San Francisco - East Bay - Fremont - Alameda Creek Trail
24 mi 
Suitable for
Touring *
Fitness *
Artistic *
Directions
From Interstate 680 in Fremont, take the Mission Boulevard exit and drive west to Highway 84/Niles Canyon Road. Turn right onto Niles Canyon Road and then make another immediate right onto Old Canyon Road. The creekside staging area (a large gravel pad) is down a slope on the left after you cross a bridge; park here.
Update: A correspondent says that the eastern end of the trail, near Mission Boulevard is closed due to bridge construction making the Old Canyon Road tailhead unusable.
To park at the Coyote Hills end of the trail, from Highway 84 westbound in Fremont, take the Paseo Padre Parkway exit just before the Dumbarton Bridge toll plaza, turn right (north), and drive to Patterson Ranch Road. Turn left and continue to the parking area. From Highway 84 coming eastbound from the Peninsula, cross the Dumbarton Bridge and take the Thornton Avenue exit. Turn left to reach Paseo Padre Parkway, and continue north to Patterson Ranch Road. Turn left onto Patterson and continue to the parking area. There is a $3 parking fee from Wednesday through Sunday.
Map: For a free trail map, call the East Bay Regional Parks District at (510) 562-PARK (7275) and ask for a copy of the Alameda Creek Trail brochure.
Update: A correspondent says that the eastern end of the trail, near Mission Boulevard is closed due to bridge construction making the Old Canyon Road tailhead unusable.
To park at the Coyote Hills end of the trail, from Highway 84 westbound in Fremont, take the Paseo Padre Parkway exit just before the Dumbarton Bridge toll plaza, turn right (north), and drive to Patterson Ranch Road. Turn left and continue to the parking area. From Highway 84 coming eastbound from the Peninsula, cross the Dumbarton Bridge and take the Thornton Avenue exit. Turn left to reach Paseo Padre Parkway, and continue north to Patterson Ranch Road. Turn left onto Patterson and continue to the parking area. There is a $3 parking fee from Wednesday through Sunday.
Map: For a free trail map, call the East Bay Regional Parks District at (510) 562-PARK (7275) and ask for a copy of the Alameda Creek Trail brochure.
Notes
The Alameda Creek Trail is a long, luxurious skate that includes great scenery, lots of wildlife, and a glimpse of south San Francisco Bay as a reward at the end. And it's pretty hard to beat all those miles of skating with absolutely no intersections!
Make sure to start out early in the morning before the inevitable head-wind off the bay kicks up. It's generally best to begin from the Niles Canyon Road end of the trail, so that the wind will be to the rear for the return trip. Take the paved trail on the south side of Alameda Creek, where you'll cruise on the eight-foot-wide asphalt trail that winds through a wide, sunny flood-control basin past Shinn Pond, some quarries and, near the bay, the protected marshes and Indian shell mounds of Coyote Hills Regional Park. At times, quiet neighborhoods line the south side of the canal, some with access paths and grassy or shady little parks nearby where you can take a rest. Ever present to the right, Alameda Creek eventually becomes just a tidal trickle within the wide confines of the flood control canal. If you're lucky, you'll spot some of the egrets, terns, and jackrabbits that make their homes here.
The Alameda Creek Trail is flat except for the occasional drop for underpasses, where you'll need to stay to the right and be on the alert for fast-moving cyclists. The pavement becomes noticeably rougher west of the Newark Blvd bridge, but smoothes out again for the last two miles. When the path comes to the edge of the bay, a short, steep climb to the left connects to the Coyote Hills Regional Park Loop (see link below). Heading back toward Niles, it's likely you'll enjoy a tailwind strong enough for practicing slalom turns.
Make sure to start out early in the morning before the inevitable head-wind off the bay kicks up. It's generally best to begin from the Niles Canyon Road end of the trail, so that the wind will be to the rear for the return trip. Take the paved trail on the south side of Alameda Creek, where you'll cruise on the eight-foot-wide asphalt trail that winds through a wide, sunny flood-control basin past Shinn Pond, some quarries and, near the bay, the protected marshes and Indian shell mounds of Coyote Hills Regional Park. At times, quiet neighborhoods line the south side of the canal, some with access paths and grassy or shady little parks nearby where you can take a rest. Ever present to the right, Alameda Creek eventually becomes just a tidal trickle within the wide confines of the flood control canal. If you're lucky, you'll spot some of the egrets, terns, and jackrabbits that make their homes here.
The Alameda Creek Trail is flat except for the occasional drop for underpasses, where you'll need to stay to the right and be on the alert for fast-moving cyclists. The pavement becomes noticeably rougher west of the Newark Blvd bridge, but smoothes out again for the last two miles. When the path comes to the edge of the bay, a short, steep climb to the left connects to the Coyote Hills Regional Park Loop (see link below). Heading back toward Niles, it's likely you'll enjoy a tailwind strong enough for practicing slalom turns.
Links
- East Bay Regional Parks - Trail information and maps.
- Alameda Creek Trail Map - 110 KB
Related Tours
| Last Skated
Aug 1, 1995
|
Updated
Mar 21, 2005
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