7 New Miles of Ridge Trail from Garin Regional Park to Niles Canyon Road!
The longest continuous stretch for hikers in the East Bay is extending from 45 to over 50 miles from Kennedy Grove in El Sobrante to Niles Canyon Road in Fremont.
The planned Ridge Trail between Garin Regional Park and Niles Canyon Road is expected to be completed in 2021! Five new miles of trail will be constructed resulting in the dedication of 7 new multi-use Ridge Trail miles located along the scenic ridge above Union City and Fremont.
The East Bay Regional Park District worked for almost 20 years to assemble the land rights for this planned Ridge Trail section from Garin Regional Park to Niles Canyon Road with the first transaction occurring in 1996. Three additional real estate transactions needed to complete the trail corridor and were finalized in 2000, 2002 and 2014.
Now East Bay Regional Park District is finalizing environmental permits for an at-grade railroad crossing on the Niles Canyon Railway and several stream crossings. Construction for the upland portion of the trail will begin in the upcoming months and that section of the trail is planned to open in 2021.
The project cost is estimated at $900,000. The Ridge Trail is providing a $200,000 partner grant courtesy of the Coastal Conservancy.
In addition to extending the longest continuous stretch in the East Bay, this new trail will put pressure to complete the next section—Niles Canyon Road to Vargas Plateau. When this 2.5-mile gap is complete, this section will be close to 60 miles!
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