Alamo Arbolado Briones Overlook Borges Ranch Brickyard Briones Park - Alhambra Creek Castle Rock Clayton Hanna Grove Heather Farms Hemme Hidden Lakes Inspiration Point Iron Horse, Walnut Creek Iron Horse, Danville John Muir Lafayette Moraga Trail Lafayette Reservoir Larkey Park Las Trampas Livorna Macedo Ranch Montecito Navaronne Redwood Park Reverse Lafayette-Moraga Trail San Miguel Shell Ridge

ALAMO: Where - Take 680 south to Alamo/Stone Valley Rd. West exit. Turn right and proceed to intersection of Stone Valley and Danville Blvd. Park in the lot next to the Shell Station.
What- Approximately 5.5 mile paved loop through Round Hill CC and returning along Iron Horse trail with 1.5 mile upgrade at start. A detailed course map is available from a link on the Home Page.

ARBOLADO: Where - Drive east on Ygnacio Valley Rd. from Highway 680 to Oakgrove Rd., turn right on Oakgrove to Arbolado, left on Arbolado to Arbolado Park, lower entrance to the lighted parking lot across from Sutton Dr.
What - 5.1 mile, flat, paved course except for uphill at first mile. We use this as an alternative to the Heather Farms midweek Winter run. The course is on lit residential streets. A detailed course map is available from a link on the Home Page.

BRIONES OVERLOOK Where - From Highways 680/24, take Highway 24 West towards Orinda. Take the Orinda exit, at the bottom of the off-ramp keep to the right toward Richmond. Continue on Camino Pablo Rd. 2.2 miles to the intersection of Bear Creek Road. Turn right on Bear Creek Road and go 1.4 miles. Look on the left side for Briones Overlook Staging Area and ease your way into the gravel parking lot.
What - This is a 4.0 - 6.4 mile single-track, out-and-back, packed-dirt trial bordering Briones Reservoir with spectacular views. It is primarily along a ridge line with short, moderate rises and falls in elevation. This is an EBMUD Wilderness Trail, so if you have a permit, please bring it. Watch out for poison oak.

BORGES RANCH: Where - fROM 680 north take Ygnacio Valley Road east to Walnut Ave. Take Walnut Ave. to Oak Grove Rd., Turn right. Oak Grove Rd. becomes Castle Rock Rd.. Continue to the sign directing you to turn right and into the entrance to Old Borges Ranch. What- This is a tough, hilly, dirt, loop trail run of 5.5 - 6 miles. It covers some of the same trails in the Shell Ridge Open space area as the Shell Ridge run, but is steeper. Shortcuts of 3 miles or more are available. We do our best to match up runners unfamiliar with the course to similar-paced runners who know the course. A detailed map of the course can be found on a link from the Home Page.

BRICKYARD RUN : Where - From the 680/24 interchange, take 680 north toward Benicia, exiting at Marina Vista. Turn left at stop signal and follow Marina Vista through the downtown area to Talbart St. Turn right, go to Buckley, turn left into Martinez (Rankin) Municipal Park and go up through the parking lot to the rear lot.
What - This is an out-and-back run on Carquinez Scenic Dr. of up to about 8 miles, featuring rolling hills and spectacular views of Carquinez Straits. There are several sets of mile markers, from previous Brickyard Races. Some of the hills are moderately steep. There are no real turnoffs. At one point the pavement has washed out and has not been repaired. There is one barrier preventing cars from getting to the washed out section.

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BRIONES PARK/ALHAMBRA CREEK: Where - Head north on I-680. Take Contra Costa Blvd exit and proceed north on Contra Costa Blvd. Turn left on Gregory Lane. Continue west on Gregory Lane which becomes Grayson Rd. Continue on Grayson Rd. until it ends at Reliez Valley Road. Turn right on Reliez Valley Road and continue for 2 miles. Turn left into EBRPD Briones Park - Alhambra Creek entrance. Proceed down entrance road .8 miles to parking lot. $4.

What - Challenging, steep 5.8-mile packed-dirt loop trails covering an amazing variety of topography and stunning views of CoCo County. It encompasses the Diablo View trail, Spengler Trail, and Alhambra Creek Trail. There is a moderately-hilly loop alternative of 4.2 miles, with a difficulty level on a par with Shell Ridge.

CASTLE ROCK/PINE CANYON: Where - From 680, take Ygnacio Valley Rd. exit and turn right on Ygnacio Valley Rd going east. Turn right on Bancroft Rd /Walnut Ave. Turn right on Oak Grove Rd. which changes name to Castle Rock Rd. Stay on Castle Rock Rd. past Northgate High School to the big dirt parking lot on the right, about 1 mile past the high school.
What - This is an out-and-back dirt trail run up to 7 miles run through shady Pine Canyon, largely flat with a couple short, gentle hills. Beware of rough spots and many creek crossings. A lot of the dirt trail is the valley portion of the Macedo Ranch run. Bring a change of shoes for after the run.
What - This is a 5.7-mile, paved, loop run that begins on the Iron Horse Trail near Prospect and Railroad in Danville. It winds through Hap Magee park and expensive residential neighborhoods of Alamo and Danville. There is one, long, moderate hill. Those wanting a short cut can stay on Iron Horse Trail. A detailed map is available from a link on the Home page.
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CLAYTON: Where - Take Ygnacio Valley Rd. east towards Clayton, up and over the hill to Clayton Rd., turn right on Clayton Rd. Turn right on Marsh Creek Rd. We meet behind the Village Oaks Shopping Center (on your left just past Center St.) for Saturday morning runs (park in the back of the lot)). During Daylight Savings Time we also run here on Wednesday, meeting by the Post Office (turn right at Center St., the Post Office is on your right, a couple of blocks after turning).
What - During dry weather we run a 6 mile loop, 50% paved and 50% dirt. Scenic and mildly hilly encompassing part of Mount Diablo State Park, with 2-1/2 miles of upgrade in the beginning. Our winter course goes up the bike path and down Marsh Creek Road by the golf course. We do our best to match up runners unfamiliar with the course to similar-paced runners who know the course.

HANNA GROVE: Where - from the intersection of Highways 24 and 680 in Walnut Creek take the exit at Ygnacio Valley Road and turn right (heading East). Travel for about 6 miles and turn right onto Walnut Avenue (not Walnut Blvd). Follow Walnut Ave to the rotary at the end of the street and turn right onto Oak Grove which immediately becomes Castle Rock. Pass North Gate HS and immediately turn right on Comistas Dr. Park on the street across from the "Hanna Grove Trail" sign.

HEATHER FARMS: Where - From the 680/24 interchange take Ygnacio Valley Rd., to the right (east) past John Muir Hospital to San Carlos, turn left into Heather Farm Park. Go one block and turn left on Heather Drive to the swimming pool parking lot. This is our meeting place.
What - Late fall, winter, and early spring this is a 5.2-mile relatively flat, paved loop we use on weeknights. This is most of the Walnut Festival 10k course: continual right turns around Marchbanks to Ygnacio, to Oak, to Jones, to Treat, to Bancroft, to Ygnacio and back to the parking lot.
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HEMME: Where - from the intersection of Highways 24 and 680 in Walnut Creek take the Stone Valley Road (West) exit in Alamo. Turn left at Danville Blvd, then right at the next traffic light onto Hemme. Proceed to the end of the Hemme. Parking is either on the street or in the small parking lot.
HIDDEN LAKES: Where - From Hwy 680 North take Barnett/Concord Ave. exit. Turn left on Concord Ave. which turns into Chilpancingo Pkwy. Follow Chilpancingo to Hidden Lakes Park where it turns into Morello Ave. From Hwy 4, take Morello Ave. exit and turn left on Morello. Follow Morello to Hidden Lakes Park.
What - This is a paved, 6.4-mile loop. From park, run down Morello to Taylor Blvd., turn left on Taylor and catch the Contra Costa Canal Trail to end at Hwy 4, left on Muir Rd., left on the first street, Sweetbriar which loops through a residential neighborhood and returns to Muir Rd., left on Muir Rd., left on Glacier Dr., right on Center, turn into park and follow path to wooden bridges. Veer left after second bridge and back onto Morello to Hidden Lakes parking lot. Short loop: From Canal Trail turn left on Center Ave. to park. This is a deceptively challenging course with some short hills and a rolling topography.

INSPIRATION POINT/NIMITZ WAY, TILDEN PARK: Where - From the 680/24 junction, head west on Hwy 24 to Orinda and take the Orinda/Richmond exit. Take the right fork and head north toward Richmond, which will put you on Camino Pablo Road/San Pablo Dam Road. Turn left on Wildcat Canyon Road, going about 2 miles until you see the parking lot for Inspiration Point on the right.
What - This is a challenging, paved, 8-mile out-and-back course closed to automobile traffic. It has moderate-long hills. It goes through eucalyptus groves and offers stunning views of San Pablo Bay and northern Alameda County. Because of fog and wind, it is often cooler than our typical runs in Contra Costa County.
IRON HORSE TRAIL WALNUT CREEK: Where - From the 680/24 interchange, take 680 south toward Alamo. Take the Rudgear Rd. exit, turn left on Rudgear and go under the freeway. Park & Ride lot is on the right.
What - The Iron Horse Trail starts on the west side of Danville Blvd., just north of Rudgear Road. Running to Hemme Ave. and back is about 6 miles.

IRON HORSE TRAIL, DANVILLE: Where - From the 680/24 interchange take 680 south toward Danville and exit at Diablo Road. Turn right onto Diablo Road. Turn left on Hartz, right after one block, left again after one block, the public parking lot is on your right.
What - Out and back. Head north toward Walnut Creek. Running past Stone Valley Road and back will be about 6 miles.

JOHN MUIR: Where - from the intersection of Highways 24 and 680 in Walnut Creek take 680 North to Highway 4. Head West on Highway 4 to the Alhambra Ave exit in Martinez. Turn right onto Alhambra Ave and proceed about 1 ½ miles to F Street (next to Safeway). Turn left onto F Street and drive to the upper parking lot behind the high school pool.

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LAFAYETTE-MORAGA TRAIL, LAFAYETTE: Where - From the 680/24 interchange, take Hwy 24 west. Take the Pleasant Hill Rd. exit to Pleasant Hill Road South/Mt Diablo Blvd. Head south on Pleasant Hill Rd to the end. Turn right on Olympic Blvd. Park in the lot on the corner of Olympic and Pleasant Hill Rd., or the one at the end of Olympic. We meet in the parking lot at the trailhead on Reliez Station Road x Olympic.
What - This is a multi-purpose bike trail that follows an old railroad right-of-way. The run is out-and-back and a slight upgrade on the way out. The trail is marked every 1/4 mile and the usual run is 3 miles out and back. The full length of the trail from our starting point is 7.25 miles. It winds past St. Mary's College and through Moraga. We also do the same trail starting from the Moraga end, which we call the Reverse Lafayette-Moraga Trail.

LAFAYETTE RESERVOIR: Where - From the 680/24 interchange take Hwy 24 west. Take the Central Lafayette exit, turn right on Deer Hill road, and right on First Street, and right on Mt. Diablo Blvd until you see the EBMUD Lafayette Reservoir entrance on your left. You can park for free off Mt. Diablo Blvd on the first street on your left before the Reservoir entrance and walk to the Reservoir parking lot (about a quarter mile), or turn in the park entrance on your left and go up the hill to the pay parking lot (flat $5 or $.25/15 minutes). We meet at the top of the hill by the entrance to the main parking lot. Metered parking is usually very limited, so allow extra time to find parking.
What - This run is a 2.75-mile paved loop (marked every quarter mile) of short and moderately steep rolling hills around the scenic reservoir. Members run one or more loops. An alternative is the Rim Loop Trail. It is about 4.8-miles of extremely steep, rough dirt trails. There are several entry/exit points to this trail.

LARKY PARK/CONTRA COSTA CANAL TRAIL: Where - From the 680/24 interchange take Ygnacio Valley Rd., to the right (east) past John Muir Hospital to San Carlos, turn left into Heather Farm Park. Go one block and turn left on Heather Drive to the swimming pool parking lot. This is our meeting place.
What - During Daylight Savings Time, we run the Canal Trail north toward Pleasant Hill, with an option at the two mile mark to turn left and run up through Larkey Park. If you don't turn toward Larkey, this whole course is relatively flat, crossing small streets, with the exception of Gregory Lane, at 2 miles, and Taylor at around 4 miles out. The whole non-Larkey course is currently 10.5 miles. Taking the turn toward Larkey introduces some serious hills after the park. However, the turnaround is 3-1/2 miles.

LAS TRAMPAS, DANVILLE: Where - Take Hwy 680 south to Diablo Road exit., turn right onto Diablo, turn left on Hartz Blvd., turn right on Prospect Avenue. Turn right into the parking lot at the corner of Prospect and Railroad, behind the Clocktower shops.


LIVORNA: Where - from the intersection of Highways 24 and 680 in Walnut Creek, take 680 South to the Livorna Road exit in Alamo. Go east on Livorna all the way to the end and watch for the parking lot on your left. The trail will start just across the street from the parking lot.

MACEDO RANCH TRAILHEAD, ALAMO: Where - From the 680/24 interchange take 680 south towards Danville and exit at Stone Valley Road East, looping around and proceeding on Stone Valley Road east to Green Valley Road. Turn left on Green Valley to the end of the road. Park in the gravel lot.
What - This is a scenic, packed-dirt trail run with long, steep, hills up and over a ridge and down into Pine Canyon crossing Pine Creek. THERE ARE MANY ALTERNATIVE PATHS and ways to avoid steep hills. We run 4- and 6.4-mile loop courses. We do our best to match up runners unfamiliar with the course to similar-paced runners who know the course.

MONTECITO: Where - from 680/24 exit at Ygnacio Valley Road (right exit). Travel East about 7 miles. At the intersectin of Cowell/Montecito (stop light) turn right and immediate right. Immediately to your right is the parking lot. Entrance to the trail is marked.

NAVARONNE: Where - From 680 North take Treat Blvd. exit, turn right on Treat and head east approximately three miles to Navaronne Dr.; turn right and look for parking on the road.
What - This is an out-and-back, 5.7-mile (to Oak Grove), flat run with one short, steep hill in the first mile. It is on the Ygnacio Canal paved, multi-purpose bike trail. You can shorten or lengthen the course as you desire.

REDWOOD PARK/SKYLINE GATE: Where - Take Highway 24 towards Oakland. Take Highway 13 South towards Hayward. Take Thornhill Dr./Moraga Ave. exit which goes under the freeway. Go straight onto Moraga Ave. Left on Snake Rd. Straight onto Shepherd Canyon Rd. Right on Skyline Blvd. Go down Skyline Blvd. about 600 yards. Skyline Gate Staging area is on the left. Parking is very limited there, so you may have to park on Skyline Blvd.
What - This is a hilly, 6-mile, single-track trail loop course through breathtaking redwood and fern forests. It starts down Stream Trail, west on Fern Trail, back up the meandering French Trail, then to West Ridge trail. As this course has several complex trail junctions, we do our best to match up runners unfamiliar with the course to similar-paced runners who know the course. An alternate, less-hilly, run is to run 2 miles out-and-back on East Ridge trail, for a total of 4 miles.

REVERSE LAFAYETTE-MORAGA TRAIL: Where - From the junction of Interstate 680 and Hwy 24: Take Hwy 24 West toward Lafayette. Take the Central Lafayette/First St. exit. At the end of the exit ramp, stay to the right and turn right onto Deer Hill Road, then right again on First Street. At the 2nd light, turn right onto Mt. Diablo Blvd. Immediately get in the left lane, and turn left at the next stoplight onto Moraga Road. Go ~5.8 miles on Moraga Road which becomes Canyon Road at the Moraga Commons Shopping Center. Turn Left into EBMUD Valle Vista Staging Area parking lot. Bring an EBMUD Wilderness permit if you intend on running Kings Canyon. Usually there are enough permits to go around.
What - 1) The Lafayette-Moraga Trail run in reverse to Saint Mary's College and back, or 2) The Kings Canyon trail run in EBMUD wilderness property. 1) The Reverse Lafayette-Moraga run is a 6-mile out- and-back from Moraga to Saint Mary's College on the paved Lafayette-Moraga multi-use path. This section is slightly downhill going toward St. Mary's with restrooms and water located at the 1.75-mile mark. 2) The Kings Canyon trail is a 6.5-7-mile packed dirt/rock trail that borders the Upper San Leandro Reservoir. It is shady and quiet, with gentle rises and falls in elevation, except for one monster hill.

SAN MIGUEL: Where - From the 680/24 interchange take Ygnacio Valley Rd., to the right (east) past John Muir Hospital to San Carlos, turn left into Heather Farm park. Go one block and turn left on Heather Drive and park in the swimming pool parking lot. This is our meeting place.
What - This run is an alternative to the Heather Farm course and also starts at the swimming pool parking lot. The course crosses Ygnacio Valley Rd. and goes through the residential neighborhoods making many turns. It is about 5.6 miles long of relatively flat streets. As this course has several turns, we do our best to match up runners unfamiliar with the course to similar-paced runners who know the course. A detailed map is available from a link on our Home page.

SHELL RIDGE, WALNUT CREEK: Where - From the 680/24 interchange head toward Walnut Creek, take Ygnacio Valley Road exit and head east on Ygnacio Valley Road. Turn right on Homestead Ave. Turn left on Marshall (first street), go all the way to the end and park along the street.
What - Trail lengths are 5.2, 4.7 and 2.5 miles. These are hilly, packed-dirt trails on fireroads and single track trails in Shell Ridge Open Space. As this course has several turns, we do our best to match up runners unfamiliar with the course to similar-paced runners who know the course. A detailed map is available from a link on our Home page. There is very little shade, so in summer carrying water is recommended.

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