This walk is SO easy and SO nice. It’s honestly one of the very best East Bay secrets.
There are a few different trails on the Carquinez Strait Shoreline park you can take, but this one is by far the nicest, easiest, and prettiest. It’s an easy loop for kids, dogs, and those with ankle or feet issues. And the view! The view gives you a terrific vantage point of the Delta and the Carquinez Bridge.
The park is weird because it’s in two sections that are not contiguous and are separated by private property. This post covers the trail at Bull Valley Staging Area, accessible from Carquinez Scenic Drive.
The EBRP website says, “The park grasslands provide habitat to western meadowlark, horned lark, house finch, western bluebird, and American goldfinch, which forage and nest in the area. Valley oaks offer perches and nest sites for the red-tailed hawk, American kestrel, golden eagle, northern harrier, great horned owl and barn owl. Cooper’s hawks depend on the riparian ravines for nesting and for providing cover for ambushing prey. Mammals include the gray fox, mule deer, raccoon, eastern fox squirrel, Botta’s pocket gopher, and a variety of other species. Small rodents are prey to gopher snakes, sharp-tailed snakes, and western garter snakes.”
I have seen many of the birds mentioned above, although not the owls, alas.
Take note: if you go in the summer, this hike can be hot. The photos in this post were all taken when the grass was green in the early spring. As you begin the walk, there is no shade but then you get to a wooded area and there’s plenty of shade to rest and revive.
Take a picnic. Definitely pack a snack or picnic because at the half way point there’s a nice picnic table and bench overlooking the other side of the Delta and with Mt. Diablo views.
Information
Getting There
- From Highway 4 west of Martinez, exit at Cummings Skyway.
- Turn right on Crockett Boulevard, right again on Pomona Street in Crockett. Pomona Street becomes Carquinez Scenic Drive.
- Proceed to the staging area, on the left.
- From I-80 in Crockett, exit onto San Pablo Avenue or Pomona Street, depending on your direction of travel (San Pablo Avenue become Pomona Street east of I-80). Go east on Pomona into Crockett and follow directions above.
