Tilden Regional Park and the Berkeley Hills

Charles Lee Tilden Regional Park runs along the crest of the Berkeley Hills, from the edge of north Berkeley up to the ridge above Orinda. It is one of the three oldest parks in the East Bay Regional Park District and still its most loved, a place where generations of East Bay kids have ridden the carousel, fed goats at the Little Farm and taken their first ride on a miniature steam train. Grown-ups come for the native plant garden, the ridge trails and some of the widest views in the Bay Area.

Our Berkeley guide gives the hills a short mention as part of a campus day. This page covers Tilden in full: how to get there from Palo Alto, each of the attractions with late 2026 hours and fees, the best hikes and the winter closures that catch visitors out.

Getting there from Palo Alto

By car

Cross the San Mateo Bridge on Highway 92, then follow Interstate 880 north through Oakland to Interstate 580 and Highway 24 east toward Orinda. Just before the Caldecott Tunnel, take the Fish Ranch Road exit, drive uphill and turn right on Grizzly Peak Boulevard, which runs along the park's southwest edge. The trip is about 45 miles and takes about an hour in light traffic. Weekday evening traffic on 880 is heavy, so plan your return for before 3 p.m. or after 7 p.m.

The San Mateo Bridge charges its toll westbound only, so you pay on the way home: $8.50 in 2026 and $9.00 with FasTrak from January 1, 2027. Our bridges and tolls guide explains how rental cars are billed. You can also go via US 101 and the Bay Bridge, which takes about as long.

By transit

Take Caltrain to Millbrae, then a BART train toward Richmond to Downtown Berkeley. Our Berkeley page explains the transfer. The trip takes about 1.5 to 2 hours. From Downtown Berkeley, AC Transit buses have served the north end of the park near the Little Farm, but service up the hill is limited. Check 511.org for current routes, or take a short rideshare and arrange a ride back, since cell service is patchy in parts of the park.

Entrances and the winter road closure

Tilden is long and narrow, with many entrances. Know which one you need before you set off:

• Canon Drive, where Wildcat Canyon Road meets Grizzly Peak Boulevard on the Berkeley side, is closest to the Little Farm, the Environmental Education Center, the Merry-Go-Round and Lake Anza.
• Shasta Road leads to the Botanic Garden, the golf course, Lake Anza and the Merry-Go-Round.
• Lomas Cantadas, off Grizzly Peak Boulevard at the south end, is the entrance for the steam trains and Vollmer Peak.
• Wildcat Canyon Road from Orinda reaches Inspiration Point and the Nimitz Way trailhead.

From November 1 to April 1 the park district closes South Park Drive to cars to protect migrating California newts. On rainy nights hundreds of the orange-bellied salamanders cross the road to breed in creeks and ponds. Walkers and cyclists can still use the road. Drivers should use Shasta Road or Lomas Cantadas instead.

The attractions, with late 2026 hours and fees

These details come from the park district's fall 2026 attractions sheet, which covered September and October. Winter hours may differ and everything is weather permitting, so check the Tilden page on ebparks.org before you go.

The Merry-Go-Round

Tilden's carousel is a 1911 Herschell-Spillman machine with hand-carved animals. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It runs inside an open-sided building with a band organ, so it works on drizzly days too. In December it usually adds holiday hours and decorations, so check tildenmerrygoround.org for the season's schedule.

The steam trains

At the south end of the park, the Redwood Valley Railway runs scale steam locomotives on a small loop through redwoods and over trestles, with views toward Mount Diablo. Lines can be long on sunny weekends, so arrive close to 11 a.m.Our kids and trains guide covers rail fun closer to Palo Alto.

The Little Farm and Environmental Education Center

The Little Farm has cows, goats, sheep, pigs, rabbits and chickens in a barnyard setting. Bring lettuce or celery from home to feed the animals, since other foods can make them sick. The nearby Environmental Education Center has nature exhibits and naturalist programs. From there, a short trail leads to Jewel Lake in the Tilden Nature Area, an easy loop for small children.

The Botanic Garden

The Regional Parks Botanic Garden holds what the park district calls the world's most complete collection of California native plants, arranged by region from the desert to the redwoods. It is free, with docent tours on Saturdays and holidays at 2 p.m. and on Sundays at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. The west gate closes at 4:30 p.m. from October through May. Winter brings manzanita blooms and early spring is the peak of the wildflower season.

Hikes and views

Tilden has about 39 miles of trails. A few favorites:

• Nimitz Way: a paved, wheelchair-accessible path along the ridge from Inspiration Point on Wildcat Canyon Road, with views over San Pablo Reservoir and Mount Diablo on one side and the bay on the other. Dogs must be leashed. There is no drinking water at the Inspiration Point lot.
• Jewel Lake loop: a short, flat boardwalk loop in the Tilden Nature Area.
• Vollmer Peak: a climb from the steam train area to the highest point in the park, with a wide view of the bay.
• Wildcat Peak: a moderate climb from the Nature Area to a stone overlook with views to the Golden Gate.

Several closures were in place in late 2026. A segment of the Wildcat Gorge Trail near Brook Road is closed for creek restoration until about January 2027. The park district is also running wildfire fuel reduction work from May to December 2026, with intermittent road and trail closures. Check the alerts on the park page.

Below the park, Grizzly Peak Boulevard has pullouts with famous sunset views over the bay and the Golden Gate. Indian Rock Park in north Berkeley, a cluster of volcanic boulders with carved steps, is another classic sunset spot. See our sunset spots guide for more.

Dogs, food and rules

Dogs are welcome on many Tilden trails but must be leashed in developed areas and on Nimitz Way. They are not allowed in the Botanic Garden, the Tilden Nature Area or the Lake Anza swim area. There is no food for sale at most attractions in the off-season. The Lake Anza Beach Cafe opens only during swim season, while the Tilden Park Golf Course has its own restaurant, the Tee Club. Picnic areas are spread throughout the park. Some can be reserved. North Berkeley's shops and restaurants are 10 minutes downhill.

When to go

Tilden is a year-round park. Spring brings green hills, wildflowers and newborn animals at the farm. Summer adds swimming at Lake Anza, though the ridge can be foggy and windy. Fall is often clear and warm. Winter is quiet and green, with holiday lights on the carousel and newts on the move. The ridge is cooler and windier than Palo Alto, so bring a jacket. Our weather guide explains the bay's microclimates.

A sample day with kids

1. 9 a.m. Leave Palo Alto over the San Mateo Bridge.
2. 10 a.m. Little Farm and the Jewel Lake loop.
3. 11:30 a.m. Merry-Go-Round, then a picnic lunch.
4. 1 p.m. Steam trains at the south end (weekends).
5. 2:30 p.m. Botanic Garden or a short walk on Nimitz Way.
6. 4 p.m. Sunset on Grizzly Peak Boulevard in winter, or head home before the 880 traffic builds.

Pair Tilden with a morning on the UC Berkeley campus or an afternoon at Lake Merritt in Oakland. If you want to stay over, you can compare hotels in Berkeley. For a bigger East Bay summit, see Mount Diablo. Browse all our day trips from Palo Alto.

Frequently asked questions