Anthony Chabot Regional Park - MacDonald Trail

Summary: This hike is 6.6 miles with minor elevation gain, and many gorgeous views from a wide dog friendly trail. There is no fee to pay, and plenty of shade on a sunny day. It will make you want to explore the rest of the park, and those adjacent.

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Details: You access this hike by Redwood Road from Oakland. I downloaded the PDF map from the park's website, and with a good navigator, it was easy to find the MacDonald Staging Area. We headed southeast on the MacDonald trail and took the Brittleleaf offshoot for a short one way hike to a great view. There are plenty of views from the trail, but the lookout at the end of Brittleleaf is a little special. There is a rocky outcrop there, and a bench. We retraced our steps back to MacDonald Trail, and continued to the end at Bort Meadow Staging Area. We then turned around and returned to the car. This makes a total of 6.6 miles. There is an extensive network of trails here. So, I know I will be back. I'm especially interested in hiking around Lake Chabot now that I have the brochure map in my hands.

How did I find this hike? I was looking for a dog friendly hike in the Bay Area, so I found this website that listed a few. I chose Anthony Chabot Regional Park, not just because it's first on the list, but because it is near the San Leandro Reservoir. Turns out this hike doesn't afford hoped for views of the reservoir, but it was rewarding in other ways. It's a great hike for vistas, and seeing other people with dogs. It's very accessible by road, and it isn't exactly getting away from it all. There are always homes within view on the parallel Skyline Drive. There are also quite a few Mountain Bikers, but the trail is wide and it wasn't a problem. The trail is partly shaded, so it was nice on a very sunny day.

Another reason I want to return is to try the hike recommended on the dog friendly trail guide. Apparently, we started at the wrong staging area. We wanted the Bort Meadow Staging Area, which I figured out after reading the hike description. There is a lot to see here, and it has the advantage of being close to home.