Featured hike
Mile:
0.0: Walk west toward the Nimitz Gate.
0.1: Turn left onto Curran Trail.
0.13: Turn right onto Meadows Canyon Trail.
1.55: Meadows Canyon Trail ends at a gate. Wildcat Gorge Trail begins to the left. Turn right and walk uphill on the paved road.
1.9: The road meets a gate and becomes a fire road. Bear right.
2.1: Junction with Pine Tree Trail, on the right. A few steps further Laurel Canyon Trail sets off on the left side of the trail, and you'll meet the other end of Laurel Canyon Trail after a few more feet, off to the right. At each junction continue straight on Loop Road.
2.2: Laurel Canyon Road climbs to the ridge on the right. This junction is unsigned. Continue straight on Loop Road.
2.3: Sylvan Trail crosses Loop Road. Continue straight on Loop Trail.
2.5: Signed junction with Jewel Lake Trail. Continue on Loop Trail.
2.6: Loop Trail ends. Turn right onto Wildcat Creek Trail.
2.7: A bridge heads left. Continue straight a few more steps.
2.7: Turn right onto Wildcat Peak Trail.
2.76: Signed junction with Jewel Lake Trail. Continue to the left, on Wildcat Peak Trail.
2.9: An unsigned shortcut trail cuts left. Continue a few feet more to the signed junction with Sylvan Trail. Turn left and remain on Wildcat Peak Trail.
3.5: Junction with an ascending hogback. Hogbacks like this are seriously erosive, so stay on the main trail.
3.9: Junction with spur trail heading left. Continue straight/right.
3.95: Junction. Turn left and walk uphill a few feet to Wildcat Peak's summit.
4.0: Summit. Retrace your steps back to the previous junction, then bear left.
4.3: Junction. Turn right.
4.5: The trail ends at a signed junction with Laurel Canyon Road. Turn left, following the sign "to Nimitz Way."
4.56: Junction. Laurel Canyon Trail descends on the right. Continue straight/left on Laurel Canyon Road.
4.7: The fire road ends at a T junction. Turn right onto Nimitz Way.
6.0: Back at the trailhead.
Getting there:
From Interstate 580 in Alameda County, exit CA 24 (exit 19b). Drive northeast and exit Claremont (exit 3). At the foot of the exit ramp, turn left, and drive about 1.5 miles on Claremont to the junction with Ashby. Continue straight on Claremont, to the junction with Grizzly Peak Boulevard, about 2 miles. Turn left and drive north about 1.4 miles to the junction with South Park Drive. Turn right and drive about 1.5 miles to the junction with Wildcat Canyon Road. Turn right and drive about 1.2 mile, to the Inspiration Point Trailhead on the left side of the road. Note: South Park Drive is closed during the salamander migration season, approximately October-April. If it's closed, continue on Grizzly Peak, turn right on Shasta, then turn right on Wildcat Canyon Road.
GPS Coordinates* for Trailhead:
Latitude
Longitude
(* based on Google Earth data, shown as degrees, minutes, seconds)
Read about this hike in more detail and view photos at http://www.bahiker/eastbayhikes/tilden.html
© 2019 Jane Huber/Bay Area Hiker