Strawberry Canyon Fire Trail
Wonderful views of Berkeley and San Francisco await the intrepid hiker who explores the forested fire trails in the hills above Berkeley. Glimpse deer, squirrels, rabbits, and be serenaded by occasional turkey conversations as you walk or run up and down the well maintained dirt roads.
Strawberry Canyon contains an "upper" and "lower" fire trail. The lower trail is much shorter and less challenging - it begins at the Panoramic Hill trailhead and ends at another trailhead (with parking) below the Berkeley Botanical Garden and above the Strawberry Creek pool. See All Trails for details.
The upper trail is 3.7 miles of moderate hiking, with a calf-busting stretch of 100 yards at the very beginning referred to as the "escalator" (above) by locals. The photo is deceptive, it's actually quite steep!
A mostly wooded path, oaks, redwoods, and some of the tallest eucalyptus trees in California mingle with ferns and mossy areas by Strawberry Creek, a stream that stretches from the highlands all the way down to Berkeley.
At the top of the upper trail is a bench with a beautiful overlook of the bay and San Francisco. In particular it has stunning westward sunset views. Dog friendly. Great for bird-watching. The upper trail also connects to the Stonewall Panoramic trails with more extraordinary views that overlook Oakland.
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