In
brief:
3.6 mile partial loop through marshes and shoreline outside of Hayward.
Good bird watching.
Distance, category, and difficulty:
This 3.6 mile partial loop hike is very easy. Trails are almost perfectly
flat. Total elevation change is 130 feet.
Exposure:
Full sun throughout.
Trail traffic:
Moderate.
Trail surfaces:
Wide dirt trails.
Hiking time:
2 hours.
Season:
Best birdwatching in winter, but nice year round.
Getting there:
• From eastbound CA 92 in Alameda County, exit Clawiter (exit 24, the
first exit coming off the San Mateo Bridge). At the foot of the exit ramp,
turn left onto Clawiter, cross over the freeway, then make a left onto Breakwater.
Follow Breakwater for about 1 mile, as it winds left then right, and finally
runs along the highway. Park before the end of the road, near the Interpretive
Center.
• From westbound CA 92, exit Clawiter (exit 24). At the foot of the
exit ramp, go straight onto Breakwater. Follow Breakwater for about 1 mile,
as it winds left then right, and finally runs along the highway. Park before
the end of the road, near the Interpretive Center.
GPS Coordinates* for Trailhead:
Latitude
37°37'24.73"N
Longitude 122° 8'9.24"W
(* based on Google Earth
data, shown as degrees, minutes, seconds)
Gas, food, and lodging:
Gas and pay phone back at Clawiter and Breakwater, but there are no restaurants
or stores in the vicinity. No camping.
Trailhead details:
Side of the street parking on dead-end Breakwater. No parking or entrance
fees. There are two other trailheads to the north on Grant and West Winton.
Maps available at the Interpretive Center (open weekends only), and theoretically
at the information signboard at the start of the trail, but the box was
empty and looked pretty dusty on my visit. There's a wheelchair-accessible
portable toilet just off the road, but there is no drinking water. No designated
handicapped parking, but trails may be suitable for wheelchairs (weather
permitting; they aren't paved). There is no direct public transportation
to the shoreline, but several AC Transit buses stop at West Winton, and
from there you can walk to the shoreline.
Rules:
Trails are open to hikers and cyclists. No dogs. Shoreline is open from
5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The Official Story:
EBRPD's Hayward
Regional Shoreline page
Park office 510-783-1066
Map Choices/More Information:
• Map
from EBRPD
• Malcolm Margolin's East Bay Out has descriptions of the shoreline (order
this book from Amazon.com).
Hayward Regional Shoreline in a nutshell -- a printable, text-only guide to
the featured hike.
Go to Bay Area Hiker Home page