Wide-Open Wildcat

Hike San Pablo Ridge and Wildcat Loop in the East Bay

Sure, peak-bagging hikes are great, but ridge trails? Well, those might be the best. It’s not just about the summit but the wide-open trail that traverses a ridge with abundant views. The East Bay’s Wildcat Canyon Regional Park is home to a fantastic ridgetop rolling trail. This 6.5-mile hike starts out easy, meandering through shady eucalyptus forest on the Wildcat Creek Trail. But after a half mile the trail begins ascending a grassy slope on the Belgum Trail.

hiking wildcat canyon in the east bay with views of San Francisco Bay

cows at wildcat canyon hike

hiker stands on San Pablo Ridge looking at San Francisco Bay

Soon the forest gives way to cows and views, not necessarily in that order. Make sure you look over your shoulder as you hike up; the views of San Francisco Bay become increasingly panoramic as you continue on the San Pablo Ridge Trail. The hardest part of the hike is a memorable steep shot up to the top of a hill, but the views spread out from San Pablo Reservoir to hulking Mount Diablo and the Golden Gate Bridge.

hiking on San Pablo Ridge Trail in Wildcat Canyon

Soon you link up with the Nimitz Way Trail. But you’ll turn off of this and descend the Havey Canyon Trail through a forest of eucalyptus, oaks, and bay laurels. This is the shadiest part of the hike and a welcome respite. The final 1.5 miles along the wide-open Wildcat Creek Trail is flat and easy.

bicycle in Wildcat Canyon

Park at Wildcat Canyon Regional Park’s Alvarado staging area (map). Hike for half a mile on the Wildcat Creek Trail, then turn left on the Belgum Trail. Make a big clockwise loop connecting with San Pablo Ridge Trail, Nimitz Way, Havey Canyon, and Wildcat Creek Trail again. Dog-friendly!

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Serene Las Gallinas

    A serene stroll alongside marshland, passing ponds and grasses frilled in seasonal wildflowers, with Mount Tam a beacon in the background … how nice. As part of the esteemed Bay Trail, San Rafael’s Las Gallinas Valley Birding Loop and Wildlife Ponds comprises about 3.5 miles of wide-open trail.

    View
  2. Paint Brushy

    This time of year you’ll have good reason to head for the hills—the electric-green rolling hills of Brushy Peak Regional Preserve in Livermore. This 4.5-mile loop hike is like stepping into a plein air painting.

    View
  3. Sponsored

    2025 POST Wildflower Walks

    Get flower empowered! POST’s complimentary 2025 Wildflower Walks guide blooms with the best places to see a variety of florals across the Peninsula and South Bay this spring.

    View
  4. All right, Almaden!

    Take a trip through time on this 5-mile loop in Almaden Quicksilver County Park. Explore the ruins of an old cinnabar mine and enjoy the first hints of wildflower season.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Sponsored

    Weekend in Reno Tahoe

    Weekend plans? Reno Tahoe! Just a few hours by car or a short flight away, Reno Tahoe springs to the moment with great ways to combine adventure and relaxation in its beautiful mountains-meets-desert setting.

    View
  2. Hiker walking along the North Bluff Trail on Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands National Park

    Purely Wild

    Channel Islands National Park lives up to its nickname as “North America’s Galapagos.” This less-traveled national park is an undeveloped and isolated series of five dramatic and distinct islands reached by boat. Hike the largest of the islands, Santa Cruz.

    View
  3. Woman hiking the South Kaibab Trail in the Grand Canyon

    Truly Grand Day Hike

    One of the best spring day hikes in the Grand Canyon? See layer upon layer of the park’s grandeur—including the river—on this 3-mile (one-way) journey to Skeleton Point via the South Kaibab Trail.

    View
  4. A woman stands amid an array of yellow and purple flowers at Descanso Gardens in Los Angeles

    Petal Paradise

    Tulips, lilacs, and daffodils—flower power is in full bloom at Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge. Sprawling across 150 acres surrounded by mountains, the gardens are putting on their best show right now.

    View