University of California at Berkeley: Strawberry Canyon Fire Trails (Blog Hike #283)

Trails: Strawberry Canyon Fire Trails

Hike Location: University of California at Berkeley

Geographic Location: east side of Berkeley, CA (37.88078, -122.24362)

Length: 3.7 miles ONE WAY

Difficulty: 3/10 (Easy/Moderate)

Dates Hiked: July 2009, June 2016

Overview: A pair of wide, gently-sloped fire trails linked by a short, steep connector.

Hike Route Map: http://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=431780
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: The closest parking to the trailhead is along the shoulder of Grizzly Peak Blvd. just south of Centennial Dr.  This shoulder is a popular parking lot for Cal-Berkeley students as well.  The fire trail starts at a vehicle gate about 500 feet south of Centennial Dr. on the right (west) side of Grizzly Peak Blvd.  Another parking option is given at the end of the trail description.

The hike: Located due east of downtown Berkeley, Strawberry Canyon has become one of the recreation centers for the University of California at Berkeley.  Memorial Stadium, home of Cal Bears football, lies at the mouth of the canyon.  As you head up through the canyon on Centennial Drive, next comes a developed recreation area including some tennis courts and a swimming pool.  Further up the canyon is the University of California Botanical Garden, a fascinating collection of plants with every continent represented by its own sub-garden.  While I was visiting the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI) located at the top of the canyon, I tried to tour the garden one day on my lunch break; I made it only about half way through before I had to head back uphill to the workshop.

Apart from the developed area along Centennial Drive, Strawberry Canyon remains mostly undeveloped land.  The natural side of the canyon can be toured on a pair of fire trails, called the Upper and Lower Fire Trails after their respective elevations.  Due to their proximity to campus, you are unlikely to be alone when hiking these trails.  Indeed, they are very popular with trail runners (going uphill) and with students returning to campus from classes at MSRI, the Space Sciences Lab, or even Lawrence Hall of Science (going downhill).

Vehicle gate at top of Fire Trail

            Starting at the top, the two-track dirt fire trail leaves Grizzly Peak Blvd. on the west side at a vehicle gate.  The trail descends through a couple of steep sections as it passes behind the Space Sciences Lab.  For future reference, note the trail’s parking lot access just beyond the Space Sciences Lab. 

View of downtown Berkeley from MSRI

            After passing a small satellite dish, the trail assumes a constant elevation as it passes through a large eucalyptus grove.  Two wooden posts engraved with mileages appear along the trail one-half mile apart.  At 0.8 miles, the trail reaches the rim of Strawberry Canyon itself, which it will trace for the next 1.9 miles.  Views through gaps in the trees begin to emerge to the right.  The scrubby canyon lies in the foreground, the city of Berkeley in the middle-ground, and the Bay, San Francisco skyline, and the Golden Gate Bridge in the background.  These views are as good as you will get in any of the regional parks that lie to the east.

View down Strawberry Canyon

            1.1 miles into the hike, where the trail to Clairmont Canyon exits steeply uphill to the left, angle right to remain on the fire trail.  Due to California’s long dry seasons, many of the “hiking trails” in the Bay Area are actually fire roads.  Not only do the roads provide fire fighters better access to the forest, but the bare ground itself also serves as a fire break.  Major fires move from lower to higher elevation, so if a wildfire were coming up the canyon, firefighters could set a controlled back-burn along the lower side of the fire road.  When the wildfire reaches the scorched and bare ground, it will have no plant material to burn, and hence it will stop advancing if the bare swath is wide enough.  This is where the phrase “fight fire with fire” comes from.  So the next time you are hiking an “ugly” fire road, remember the important, useful functionality the road provides.

As the trail traces the canyon rim, it crosses numerous small seasonal streams that feed into the canyon.  During the wet season, these streams run onto the fire road and make for large mud-holes.  Fortunately, while I was hiking the trail, University crews were at work installing concrete culverts over the largest of these streams.  Since I was hiking during the dry season, the culverts made no difference to me, but they will be appreciated next winter.  Between the streams, some retaining walls below the trail on the right keep the trail in place on the hillside.  Chain link fences keep the hiker from falling over these walls.

Golden Gate Bridge in the distance

            At 2.4 miles, you will pass a bench with a nice view similar to the one described above.  Just past the bench, the descent begins in earnest.  The final 0.3 miles of the Upper Fire Trail descend moderately into a grove of coastal oaks which supply ample shade.

Hiking through coastal oak grove

            At 2.7 miles, the Upper Fire Trail ends at a small water tower and vehicle gate.  Past the vehicle gate is paved Bancroft Place, a tiny residential street.  To continue, turn right and begin the steep connector trail, which descends 200 feet in only 0.2 miles.  Two lines down the hill are apparent: a wide path that leads straight down the hill, and a narrow path which leads down over numerous tree roots.  The narrow path works well at first, but the final 10 feet onto the Lower Fire Trail are nearly vertical.  Thus, most people should stick with the wide, official path.

Descending to Lower Fire Trail

            At the Lower Fire Trail, turn right and resume a moderate descent.  The trail again traces the perimeter of Strawberry Canyon, but this time with a much tighter radius, less elevation, and more shade.  At 3.5 miles, you cross the main stream in Strawberry Canyon, which will be dry much of the year.  At 3.6 miles, you cross the stream coming downhill from the Botanical Garden.  Since heavy irrigation is done in the garden, this stream will probably be flowing all year.

At 3.7 miles, the Lower Fire Trail ends at a parking area along Centennial Drive about 0.5 miles east of Memorial Stadium.  Of course, you could leave a vehicle shuttle here, or you could hike back up the fire trails, but there is a more interesting way to complete this hike.  If you are hiking on a weekday, the University runs a bus (they call it the Hill Line) up Centennial Drive every half-hour.  To catch the bus, you need to hike along the road either down to the swimming pool (much easier) or up to the Botanical Garden (a stiff climb).  Then for only $1, the bus will take you up to the Space Sciences Lab with no effort on your part (but plenty of effort on its part).  Alternatively, you could park in this parking lot and ride the bus up to the trailhead, thus avoiding parking along the shoulder of a semi-busy road.  Either way, the useful bus provides an unusual way to complete this popular hike.