On a beautiful sunny day, we drove up to the East Bay for an easy hike along the Bay at Coyote Hills Regional Park. Located right along San Francisco Bay, Coyote Hills offers panoramic views over the East Bay towards Oakland, south towards San Jose, and across the Bay itself all the way to San Francisco. The hiking here is easy, but the views are big time!
Miles/Elevation:
4.9 miles
282 feet vertical gain
About Coyote Hills Regional Park:
Located in Fremont California on the east shore of San Francisco Bay, Coyote Hills Regional Park protects over 1,200 acres of open grasslands, rolling hills, and marshlands. First protected in 1967, Coyote Hills has become a local favorite for getting outside and has hiking, equestrian, and biking trails. There is a $5 parking fee per vehicle as well as a $2 dog fee.
Getting To The Trailhead:
The first thing you need to do to access Coyote Hills is get to the East Bay. Most will take I-880, but if you are coming from the Peninsula, you’ll likely take highway 84 across the Dumbarton Bridge.
From I-880, exit onto 84 and from 84 turn right onto Ardenwood Blvd. From there, take a left onto Commerce Drive and continue into the park. If coming across Dumbarton Bridge, exit onto Paseo Padre Parkway and take a left. Continue for a mile or so and turn left on Patterson Ranch Road to head into the park.
Once in the park, follow the road until it ends at the visitors center. There is lots of parking around, so park wherever you find the best spot.
The Bayview and Meadowlark Loop:
Bayview Trail Heading North:
Always be sure to follow the 7 Leave No Trace Principles when in the outdoors!
From the parking area and visitor center, begin by hiking on the paved road north, with the hills on your left and marsh on your right. This first section is almost totally flat and the views are very meh compared to what you’ll get later. You will not have views overlooking the Bay yet, but you may be able to see up towards Oakland on this first stint.
After about ¾’s of a mile, you will reach the northern end of the park, and the Bayview Trail takes a sharp left turn. Ahead of you is Alameda Creek where it enters the Bay, so take a sharp left to continue on the Bayview Trail, now heading south.
Bayview Trail Heading South:
One the Bayview Trail takes this turn the views really open up. While I was unimpressed by the first ¾’s of a mile of hiking, the views here really do come into form. It was a clear day when we visited, and we were able to clearly see all the way to San Francisco!
Unfortunately, the trail itself did not match the quality of the views. I was expecting a hike, but in reality, almost this entire trail is on a paved path. Honestly, I felt a bit silly with trail runners and hiking poles! If you’re expecting a nice walk, then this is fine, but for those who are looking for a legitimate hiking trail, you will probably be disappointed.
Always follow basic trail etiquette when on trail!
The Bayview Trail traces the hillside as it makes its way south along the shore of San Francisco Bay. The walking is almost completely flat, though you will spend large portions of the hike walking on the lower slopes of the hills that give this park its name.
The views continue to be excellent as you make your way along the Bayview Trail, but there isn’t really much else to mention. It was pretty busy, and we were passing people every couple of minutes. Other than that, the trail was uneventful.
Eventually, the Bayview Trail turns inland and reaches an intersection with a number of other trails. You could actually shorten this loop and return to the trailhead here, but if you want to actually climb one of the hills you’ve been alongside this whole time, take a right on the Meadowlark Trail and begin climbing!
The Meadowlark Trail:
Once you begin on the Meadowlark Trail, you have a steep 170 foot climb to look forward to. I was actually kind of excited for it because we really hadn’t done any climbing the entire day to that point! It’s only 170 feet so it goes by quickly, and within a few minutes you will be at the top!
Head to Sunol Wilderness Regional Preserve for more great East Bay views!
The first impression I had at the top of the climb was wind, and wind would remain as the defining feature of the top of this hill! I guess we hadn’t really noticed how windy it was because it was mostly at our backs, but it was insanely windy out. I had to hold my hat in my hand to avoid losing it, and it was kinda tough to even stand straight!
After taking a couple of pictures and briefly enjoying the view from the top, we descended the Meadowlark Trail, though not the way we had come up. The Meadowlark Trail actually makes a small loop of its own, so we descended down the backside of the hill, still heading south. After the quick descent, the trail doubled back on itself, and we began back north.
Once we were on the flat bottom part of the Meadowlark Trail, we again made good pace. We were now hiking into the wind, and even though we were down from the windy ridges, it was still blowing unexpectedly hard!
Looking for huge old growth Redwoods instead? Head to Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park!
This portion of the Meadowlark Trail places you between the hill on your left and South Marsh on your right. This is an awesome place for bird watching, because while we aren’t even bird watching enthusiasts, we saw a really cool white bird (that’s the best description I have!) and a falcon (I think) in the span of like 5 minutes! Added a cool feature to the hike, and this section isn’t even a road!
Finishing Up:
After around ¾’s of a mile heading back north on the Meadowlark Trail, you will find yourself back at the intersection with the Bayview Trail. To complete the loop as we did, now turn right to finish the Bayview Trail as it loops back to the parking lot.
The final stretch of the Bayview Trail is short and uneventful. You walk past some nice picnic areas, and then quickly reach the park’s overflow parking lot. From the overflow lot, it’s a sidewalk walk back to the visitor center and where we had parked. A couple of minutes later and we were done!
Topdown Lifestyle Rating: 7/10
If you come into this expecting a hike, you’ll honestly most likely be disappointed. Almost the entire hike is on gravel roads, and most of the time not on gravel roads is on paved roads. The views are good, but it’s super busy and not at all remote or peaceful.
If you go into this expecting a walk with nice views, then you’ll enjoy it. However, if you want an actual hike, then I wouldn’t recommend this trail.
Pros:
- Good views
- Easily accessible
Cons:
- Some paved road walking
- Almost exclusively gravel roads
- Very busy
Alternative Hikes:
When To Hike The Bayview and Meadowlark Loop:
The Bay Area is a 4 season destination, and the weather year round is suitable for hiking. In the summer and early fall expect high temperatures, potentially uncomfortably high; expect 80’s most afternoons. In winter and spring, there is a chance of rain, but most days should still be sunny and in the 50’s or 60’s. In my opinion, the best time to visit Coyote Hills is in spring. In addition to the cooler temperatures, the hills are the greenest following the winter rains!
Keep in mind that this hike has very little tree cover, and is extremely exposed to the sun. Even if the highs are only in the 60s, you will likely be warm. Always bring enough water and take the conditions into consideration when planning a hike. This hike would be tough on a hot day!
Links For Further Reading:
Bayview and Meadowlark Trail Loop – California | AllTrails
Quail and Bay View Trail Loop at Coyote Hills – Modern Hiker
