The East Bay Regional Park District’s 22st annual Trails Challenge is off and running! Each year, the Park District has challenged Alameda and Contra Costa residents to get out and enjoy their Regional Parks and Trails for fun and fitness. Thanks to a partnership with Kaiser Permanente of Northern California, the Trails Challenge is offered free to residents of Alameda and Contra Costa counties.
The Trails Challenge is a self-guided hiking program that gives participants an incentive to discover their Regional Parks, while promoting fitness through enjoyable outdoor exercise. “This is a great opportunity to explore parks for the first time – or visit old favorites,” said Park District Board Member Beverly Lane, of Danville. “There’s really something for everyone, from paved walks, to ambitious hikes – each with their own rewards.”
Participants who register for the Trails Challenge receive a free T-shirt and online access to the 2015 trail guidebook. The booklet includes detailed trail descriptions, including driving directions, for hikes in 20 Regional Parks or Trails. Hikes range from easy to challenging. There are trails open to hikers, bicyclists, dogs, and equestrians, and many are wheelchair accessible.
While the program is designed to be self-guided, a number of naturalist-led hikes are offered during the year as well.
To complete the challenge, participants are asked to hike five of the trails – or 26.2 miles of trails –and submit a trail log. They receive a commemorative pin mailed to them. As in past challenges, the honor system applies.
Registration is now open, at www.RegionalParksFoundation.org. No telephone registrations are accepted for this program.
2015 Featured Parks & Trails
- Don Castro Regional Recreation Area – Hayward
- Robert W. Crown Memorial State Beach – Alameda
- Bay Point Regional Shoreline – Bay Point
- Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline – Martinez
- Oyster Bay Regional Shoreline – San Leandro
- Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline – Richmond
- Lake Chabot Regional Park – Castro Valley
- Coyote Hills Regional Park – Fremont
- Five Canyons Open Space – Castro Valley
- Anthony Chabot Regional Park (moderate trail) – Oakland
- Redwood Regional Park – Oakland
- Sunol Regional Wilderness – Sunol
- Diablo Foothills Regional Park – Alamo
- Anthony Chabot Regional Park (challenging trail) – Oakland
- Del Valle Regional Park – Livermore
- Las Trampas to Mount Diablo Regional Trail – Danville
- Briones Regional Park – Lafayette
- Morgan Territory Regional Preserve – Livermore
- Tilden Regional Trail – Orinda
- Wildcat Canyon Regional Park – Richmond
The East Bay Regional Park District is a system of beautiful public parks and trails in Alameda and Contra Costa counties east of San Francisco Bay, established in 1934. The system comprises 119,000 acres in 65 parks including over 1,250 miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding and nature learning.
