FRIDAY BLACKBERRY FORAGING at Albany Bulb
Hike Date: Friday, August 29, 2025
Leader: Peter McCluskey
Leader Email: peter.c.mccluskey@gmail.com
Leader Phone: 408-315-8120
SF Meeting Location: Whole Foods; 2001 Market St. @ Dolores (on the Dolores St. side); parking on the street or below. Please only show up at Whole Foods if you've arranged to meet your ride or driver there.
East Bay Meeting Location: Rockridge BART, bottom of escalator.
Please only show up at Rockridge if you've arranged to meet your ride or driver there.
Meeting Times: 9:05 AM from SF; 9:10 from Rockridge BART.
Rating: Level 3
Mileage: 10 miles
Elevation Gain: 250'
Description: Albany Bulb is a former landfill, with good views of the city and the Golden Gate Bridge. It has some large patches of blackberry bushes on the many unofficial trails. This hike is on a weekday so that fewer people will have picked the berries before we get there. There will probably be a few Naked Lilies still blooming. There will be some art, sort of a poor man's Burning Man. Our terrain will range from paved bike paths to rocky shoreline. I have timed it so that part of the hike will be below the high tide level.
Bring/Wear: Water, hat, maybe long pants and sleeves for picking berries, maybe a swimsuit for Albany beach if the weather is warm.
Rain Policy: Contact hike leader if weather is questionable.
Trailhead Meeting Place: The Brickyard Cove trailhead in Berkeley. (on W Frontage Rd just south of University Ave) Note that this is a new trailhead. Some maps may not recognize it. Don't go to the Brickyard Cove in Richmond. Instead, use 598 University Ave, Berkeley, CA 94710 (Seabreeze restuarant). The trailhead is right next to the restaurant, in case you want to buy food after the hike. Google Maps link
Trailhead Meeting Time: 9:30 AM
Trailhead Departure Time: 9:45 AM
Round trip driving distance: 12 miles from SF; 6 miles from Rockridge.
Passenger Carpool Fees: from SF $4; from Rockridge BART $1
(I will inform you of carpooling arrangements by late Tuesday or early Wednesday.)
Level-1
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Level-2
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Level-3 |
Level-4 |
Level-5 |
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easiest
< 5 miles
< 500' gain
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moderately easy
5-7 miles
< 1000' gain |
moderate
7-9 miles
< 1500' gain
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strenuous
9-12 miles
< 2000' gain
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very strenuous
12-15+ miles
>2000' gain |
