Tilden Park, Inspiration Point. There is a paved trail four miles along the ridge.
There are other hikers and bikers on the trail. You could hike out any part of the four miles.
Just remember rhat you have to hike back. There are benches to rest and the top of the ridge is a good place to look out and think.

Hi Jade -

Totally understand being cautious about hiking by yourself, but I really like my alone time, too! I've gone up to Redwood Regional Park a coupla times. There are a bunch of trails, so you can make hikes as long or as short as you want. I felt pretty safe because I'd see someone every 20 minutes or so. Not only that, but I also saw a several little old ladies just cruisin along the trails by themselves, no problemo. There are some people on this tribe (Milfus?) that occasionally organize hikes at Redwood, so that's an option if you want to check it out first, then go on your own. Here's the link to the park's website:

www.ebparks.org/parks/redwood.htm

Sorry to hear about the BF thing, but I hope reconnecting with yourself and nature helps!

If you haven't done a lot of hiking in the east bay, I recommend picking up "East Bay Trails" by Weintraub. A friend gave it to me when I first moved here 5 years ago, and it was a great starting point.

In those last 5 years, I've hiked all over the East Bay Regional Parks District, probably 90% of it solo (because I like it that way!). For places in the eastern part of the district, try Briones (great views of the bay) or Diablo Foothills, both of which are great! I went to Black Diamond Mines once, and that was nice, but for some reason I haven't been back -- I think it's just a little farther for me. Morgan Territory also is beautiful, although a lot of cows last time I was there -- when the weather is right, I've seen clear across to the Sierras, too. Be aware, though, a lot of the EBRPD trails can be wide open and no shade, so in the summer heat you can bake, even by late morning. If you're a hardy, heat-loving cactus, go for it; but if you are a delicate, wilt-prone flower such as myself, plan accordingly :-)

My biggest concern about safety doing day hikes in the EBRPD (or anywhere) is tripping over myself and breaking something --- considering how many hours I've spent wandering those trails, I've run into no real weirdos. (Unless you count the a-hole mountain bikers who don't know how to share the trail and almost run you over. But I digress.) I had one encounter with some guys on mini-motorcycles, but that's it, and that was really just an annoyance. I was actually just discussing this with a friend recently, how few problems I've ever had hiking and camping solo over the years.

I only have two recommendations for solo hikers: 1) carry a good first aid kit & know how to use it (Bobbie Foster offers great wilderness first aid training) and 2) make an agreement with yourself that if something feels "off" to you, you'll turn around and leave -- and do it.

And watch out for those crazy cows.

Enjoy!!

ummmmmm joaquin miller park and redwood regional park on the ridge between alameda and cc counties is very nice. from orinda go west on 24 to 13 then go south to joaquin miller road/lincoln ave then turn left. go past perry field and the entrance is on the left almost at the top of the grade. lots of geocaches up there if your in that game too. huckleberry preserve is one of my favorites and even closer just not as easy to tell how to get there. 24 W toward Oakland Exit onto Fish Ranch Rd Turn right to stay on Fish Ranch Rd Turn left at Grizzly Peak Blvd Turn left to stay on Grizzly Peak Blvd Turn left at Skyline Blvd Continue on Pinehurst Rd Slight left at Winding Way to Huckleberry Botanic Region. they all show up in google too if you want a look.

bright blessings,

jack

I'm sorry about your woes...a bum knee and a broken heart - on the brighter side, there could be a good Country song in this!

I'm looking for a similar trail situation for my Dad. He's 84, and his doctor tells him to get more exercise. He likes to be outside, and for him a short walk in a pretty place does him a lot of good. He can't really handle hills, and he needs to find a good path that's short and local to Contra Costa.

A few ideas have come up - you might like some of the trails at Shell Ridge. They're pretty hilly, but there are a lot of fire roads you can walk without dealing with hordes of people. If it weren't for the knee I'd say Mt. Diablo, but in the same area you could try Diablo Foothills Regional Park - pretty and mostly not too crowded. Briones is very nice too, and has miles of trails. I haven't been to Los Vaqueros Reservior - seems like it's out-of-the-way enough. Maybe a topo map can tell you about the terrain.

Seems like a lot of the coolest places in Contra Costa are hilly, so it's a bit of a challenge to find a good, flat trail. I wish you luck. If you come up with a good one I'd like to recommend it to my Dad.

The thing

I live in the South Bay and do hike alone alot!
If you don't mind the drive over the 'Hill', you can start with Big Basin or Castle Rock Nat'l parks off of I-17.
In the Valley, there is Steven's Canyon Park and Res. in Cupertino, in the SC foothills.
There is also Pachetti Openspace in that region, up Montelbello Road, offering nice views and a walk through old orchards.
I go there with my dog on weekends.
Maybe catch ya there sometime.
-S

I don't think you would ever be alone for long at Rancho San Antonio. It's got beautiful trails, a farm, some challenging vertical if you want, and plenty of parking unless you go on a weekend, then good luck!

It's off foothill expressway and 280, and you should look at a map (google maps) the first time or two that you go as you'll have to go through a round-about to get to it (the only one I can think of in California!)

Well, honestly, I love going by myself where there is nobody around. That is how I can think about stuff. I personally do not like busy trails, and I love to go up to Skyline- There are so many Open Space areas up there and Castle Rock(one of my fav for by yourself, weekdays or weekends) is good too. If you haven't hiked too much by yourself, definitely start with something w/ more crowds. Depends on where you live. I'm in the South bay and there's many areas here. check out www.bahikers.org and www.meetup.com (you will meet all kinds of ppl through meetup and you won't be alone)