A fast-paced, strenuous walk from the Rose Garden up to Grizzly Peak Blvd and back.

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. Signup: RSVP. 

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.

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. Signup: RSVP.

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.

Enjoy views of the Bay from Berkeley rock parks and stairways on this sunset walk. It will end with the grand finale of a sunset view from the top of a giant rock!

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. Signup: RSVP. 

Time to burn those extra pounds gained on Thanksgiving Day! Join us on this strenuous, fast-paced 4-mile hike with 1000 ft elevation gain!

This neighborhood includes a set of lovely parks where remnants of its geologic past, dating from millions of years before the first human inhabitants arrived, can be seen. In addition to Hinkel Park, we'll visit Mortar Rock, Indian Rock, Contra Costa Rock, and finish at The Great Stoneface Park, a 15-minute walk from our starting point. 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 world.  We’ll visit key locations from the FSM and other 1960s protests and discuss Berkeley institutions that played important supporting roles. Signup: RSVP.

The work is mostly weeding, sweeping, raking, and clipping. We will have gloves and tools available.

To receive the location information, RSVP path.maintenance@berkeleypaths.org.

The work is mostly weeding, sweeping, raking, and clipping. We will have gloves and tools available.

To receive the location information, RSVP path.maintenance@berkeleypaths.org.

On this strenuous hike, we’ll take stairways to reach Selby Trail and then past Jewell Lake to the top of Wildcat Peak for sweeping views of the Bay and East Bay hills. After a brief stop at Lake Anza, we’ll return to the Rose Garden. Allow ample time to park, as we’ll be leaving promptly at 8:35 a.m.

Calling all early risers! We’ll start in the dark with the City lights twinkling in the distance. We’ll reach our sunrise spot at Wildcat Peak about an hour into the hike and have a coffee break while we wait to greet the day. Dress for cold weather with a headlamp/flashlight or flashlight app.

(CANCELLED, to be RESCHEDULED) From the largest mural in Berkeley 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, and some fascinating light industry. We’ll walk the length of Aquatic Park and check out the enormous new Berkeley Commons.

The work is mostly weeding, sweeping, raking, and clipping. We will have gloves and tools available.

To receive the location information, RSVP path.maintenance@berkeleypaths.org.

The work is mostly weeding, sweeping, raking, and clipping. We will have gloves and tools available.

To receive the location information, RSVP path.maintenance@berkeleypaths.org.

As part of our All-the-Parks-in-Berkeley series, this route packs in nine distinctive parks. We’ll stroll streets named for literary greats, admire some Victorian homes and 19th-century landmarks, and see how these neighborhoods have evolved over the decades. Dogs are more than welcome; they might just add a few new favorite spots to their sniff list as we explore green spaces and history together.

We’ll be exploring whimsical Point Richmond—a fun, hilly, bay-front neighborhood just south of the Richmond Bridge. The golden hour is the best time to check out the Point’s wonderful Wave Garden, a magical space with beautiful sculptures, landscaping, and views. We’ll also wander on hidden stairs and paths to Keller Beach and to “Little Point Richmond,” the Bay Area’s absolute BEST collection of fairy houses.

The work is mostly weeding, sweeping, raking, and clipping. We will have gloves and tools available.

To receive the location information, RSVP path.maintenance@berkeleypaths.org.

We will check out 12 paths in the Elmwood/Claremont neighborhood, passing some grand houses and beautiful gardens. The four-mile walk includes a fair amount of up and down, including quite a few stairs.

This staircase sunset hike will take us through the beautiful Thousand Oaks neighborhood, including three parks (ride down a concrete slide optional, but highly encouraged!), a dozen stairways, beautiful architecture (including a stop at the Spring Mansion), and Bay views at every turn. We’ll return at the starting point shortly after sunset.

Think of this hike as one long UP and one long DOWN! This moderate hike takes us via many stairs, walkways, and paths up to Grizzly Peak Blvd. Then, we go even a little higher before our descent. On a clear day, we will see some nice views of San Francisco. Bring extra layers, hiking poles, and water. 

Be sure to stop by BPWA’s booth, located on the north side of the street just east of Ensenada Avenue, at the Solano Stroll on September 14. 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!

The work is mostly weeding, sweeping, raking, and clipping. We will have gloves and tools available. To receive the location information, RSVP path.maintenance@berkeleypaths.org.

We will visit the set of walking paths in Kensington that go between streets and were originally created to facilitate access to streetcars and later buses. Rodney will talk about the history of the paths and efforts to secure public ownership by the Kensington Pathkeepers group he's involved in.

With apologies to those who missed July's hike because the wrong time was posted on our website, we’re reprising our hike through the beautiful city of Piedmont. The route goes through Piedmont Park and Dracena Park and, as we discovered on July's walk, by a bald eagle nest!  

The work is mostly weeding, sweeping, raking, and clipping. We will have gloves and tools available. To receive the location information, RSVP path.maintenance@berkeleypaths.org.

Millions of years before its first human inhabitants arrived, North Berkeley was strewn with fascinating rock formations. Today, the area includes a set of lovely parks where these remnants of its geologic past can be seen. 

For most Americans, the term “suburbia” conjures single-family homes and uniform architecture in areas that are solely residential and reliant on car transportation. With its array of land uses and architectural styles, North Berkeley defies this stereotype; its differences are the qualities that make it great.