El Cerrito Foundation Memorial Grove — Attraction in El Cerrito

Stumbled on this little hike, and was pleasantly surprised! A short but relatively steep 300 ft climb, will reward you with some of the best panoramic views of the San Francisco Bay area! You can see downtown Oakland to the south, San Francisco in front of you, the Golden Gate to the West, and all the way to Mount Tam and the Novato Foothills to the North. All, from the same spot! I spotted (heard) a red tail hawk nest in the eucalyptus on the ridge, and was treated to an air show, with Dad on the hunt! At one point, he perched on a branch, apparently too close to a Scrub Jay's nest. The scrub jay flitted around, trying to shoo the Hawk off, but the Hawk, being at least twice the size of the scrub jay, was unmoved! Then, he apparently spotted some prey at the bottom of the hill, and descended about 300 ft in about 10 seconds. Breathtaking! The first half of the loop was on fire trails, but the second half was on single track, with interesting placards revealing factoids about the Flora and fauna. The loop was less than 2 mi, but was one of the most enjoyable hikes I've had in a while! Footing is dry and loose in the summertime, so wear appropriate...

Great place for a little hike close to town. It’s very unassuming or unsuspecting or whatever you call it; just a short hike has great views of downtown Oakland, downtown San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge! We’ve never gone up to the top of the ridge because we’re weak, but I guess there’s better views up there…?

I’ve seen people on bicycles and people with pets, plus birds, squirrels, lizards, and insects.

Ample street parking. Bicycle racks. No bathrooms nor water. A couple benches to sit and rest in the shade of the trees.

If you choose to give a thumbs-up 👍🏽 or not, I hope you found my...

Gorgeous views , great wilderness experience in the city , trees are coning and budding, mushrooms and sap along with wildflowers and logs with lizards...