Contra Costa County . (credit: ebparks.org) Briones Regional Park. Still beautiful up there. . Some descents will get you into the 40mph + realm. Saw no one, beautiful starry night. The last mile or so was still a little muddy but passable. This part of the 3.5-mile lollipop trail is well made and well graded. Tons of wildflowers on an absolutely beautiful day! But once year, the newts make an epic migration (at least for them) to nearby ponds for mating season. Sa magulong, madamong burol at liblib, malilim na canyon, ang Briones ay isang lihim na kagubatan na napapalibutan ng mga bayan ng gitnang Contra Costa County. Views of the west, north and east Bay Area. Briones Regional Park offers a number of first-come, first-served picnic sites with tables and barbecue stands at the Bear Creek Staging Area and the Alhambra Creek Staging Area. While Lafayette, Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, Concord, and Martinez are close to the park, there are peaks within it from which you can . Location Briones Regional Park--Bear Creek Staging Area. Dry, hot, exposed fire roads that lead to cattle tracked, sun baked, moon crusty trails with zero fun factor. Drive into the park - staying to the right - and park in the large gravel lot at the end of the road. Website:BrionesArchery.org. easily marked trail with some strenuous but brief uphill sections and a final slippery decent. Do not waste your time. What to bring: Not crowded. The hike below represents a small sampling of the trails available from Briones' five trailheads. The park also has two larger, reservable group picnic areas at the Bear Creek Staging Area: Oak Grove, which can accommodate 50 people, and Newt Hollow, which holds 150. I know I sound confusing but it's really easy to follow the trail keeps going and going and about a mile from the top of that hill you'll come to a massive downhill immediately followed by a massive uphill, just past this a singletrack rides up the side of the hill, and that takes you to the beginning of our singletrackyou have to hop a gate at the top and you'll see a bench and a little cement thing announcing that you're at the highest point in Briones if you're sitting on the bench you will see a singletrack to your left that's it. the path down is easy to follow, there's one point where it crosse another trail and you'll hit one fork turn left, this puts youon a fire road for a little bit, but keep your eye out cause just before you cross the creek a singletrack will branch off to the right, and that's were you want to go.. this is a fairly advanced technical trail, few good steep sections, and some roots and rocky parts, you will be riding on narrow, high trails, and look out for low branches lots of fun, and the first "real" singletrack I rode the singletrack brings you right back to the parking lot and you're set *WARNING* DO NOT DO THIS TRAIL WITHOUT A CAMELBAK OR LOTS OF WATER, THE CLIMB UP IS RIDICULOUSLY TIRING You can make this ride as long or as short as you want, so its a great 30 min ride or a strenuous 2 and a half hour ride. There is a course very much like a 9 hole golf course. Start from the Bear Creek Staging Area and either hike or bike ride the 2.5 mile Abrigo Valley Trail. Rained 2/3" that morning, sprinkled a little during the hike. Great view, lots of greens. While this is used very well, it's a wide area and people prefer to spread out naturally so it never feels too busy. Great hiking area nestled in the rolling hills of the Briones Regional Park. The reservoir is in the Briones Hills, on the west side of Briones Regional Park and northeast of Orinda.It is impounded by Briones Dam, an earthen dam completed in 1964. 4 reviews of Bear Creek Staging Area "Total Distance 6.4 Miles - Moderate with Elevation Gain of 725 Feet This loop meanders beneach dool shade along Bear Creek before climbing to the Briones Crest Trail as it runs northest towards the open meadow and spectacular views of Table Top. Bear Creek Trail winds through a bay forest. Awesome hike for moderate difficulty. The pilot project is limited to the Pilot Project Zone located in the northeast corner of Briones Regional Park, which is accessible from the Reliez Valley Staging Area, Alhambra Creek Staging Area, and Briones Road Staging Area. There are five major access points, of which the two most developed are the Alhambra Creek Valley Staging Area off Reliez Valley Road near Martinez and the Bear Creek Road Staging Area near Orinda and Lafayette. Updated April 30, 2023. A fun out-and-back using the Bear Creek Trail which skirts the southern and eastern shores of the Briones Reservoir and ends near the staging area of Briones Overlook. Im a lil biased as Briones is my backyard! After about a mile you will reach a group camping site called Homestead Valley. The trail is open year-round and is beautiful to visit anytime. And the frogs are already loud and it's early February. . Last night the Coast Range Riders MTB club aided Contra Costa Sheriff's Department's Search and Rescue (SAR) teams, in the search for an 81-year-old man who has been missing since Saturday at Briones Regional Park. Be courteous to the Horseback riders and the hikers and all will be fine. Hike begins on Old Briones Road, left on Black Oak, right on Mott Peak, right on Briones Crest, left on Lagoon, left to stay on Lagoon, another left to stay on Lagoon. The Alhambra and Bear Creek Staging Areas are open year-round, however hours vary seasonally. Parking Fee: $3 when kiosk . We will meet in one of the lower lots, NOT the main lot, please follow the directions below! Trail still has some really muddy spots. Good views of Mt Diablo. Briones' 6,255 acres are home to many animals and birds, which forage on the grasslands or find shelter among the oaks and bays. But beautiful nonetheless. 3541 Deer Hill Road, Lafayette, CA 94549 Massive climbs so bring your lungs, there's something for everyone here. Turn right on Bear Creek Rd/Wildcat Canyon Rd and travel about 4.5 miles. Give the trails a few days to dry out after major rains. The path provides a range of events, and is open throughout the year. Download the high-resolution version in Hikepack for free and use it completely offline. 2537 Reliez Valley Road. A wide range of trees , shrubs, and flowers make this an excellent hike for research into nature. Yes. FIND YOUR WAY OUTSIDE is a trademark of AllTrails, LLC. Black Oak Trail crests on a ridge and keeps ascending till its end at Mott Peak Peak Trail. (LogOut/ The Briones began cattle ranching in the . Owner Michael Park. Super spacious, so green and the cloud formation were stunning! Lafayette BART This is a popular trail for birding, hiking, and walking, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day. Nice views, good for winter hike. Grab a map at the trailhead to scout out alternatives along the way. Copyright 2023 Sexton Group Real Estate | Property Management | Broker DRE #01315959, Sexton Group Real Estate Property Management | 1647 Hopkins St., Berkeley, CA 94707 |. Northeast of Briones Regional Park off of Bear Creek Road, the Hampton Trail access to the EBMUD is often less crowded than the pawpular Bear Creek Staging Area. I do hikes. Small fees for parking and dogs collected at Alhambra and Bear Creek staging areas when kiosk is staffed. Excellent hike, great views. 9 topics about : hammer strength row alternative ? Steep climbs and fortunately steep downhill. Change time period. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Turn right on Bear Creek Rd/Wildcat Canyon Rd and travel about 4.5 miles. This is a major, not-so-secret, hike in secret. 4 reviews of Bear Creek Staging Area "Total Distance 6.4 Miles - Moderate with Elevation Gain of 725 Feet This loop meanders beneach dool shade along Bear Creek before climbing to the Briones Crest Trail as it runs northest towards the open meadow and spectacular views of Table Top. You may see black-tailed deer, coyotes, squirrels, red-tailed hawks, turkey vultures, and, if you are lucky, other more reclusive creatures. . A bit challenging for my foot in surgery recovery but oh well A good portion of it was in the exposed sun so you dont want to do it on a hot day. Directions: From Lafayette take Happy Valley Road up over the hill to Bear Creek Road. Take a right on Bear Creek Road and go five miles to the Bear Creek Staging Area. Old Briones Road - Black Oak Trail - Mott Peak Trail. This was a lovely hike with lots of ascending and descending hills. You might wonder how the creek got its name. Good for dogs. While this route isn't terribly strenuous, there's a fair amount of climbing in the first half, so you might want to shave off a few miles on the downhill half. Several trees down on the last down, major carveout ravines on the ridge before the loop. We will start at 8:30 am!! You'll find a vast array of wildflowers in Briones Regional Park, including the Himalayan blackberry, California Saxifrage, brass buttons, yellow Johnny-tuck, red-stem filaree, baby . Diablo. Singletracks Merch | At the first intersection, stay left . (510) 544-3121Toll Free: 888-EBPARKS (1-888-327-2757), option 3, extension 4508. Naturalized: Exotic population is self-sustaining, breeding in the wild, persisting for many years, and not maintained through ongoing releases (including vagrants from Naturalized populations). You can make a left at the trail it crosses and loop back around for a second go. Be safe. Must have seen over 50. Tick one off and the ranger will be waiting for you. Explore Briones Bear Creek Staging - view hand-curated trail maps and driving directions as well as detailed reviews and photos from hikers, campers and nature lovers like you. The reward: Amazing views of the reservoir from high above as well as serene views of the surrounding hills, among other wildflowers, dominated by California poppies, purpleheads, lupines and redstem stork's bill. A visit to the west entrance of Briones Regional Park in the spring offers views of spring wildflowers and spring birds. It was absolutely beautiful if youre into the rolling hills view. Escapee: Exotic species known or suspected to be escaped or released, including those that have bred but don't yet fulfill the criteria for Provisional. Lazuli Buntings are usually present, often the first viewings of the year for most of us. 14-Apr. I wouldnt say they are easily passable, so youre going to get muddy in the process. Briones Regional Park Bear Creek Staging Area RSVPs - 57 YES: 24 NO: 24 MAYBE: 9. Watch for slick mud after rains. From the Oak Grove picnic area in the Bear Creek Staging Area, get on the Abrigo Valley Trail. With the above information sharing about bear creek staging area on official and highly reliable information sites will help you get more information. Experience the beauty of Briones Regional Park at dusk during a short hike from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 13, led by naturalist James Wilson. facebookFacebook; 2537 Reliez Valley Rd, Martinez, CA 94553, United States. Park in the staging area pay your money, Briones- Alhambra Creek Single Track-GoPro Helmet. Toilets available at the parking lot. Welcome to East Bay Hikers. Free topomap Briones Regional Park, Fernandez Ranch and Surroundings. From there, jump on Bear Creek Trail and follow it along the water's edge heading west. 1261 Locust St, Walnut Creek! For map users, the intersection of Bear Creek Rd and Happy Valley Rd is close to the staging area. In the spring enjoy a complete loop around the reservoir to capture the wildflower blooms. Lovely views. The singletrack section is steep and rocky - oh and fun. Careful on those tight turns as horseback riding is popular here. It gets quite steep in the first quarter-mile, so watch your footing on the way up. The park also has two larger, designated community picnic areas in the Bear Creek Staging Area: Oak Grove, which can accommodate up to 50 people, and Newt Hollow, which has . You'll be about 4 miles away at the Bear Creek Staging Area (which has bathrooms). Trailhead: After youve parked then backtrack to the picnic area until you see the Bear Creek Trail sign (see picture). Join us for a 9:30 am hike at Briones Regional Park. This tiny amphibian thrives in Briones around Bear Creek. This is very pleasant trail that anyone can enjoy that reaches a scenic picnic area for a lunch or dinner stop. Nice trail for winter. Although the park is close to Lafayette, Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, Concord, and Martinez, there are peaks within it from which you can see only park and watershed lands for miles in every direction. This is a great spot to hang out and have a snack or lunch, especially with kids or maybe a picnic dinner in the summer. beautiful chill day. Its all green. Due to the adobe soil right after a rain it becomes very muddy and almost impossible to ride up, or even walk in some spots. Home; Submit . Good breeze. Share this checklist with other participants' eBird accounts. 2023 East Bay Regional Park District.All Rights Reserved. Stop by for a visit anytime. Cell Phone: (925) 325-0805. There's a Goldilocks "just right" quality about hiking at Briones . A few e bikes from Walnut creek side.
briones regional park bear creek staging area