[This is the second of several articles on hiking in Claremont Canyon.]
This 3.5-mile, moderately difficult hike winds through two of the open spaces on the south side of Claremont Canyon and along some of the lovely streets between them in the neighborhoods above the Claremont Hotel. It’s a one-way hike, so plan to go with friends because you will need two cars for a short shuttle at the end.
Warning: Brush, brambles, and poison oak can intrude onto the trails, some of which have uneven footing; so wear long pants, long sleeves, and sturdy shoes.
The main entrance to Garber Park, on Claremont Avenue.
The route begins at Signpost 29 on the south side of Claremont Avenue, 1.5 miles above the intersection of Claremont and Ashby. It finishes a mile lower, just above the employee parking lot of the Claremont Hotel at the main entrance to Garber Park, where you will leave one car. Then drive about 1 mile in the second car to Signpost 29, park along Claremont, and walk around the gate to look over the trail map just inside.
Start by taking the steps at the beginning of the Willow Trail, and follow the sign to the 1.1-mile Gwin Canyon Trail. Volunteers from the Claremont Canyon Conservancy recently built the first 0.4-mile of this trail, which follows Claremont (aka Harwood) Creek. The rest of the trail is part of the East Bay Regional Park system.
You’ll climb a total of 350 feet to the end of the trail at a cul-de-sac on Norfolk Road. For the next 1.5 miles, you will be on narrow streets without sidewalks, so stay alert for cars. Many of the attractive houses you will pass were rebuilt after the 1991 Berkeley-Oakland Hills fire.
Head up Norfolk and bear right at the first intersection onto Strathmoor Drive, where you will get your first panoramic view.
At the next intersection, turn left onto Drury Road. Take the second right onto Dartmouth Drive and follow it to access an unmarked dirt path. Walk to the end for a spectacular view of both sides of Claremont Canyon.
Retrace your steps to return to Drury Road, staying on it till it becomes Amito Avenue, which then becomes Gravatt Drive. Continue straight, taking a left onto Stephens Way. Enjoy the view to the south as you head down to rejoin Gravatt. Turn left, staying on Gravatt till it meets Alvarado Road.
Go left onto Alvarado, following it around the bend. Take the sharp right onto Slater Lane. At the end of Slater, turn right onto Evergreen Lane, pausing at #57 to admire the menagerie of metal critters by Mark Bullwinkle. Continue one Evergreen to the entrance of Garber Park. You should be able to pick up a brochure there with an annotated trail map and the history of the park.
Enter Garber Park and turn right at the sign for the Loop Trail. Follow it all the way around. Do not take the spurs toward Alvarado Road or Rispin Drive, but continue on the lower half of the Loop Trail till you reach a large stone fireplace. It dates back to the 1920s, when Garber Park was a popular destination for picnics and family outings.
From there, follow the sign pointing to Claremont and a run of wooden steps leading down to where you left the first car for the shuttle back to Signpost 29.
[A version of this article appeared in the October 2019 issue of Claremont-Elmwood Social magazine.]
This map shows the second part of the hike, which begins on Norfolk Road after the first part on the Gwin Canyon Trail.