Hayward
Regional Shoreline,
East Bay Regional Park District,
Alameda County
In brief:
3.7 mile partial loop through marshes and shoreline outside of Hayward. Good bird
watching.
Getting there:
• From eastbound CA 92 in Alameda County, exit Clawiter (exit 24, the first
exit coming off the San Mateo Bridge). At the foot of the exit ramp, turn left
onto Clawiter, cross over the freeway, then make a left onto Breakwater. Follow
Breakwater for about 1 mile, as it winds left then right, and finally runs along
the highway. Park before the end of the road, near the Interpretive Center.
• From westbound CA 92, exit Clawiter (exit 24). At the foot of the exit
ramp, go straight onto Breakwater. Follow Breakwater for about 1 mile, as it winds
left then right, and finally runs along the highway. Park before the end of the
road, near the Interpretive Center.
Trailhead details:
Side of the street parking on dead-end Breakwater. No parking or entrance fees.
There are two other trailheads to the north on Grant and West Winton. Maps available
at the Interpretive Center (open weekends only), and theoretically at the information
signboard at the start of the trail, but the box was empty and looked pretty dusty
on my visit. There's a wheelchair-accessible portable toilet just off the road,
but there is no drinking water. No designated handicapped parking, but trails
may be suitable for wheelchairs (weather permitting; they aren't paved). There
is no direct public transportation to the shoreline, but several AC Transit buses
stop at West Winton, and from there you can walk to the shoreline.
Gas, food, and lodging:
Gas and pay phone back at Clawiter and Breakwater, but there are no restaurants
or stores in the vicinity. No camping.
Distance, category, and difficulty:
This 3.6 mile partial loop hike is very easy. Trails are perfectly
flat.
Rules:
Trails are open to hikers and cyclists. No dogs. Shoreline is open from 5 a.m.
to 10 p.m.
The Official Story:
EBRPD's Hayward
Regional Shoreline page
EBRPD's
Hayward Regional Shoreline brochure (pdf)
Park office 510-783-1066
Map Choices/More Information:
• Use AAA's San Francisco Bay Region map to get there
• Map
from EBRPD
• Map
from Bay Trail
• David Weintraub's East Bay Trails has a good map and descriptions
of this hike (order
this book from Amazon.com).
• 101 Great Hikes of the San Francisco Bay Area, by Ann
Marie Brown (order
this book from Amazon.com) has a simple map and featured hike.
• Malcolm Margolin's East Bay Out has descriptions of the shoreline
(order
this book from Amazon.com).
Hayward
Regional Shoreline in a nutshell -- a printable, text-only guide to
the featured hike.
• View photos from this hike.
The young marsh at 
Hayward
Regional Shoreline provides bountiful opportunities for nature study. Even a birdwatching
neophyte (like me) may be able to identify a few birds. Bring binoculars and some
field guides, and set off into the marsh. With only shrubby low-to-the-ground
vegetation, birds are easy to spot.
Shoreline levees along this stretch of bay were
originally built for salt harvesting. Restoration began in 1980, when staff breached
dykes and returned saltwater's tidal flow to Cogswell Marsh. Additional property
is transitioning to fresh and brackish water marshes, with controlled flows of
treated wastewater. This transformation is complete with a thriving community
of marsh plants and tons of birds. Migrating and resident birds feast on the worms,
cockles, and other inhabitants of the bay's mudflats.
In summer, the marsh retains a cool serenity. Great
green swaths of pickleweed compliment the streams of azure marsh water, and breezes
off the bay whisk your sweat away. If it's truly hot though, beware of the sun;
there is no shade along the shoreline, so be sure to wear a floppy hat.
The over 1,600 acres of shoreline support a variety
of outdoor recreation. Fishing is popular in the northern reaches, although it's
not permitted in the nature area around the marsh. Locals stop by for a quick
run, and families enjoy easy cycling on the level dirt trails. Birdwatching is
probably the chief draw here. Although summer smog may obscure visibility, there
are nice views east and west.
Start at the gated fire road near the Interpretive
Center. Although traffic on Highway 92 whizzes past directly to the south,
it's easy to let the noise leave your consciousness as you head into the marsh.
Stoic egrets and 
shy
herons may be spotted in the channel off to the left. Pickleweed carpets the sides
of the wide flat trail all year long, while mustard adds a seasonal burst of yellow
in spring. Initially the trail heads west, but as it nears the bay, it takes a
wandering course to the north, following the contour of the shoreline. Interpretive
signs along the way are sure to educate curious hikers. On my June hike, feisty
white birds (swifts maybe?) zipped back and forth overhead, making frequent journeys
to the bay and then back to the marsh. How they fly with their beaks full, squawking
all the while, is a mystery to me. You might notice lush clumps of New Zealand
spinach on the side of the trail. At 1.16 miles, the trail splits at a signed
junction. Bear right (although either way is an option on this loop section).
As I quietly crept along the marsh, I was able to
get a good 
look
at a few birds I'd never seen before. Black necked stilts and American avocets
permitted a few moments of observation, but they were happy to be left alone as
I continued north through the marsh. From a bench on the side of the trail you
can pause to soak up the sights and sounds of the marsh, or take a long look east
to Mount Diablo, Mission Peak, and the hills of Garin/Dry Creek Pioneer. At 1.76
miles, you'll reach an unsigned junction. An unusual yellow flowered tree tobacco
shrub sits on the side of the bridge to the right. The causeway heads to a trail
around landfill, and eventually ends up on the shoreline near Grant Avenue and
the confluence of San Lorenzo Creek and the bay. (You can extend this hike by
turning right, continuing north, than retracing your steps to here.) Turn left.
As the trail veers west you might catch a glimpse
of some other more sedimentary marsh residents, squirrels, who dart in and out
of the nooks and crannies of the shoreline riprap. I watched one take a sand bath
on the trail, fully expecting to see a hawk swoop down for a meal, but the raptors
were absent this day. There's one more bridge crossing, and then the trail loops
back to a previously encountered junction at 2.41 miles. Continue straight
and retrace your steps to the trailhead.
Total distance: 3.57 miles
Last hiked: Wednesday, June 20, 2001
Go to Bay Area Hiker Home page
Hayward
Regional Shoreline provides bountiful opportunities for nature study. Even a birdwatching
neophyte (like me) may be able to identify a few birds. Bring binoculars and some
field guides, and set off into the marsh. With only shrubby low-to-the-ground
vegetation, birds are easy to spot.
green swaths of pickleweed compliment the streams of azure marsh water, and breezes
off the bay whisk your sweat away. If it's truly hot though, beware of the sun;
there is no shade along the shoreline, so be sure to wear a floppy hat. 
shy
herons may be spotted in the channel off to the left. Pickleweed carpets the sides
of the wide flat trail all year long, while mustard adds a seasonal burst of yellow
in spring. Initially the trail heads west, but as it nears the bay, it takes a
wandering course to the north, following the contour of the shoreline. Interpretive
signs along the way are sure to educate curious hikers. On my June hike, feisty
white birds (swifts maybe?) zipped back and forth overhead, making frequent journeys
to the bay and then back to the marsh. How they fly with their beaks full, squawking
all the while, is a mystery to me. You might notice lush clumps of New Zealand
spinach on the side of the trail. At 1.16 miles, the trail splits at a signed
junction. Bear right (although either way is an option on this loop section).
look
at a few birds I'd never seen before. Black necked stilts and American avocets
permitted a few moments of observation, but they were happy to be left alone as
I continued north through the marsh. From a bench on the side of the trail you
can pause to soak up the sights and sounds of the marsh, or take a long look east
to Mount Diablo, Mission Peak, and the hills of Garin/Dry Creek Pioneer. At 1.76
miles, you'll reach an unsigned junction. An unusual yellow flowered tree tobacco
shrub sits on the side of the bridge to the right. The causeway heads to a trail
around landfill, and eventually ends up on the shoreline near Grant Avenue and
the confluence of San Lorenzo Creek and the bay. (You can extend this hike by
turning right, continuing north, than retracing your steps to here.) Turn left.