOUR LOVE FOR BERKELEY’S PATHS!
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If you’re a past donor to BPWA, you may receive an appeal letter for an end-of-year donation. Among the ways we use your donations to directly improve paths is by purchasing and installing handrails—we’ve done this on 12 paths so far. Our 2025 Paths Report identified 47 paths requiring the installation of new handrails—which cost $15,000 to $25,000 per path—and we hope to install 4 or 5 of these in 2026. Fully 100% of your tax-deductible donation will be used to maintain and improve Berkeley’s paths. And you can always donate online at donations@berkeleypaths.org.
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ARE YOU AN EXCEL EXPERT? JOIN OUR BOARD IN THIS CRITICAL ROLE!
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We have a new opportunity for involvement on the BPWA board! We’re looking for a Donations Coordinator to begin a two-year term in January 2026. The role involves maintaining our donor records on Excel, periodically collecting letters from our mailbox, making out deposit forms for our fiscal sponsor, and supervising the preparation of our annual appeal letter. Generally, it’s a commitment of a few hours a month, with more time required for the year-end appeal. To learn more about this board position, please email us at info@berkeleypaths.com.
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MORE GREAT PRESS FOR BPWA
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In its November issue, Berkeley Hills Living magazine featured BPWA’s own Janet Byron and Robert Johnson, co-authors of the popular book, Berkeley Walks. If you didn’t already see this article, you can read it here. Read More
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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: Saturday, December 6 from 10 a.m. to noon
Leader: Rodney Paul
Distance/elevation gain: 1.6 miles, 100 feet
Start: Berkeley Public Library North Branch (1170 The Alameda)
End: The walk finishes 0.5 miles from the start. It's an easy walk back to the library, and the AC Transit 12 bus also goes there.
Please RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1855476723829?aff=oddtdtcreator With its array of land uses and architectural styles, North Berkeley defies the “suburbia” stereotype. We’ll visit its Spanish Revival public library, homes of different styles, a vibrant business district, and even a small agricultural site. We'll discuss the magnificent Queen Anne period hotel here in the late 19th century and the quirky stage actor who built it. We expect it to be popular, so we're also offering it on Saturday, December 20. Read More |
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When: Friday, December 12 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Leader: Alina Constantinescu
Start/end: North Berkeley Library, 1170 The Alameda
Distance/elevation gain: 2.5 miles, 300 feet
Accessibility: Hilly streets and stairs. Well-behaved dogs on leash are welcome. Restrooms are available at the starting point. Bring a flashlight and your holiday spirit to explore North Berkeley on this festive walk, featuring houses that go all-out decorating for the season. We expect it to be popular, so we're also offering it on the following Friday, December 19, to give more path-lovers a chance to join. We’ll walk in fog or drizzle; only heavy rain cancels. Read More |
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Saturday, December 13 from 10 a.m. to noon
Leader: Rodney Paul
Start/end: The steps of Sproul Hall on Sproul Plaza, near Bancroft & Telegraph
Distance/elevation gain: 3 miles, 400 feet
Accessibility: Fully paved with curb cuts; moderate pace; well-behaved dogs welcome; restrooms at start and end in Student Union.
Please RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1855481167119?aff=oddtdtcreator 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 world. We’ll visit key locations from the FSM and other 1960s protests and discuss Berkeley institutions that played important supporting roles. Read More |
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When: Friday, December 19 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Leader: Alina Constantinescu
Start/end: North Berkeley Library, 1170 The Alameda
Distance/elevation gain: 2.5 miles, 300 feet
Accessibility: Hilly streets and stairs. Well-behaved dogs on leash are welcome. Restrooms are available at the starting point. Bring a flashlight and your holiday spirit to explore North Berkeley on this festive walk, featuring houses that go all-out decorating for the season. We expect it to be popular, so we're also offering it on the previous Friday, December 12, to give more path-lovers a chance to join. We’ll walk in fog or drizzle; only heavy rain cancels. Read More |
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When: Saturday, December 20 from 10 a.m. to noon
Leader: Rodney Paul
Distance/elevation gain: 1.6 miles, 100 feet
Start: Berkeley Public Library North Branch (1170 The Alameda)
End: The walk finishes 0.5 miles from the start. It's an easy walk back to the library, and the AC Transit 12 bus also goes there.
Please RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1855477185209?aff=oddtdtcreator With its array of land uses and architectural styles, North Berkeley defies the “suburbia” stereotype. We’ll visit its Spanish Revival public library, homes of different styles, a vibrant business district, and even a small agricultural site. We'll discuss the magnificent Queen Anne period hotel here in the late 19th century and the quirky stage actor who built it. Read More |
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When: Wednesday, January 1, from 1 to 3 p.m.
Leader: Glen Lindwall
Distance: 3 to 4 miles
Start/end: Dorothy Bolte Park, Berkeley
Accessibility: Well behaved dogs on leash are welcome Welcome the new year with a walk along the Berkeley/Kensington border including Ye Olde School Path with its views of Wildcat Canyon. We’ll all start together but will separate into a moderate-paced group and a group that will travel a more vigorous route that’s somewhat longer with more elevation gain. Read More |
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When: Saturday, January 10, from 9 a.m. to noon
Leader: Sandy Friedland
Distance/elevation gain: 4.75 miles, flat
Start/end: 2701 Eighth Street, Berkeley
Accessibility: One crossing of railroad tracks and a short section of an uneven dirt path; restrooms at the start and in Emeryville about a mile later. No dogs, please. From Berkeley’s largest mural to a tiny handprint in Emeryville, this walk is full of surprises! In addition to lots of public art, we’ll pass chic new architecture, whimsical utility boxes, artist co-ops, some fascinating light industry, and even a path where you’ll be counted as a pedestrian. We’ll walk along Aquatic Park and see the many recent improvements nearby. Read More |
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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 interested, please contact Walks Coordinator Tamara Gurin or Jen English 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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