Stonewall-Panoramic Trail — Attraction in Oakland

The Stonewall Panoramic Trail offers a steep, direct, and deeply satisfying ascent from the base of Claremont Canyon to the summit of Grizzly Peak, with commanding views throughout. From the fire gate above the Claremont Hotel, the trail gains elevation quickly through a series of well-graded switchbacks shaded by oak, bay laurel, and eucalyptus. Most fit hikers can reach the ridge in about one hour and the summit in roughly another 45 minutes. My personal best hiking time, wearing stiff boots and carrying a daypack with water, is 40 minutes flat from the gate to the top.

Outstanding views emerge early and only improve with elevation. As you ascend, the panorama opens onto Berkeley, Oakland, and the full spread of the Bay. Clear days reveal the Golden Gate while Mount Tamalpais anchors the northern skyline and the ridgelines of Silicon Valley drift into view to the south. Near the summit, it’s not unusual to encounter fast-moving fog or low cloud banks—conditions that can drop the temperature by 25 degrees within minutes. If you plan to linger, bring a shell, windbreaker, or mid-weight layer. Autumn is the most pleasant time to hike, but summer days are long, allowing for after-dinner jaunts.

All but the hardest hikers and runners should pack at least 500ml of water per person, more on warm days, and at least a few calories—a Snickers bar or energy gel is sufficient. No need to bring a meal. A headlamp is strongly advised if you hike from 7 p.m. until dusk, one of the best windows for solitude and golden light. Though there’s often enough residual light to descend, the footing becomes treacherous and ankle rolls are common in shadowed terrain. The trail is wide, well-maintained, and free from poison oak, ticks, or underbrush nuisances. That said, pets must be kept close or leashed—livestock roam nearby and should not be disturbed. Gas-powered bikes and motorized vehicles are prohibited under Berkeley ordinance. You’ll pass a wide cast of regulars: Sierra-bound hikers in training, trail runners doing repeats, and out-of-breath grad students pushing through the grade. Trash is rare, but if you see any, pack it out. The route deserves...

Only been there once, 8:30 AM on a Saturday morning ⛅️ in July. There was parking on the street on Stonewall. There is a trashcan by the entrance along with signs with rules.

We took our dogs and most people at this time we’re walking with the dogs. Some on leash, and some off leash, unfortunately there are a lot of fox tails in this season so be careful.

We only made it up the first two hills as we have one dog 🐕 who is elderly. It is a very rocky gravelly sand path and steep. Next time we will go the whole trail.

Did see dog poop bags along the trail. Assuming that people are going to pick them up on the way back and put them in the trash 🤞

Good views. Also, a...

I made this trail my first home on my first trip to the Bay area. I was not disappointed. I think this is a medium difficulty mountain trail, but there are definitely level stopping/resting points if it becomes too taxing. The views that it offers of oakland, SF, and the Bay area awesome. If you want to hit the summit then I recommend hiking shoes or boots as you will need to do some "climbing" on rocky surfaces to reach the very top. Sunrise and sunset seem to be the optimal...