Briones Regional Park, Bear Creek Entrance [Northeast of Orinda]         INFO & MAP

Briones has rolling grassy hills with mixed woods including oak, madrone, bay and willow trees growing up the canyons. The bird and wildflower watching are fine, especially on the most accessible trails, which follow the creeks, where we heard songs of many birds we never saw. From the ridge tops the views, west to Mt. Tamalpais, north to the Carquinas strait, and east to Mt. Diablo, are magnificent. Unfortunately all trails leading to the ridges are pretty steep, often with a lot of transverse slope.
Sadly, a lot of the park has been overrun by the invasive star thistle, a situation which I imagine is exacerbated by the grazing of cattle, who turn its creeks to mudholes, churn up effective wheelchair barriers on some trails during rainy season, and provide barnyard stench to counteract the scents of wild chamomile and fennel. In summer, it's likely to be hot and dry.

Old Briones Road Trail  AG, B & C; **** ; 2+ miles; SJ

During the first half of this walk on a lovely Friday morning in early spring, we saw only one other person, but as we returned at 12:30. we met three or four parties, and at least that many more were at the trailhead by then.
Old Briones Road Trail is well-graded hard fine gravel for just over a mile, where it changes to packed dirt. Until then it runs in a grassy valley and through a few patches of woods. Two benches are located at about 0.5 and 0.7 mile. Packed gravel makes it usable in and after wet weather; but this trail may be uncomfortably sunny in summer. The first 0.3 mile has moderate slope and some roughness; then there is a slightly steeper stretch, after which it is pretty level and smooth until just past Valley Trail at 0.9 mile, when the gravel ends and it climbs steeply up the ridge. We haven't attempted this stretch, which appears challenging but possible.

Valley Trail B - D; ***;?; SL   This continues along the stream after Briones Road starts its climb to the ridge. Valley Trail is packed dirt, and though it's uncomfortably rough, it continues almost level for 0.7 mile, after which it climbs steeply with muddy spots that made it very difficult in early spring. Might be possible when dry?

In 2002 we also attempted Yerba Buena Trail B - D ***; 0.62 mile; SLThis dirt trail crosses Briones Creek on a culvert and then climbs somewhat steeply along the hillside through dense, interesting forest. In spring 2002 we were stopped by a patch of deep mud (photo) after about 0.3 mile. When we returned in the dry summer of 2008 we were able to storm on to the top, though it was good and steep. On our way, we surprised a great horned owl that swooped away under madrone tree branches. Yerba Buena ends after 0.62 mile at Crescent Ridge Trail.

Crescent Ridge Trail C - D *** 0.61 mile SLThis is real cowboy stuff, very seriously steep, with lots of space to fall into if you lose control of your chair. We did it starting from the Yerba Buena end, which involved hundreds of yards of backing, since my chair's traction is terrible going down. Since the slope on Yerba Buena is, by comparison, gentle, if I was doing it again I'd go up this, and down Yerba Buena.

Homestead Valley Trail C - D *** 1.5 mile SL This is a right turn from Old Briones Road at 0.17 mile. It's the route to the archery range, a gravel road that drops and crosses Bear Creek on a culvert, then climbs steeply up again to a junction with Crescent Ridge Trail (above) at 0.47 mile. After that it continues up Homestead Valley. This section is hard dirt, and the first part, at least 0.25 mile, is dead level, along a seasonal stream thickly grown with willows. But it must get very steep before ending at Briones Crest Trail.

Abrigo Valley Trail B **** 1.4 mile SJ
I hiked Abrigo and the other Briones trails described below with husband Dan and adult son Ben midday on a Friday in July. Not too many wildflowers were left, and the creeks were mostly dry, as were the grassy hills, but we met very few other users, and also appreciated that the cattle had apparently been moved elsewhere. Most of the first mile of Abrigo Valley Trail is nearly level, but the first of three or four medium-steep stretches is near the trailhead, so Old Briones Road Trail (above) is a less demanding choice. Like Old Briones, Abrigo is a well graded, fairly hard gravel road, fine in wet weather, but harder pushing and a rougher ride than pavement. It winds for about a mile along a seasonal creek in and out of mixed forest, to Maud Whalen Camp, a pleasant spot to picnic (with accessible toilet, picnic table, and sleeping platforms). A third of a mile further is Wee-Ta-Chee Camp, a less accessible campground (no toilet, and the bridge to it has a 6" step, though you can cross the creek a hundred feet north.). Shortly beyond this point the gravel ends and the trail becomes soft dirt and climbs steeply (pictured right), a combination I found impassable even with the assistance of two strong men.

We retreated to Santos Trail [C - D *** 0.42 miles], (left turn at Wee-Ta-Chee Camp) a hard dirt fire trail which climbs to the ridge top a little less steeply. It meets Briones Crest Trail [C **** 1.33+ miles] there, and we turned right. The Crest Trail, also well graded hard dirt, has some steep spots too, and some magnificent views. Also, on the summer day we visited, very welcome cool breezes, peregrine falcons and western bluebirds. It looked as though we could have visited the Sindicich lagoons, but we reached the top of Mott Peak Trail [C - D *** 0.85 miles], and turned right (the well graded dirt trail is very steep, and required me to back down long stretches) completing a 3 mile loop back to the Maud Whalen Camp. By then, the modest ups and downs of Abrigo Trail back to the trailhead seemed very mellow, but this 5 mile hike is a demanding one! Also please note, except where Abrigo Trail is graveled, there will be major mud in and after wet weather.
Last visit Summer 2004

Details: From Camino Pablo/San Pablo Dam Road north of Orinda, go east on Bear Creek Road a few miles to the top of Briones Reservoir. The Bear Creek Entrance is a few hundred feet further, on the right. A fee is charged for parking and dogs when the kiosk is staffed. There is plenty of parking, including disabled spaces at the Abrigo trailhead. The only accessible toilet is located there also.

One picnic area, with a few tables and barbecues, is by the disabled parking, in pleasant level mowed meadows. From the upper parking area down to the entrance kiosk, there must be a dozen tables with barbecues, on hard dirt, but the pit toilets serving that area are not accessible, and the path of travel from most of the tables to the accessible toilet is blocked by a drainage ditch. A nice little "mini-amphitheater" called Newt Dell is located in this inconvenient area.

Dogs are permitted on the trails; bicyclists and equestrians are often seen.