East Bay MTB tour – Route Sheet

Since a lot of people have inquired about this epic point to point route, I thought I would publish it for everyone to use. If you do use it, please leave comments about the terrain conditions or any recommendations to improve it.

The nature of the ride is about 25 miles when ridden point to point as suggested below, but can also become a long loop, if desired. I leverage public transit to keep the time spent on the bike reasonable for my schedule.

Start: San Leandro BART
*Exit station on the East Side and turn Right onto Estudillo Rd.
*Continue on Estudillo for 2 miles.
*Merge Left on Estudillo Rd. @ Lake Chabot Road and proceed to Silvan Circle (don’t go to the Marina!).
*Cross Bridge into Chabot Park lot.
*Make immediate Left through the gate onto West Shore past the reservoir on the paved road.
*Merge right at the top of the hill, and then Left onto Bass Cove.
*After 2 miles, it will abruptly end after a short steep climb (affectionately called “upchuck hill”)
*Turn Right onto Goldenrod and again Right onto the pavement golf cart path until the trail commences on the right.
*Continue on this trail past the Grass Valley entrance. You will notice a picnic table, potable water fountain, a fork in the trail just above a parking lot, etc. This is a good place to stretch or refill water on a hot day since there aren’t any more potable water sources until Redwood Park.
*Continue down Goldenrod to Jackson Grade, Right on Jackson Grade.
*Continue past the stone bridge intersection onto Brandon Trail at the bottom of the hill.
*Traverse along Brandon (relatively flat portion) out to Bort Meadow.
*Make a Right towards the Bort Meadow entrance on Redwood Road.
*Turn Left through the parking lot and Right onto MacDonald Trail.
*Climb for another 3 miles to the second summit (bench is a good snack stop) and merge Right to stay on MacDonald at the beginning of the descent. Enjoy the descent, observing the ruts and off-camber sections carefully.
*Exit the Park and make a Right onto Redwood Road for a 1/8 mile.

*Enter Redwood Park on the Left, via driveway.
*Follow this drive until its end in Canyon Meadows. This is the second water stop. Don’t eat too much food here.
*Make a Right beyond the picnic tables, up to Canyon trail and enjoy the steep climb to East Ridge.
*Left onto East Ridge for about 5 miles.
*It becomes West Ridge after Skyline gate (the place with the horseshoe parking lot, bathrooms, fountain, and all the dogs).
*Follow West Ridge past Moon Gate to Chabot Science Center Driveway and Parking lot.
*Make a Right to exit Redwood Park. The climbing is over!
*Left onto Skyline Blvd. and immediate Right onto Bayview trail entering Joaquin Miller Park. This trail can be obscured from the roadview, but can be easily found across from the Chabot Science Center entrance. At the time this was published, there is also an unsightly concrete trashcan stationed.
*Follow the singletrack to its end on Castle trail and make a Left after you make your landing.
*Make the next Right to find the primary contour trail Sequioa-Bayview Trail. From here you will have 4 choices of methods to descend: Cinderella (singletrack with variations of technicality, moderate flow), Chaparral (double-track consistent railroad ties, medium-sized rocks, drops, technical), Sunset (fire road with one steep rocky descent), or Palos Colorados (rooted singletrack with some drops).
*Proceed to lower Sunset and downhill to Middle Palos Colorados along the creekbed to the trail’s end.
*Cross the bridge on the left, across the creek to Sinawik trail(I like riding around the big tree to keep momentum and make the turn easier).
*Traverse along Sinawik and climb out of the canyon up to Lookout Point (left before the fence).
*Left onto Bishop’s Walk trail in front of Lookout Point and hold your line through the tricky singletrack.
*Make a Right onto Joaquin Miller Rd, and descend past Mountain Blvd.
*Make a Right onto Monterey Blvd, just after the freeway.
*After a couple blocks of houses, you will see a forest on your Left with a small trailhead sign.
*Enter Dimond Canyon Park.
*Descend the Railroad ties, and watch out for the steel rebar where the handrails used to be.
*Cross the creek and climb the other side. I don’t find this side very rideable, myself.
*At the top of the stairs, make a Right and descend cautiously – this trail backs residential yards.
*After the golf course fencing, you will see the “Canon” trailhead sign on the right side of the trail.
*Turn Right onto the trail below the sign and note that the first handful of switchbacks are qualifiers to the rest of the trail: there is more flow beyond.
*Follow this trail to its end, across the creekbed a few times.
*Exit Right on El Centro and climb up to Park Ave.
*Make a Left on Park Ave. and descend about 1 mile to MacArthur Blvd.
*Turn Right on MacArthur and cross the freeway bridge on the right side of the road (its one-way the other direction).
*Left onto Grand Ave. (note: Los Cantaros burrito shop at Perkins’ intersection)
*Left onto Harrison
*Right onto 20th.
*Enter BART station at Broadway intersection. Go home and take a nap.