Touring * Fitness * Beginner * Artistic *

Coming from the north on Interstate 680 after crossing the Benicia-Martinez Bridge, exit onto Highway 4 East. Approaching from the south on Interstate 680 in Pleasant Hill, take the Highway 242 exit toward Concord and Pittsburg, and follow it northeast and then east as it merges onto Highway 4 after 2.5 miles. Once on Highway 4, follow it east approximately 12 miles. Just after the freeway makes a 90-degree curve to the north, look for the Brentwood/Stockton Highway 4 exit. This also happens to be Main Street, Oakley. Follow Main and the Highway 4 signs two miles east through town until you reach the stoplight at the intersection with Cypress Road. Turn left, cross the canal, and park on the small gravel pad at the levee trail's entrance.

Map: For a free trail map, call the East Bay Regional Parks District at (510) 562-PARK (7275) and ask for the Marsh Creek Trail brochure.

From its plain, treeless start near the Amtrak line and a shabby convenience store, the Marsh Creek Trail takes you south on a delightful tour of what remains of the bucolic Oakley and Brentwood farm country. Cornfields and fruit trees still grow near the banks of Marsh Creek, which is now a levee-banked canal. Leaving the old days behind, the two agricultural towns have since expanded to welcome retirees or commuters who work throughout the greater Bay Area.

Don't judge the Marsh Creek Trail by the first tenth of a mile. For some odd reason, the pavement at the start is extremely rough. But once beyond it, you'll be skating on prime asphalt, thanks to some of the newest paving done by the East Bay Regional Parks District. Mount Diablo shows off its familiar profile to the west, and more distant ridges ring the horizon. There are still several citrus, plum, and other fruit trees growing next to the creek, plus a couple of rustling cornfields in the summer. All of these sights combine to paint a peaceful pastoral scene, with the sounds of trickling water, chirping birds, and the occasional farm engine as audio accompaniment.

The trail's entire length doesn't pass through peaceful farm country, however. One section (not too long) has a very high chain-link and barbed-wire fence at its edge. You'll pass by some housing developments and must also cross several intersections. At press time, a death-defying crossing at Highway 4 was necessary to continue to the end of the trail. But in July of 1996, the city of Brentwood is scheduled to add a safer diversion that includes two bridges across the creek and a signal crossing at Grant Street. Until then, the approach to Highway 4 may still require climbing over a barricade to continue next to Marsh Creek on private property for about a tenth of a mile. Wait for a lull in the highway traffic before very carefully crossing to where the trail resumes on the other side.

South of Highway 4, the final leg of the trail passes through the booming town of Brentwood, where recent development has resulted in widened roads with sidewalks and bike lanes and a brand new park with tiny saplings for shade trees. You'll find the park and its smooth concrete sidewalks just across the bridge that marks the trail's termination. Watch for the wide expansion cracks at each end of the bridge.

• EBRPD Marsh Creek Page - Trail Description and Map

• Delta de Anza Regional Trail