5:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Meet at the End of Rifle Range Road

Come enjoy the last full moon of spring rising over the East Bay Hills.  This five mile hike descends into the Canyon on the Rifle Range Road trail and then goes up the other side on the beautiful Havey Canyon trail which is shaded and full of native trees and shrubs.  The route connects with Nimitz Way at the top for stunning Bay views and a short side trip to a look out and old Nike Missile site.  Then back down Menzes trail in cattle country, back across Wildcat Creek Bridge and back up Rifle Range Road Trail.

Moonrise 6:53
Sunset 8:34

Havey Canyon Loop

I counted an 1100 foot elevation gain so this is a moderately strenuous hike.  We go down one side of Wildcat canyon, up the other and back again.   Google counts the hike as 1 hour 45 minutes,  but that is a brisk pace.  I did it in two hours with time for pictures. We’ll plan on a leisurely three hours with plenty of time for pictures, snacks and a scenic detour.

Meet at the end of Rifle Range Road

Large coast live oaks, bay laurels, and a scattering of bigleaf maples and madrones grow on the park’s east-facing slopes. North-facing hillsides support some beautiful, nearly pure stands of bay laurel, fringed with coast live oak. Moist chaparral of coyote brush, poison oak, elderberry, snowberry, bracken fern, and blackberry grow in thickets high on the north-facing slopes.

Havey Canyon from across the way

The Havey Canyon  trail is shaded and full of native trees and shrubs.  If wet, it will be a very muddy walk with a steep creek to cross, but not an issue this time of year.

Rifle Range Trail

Dogs are allowed off leash under voice command in Wildcat Canyon, but we would prefer only leashed dogs for this hike.

Havey Canyon

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Rifle Range Trail

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Havey Canyon Trail

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Madrone Limb Over Havey Canyon Trail

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Havey Creek Trail Crossing

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Havey Canyon Trail

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