Berkeley Marina Circular Path is a 7.7-kilometer moderately trafficked loop trail that offers scenic vistas and is suitable for all skill levels and is located near Berkeley, California. The route is open year-round and offers a variety of activities. This pathway is also suitable for dogs.

When you visit this peninsular park and marina, it’s hard to realize that the city of Berkeley had a waste dump here in the 1950s and 1960s and that the city was intending to extend 2 miles into the Bay by filling in 2,000 acres of water. The Save the Bay movement, which began in 1961 and resulted in the creation of many parks and trails where development had been planned, stymied such efforts.

Only one visible remnant of its former life as a dump remains today: a fenced-in chimney that emits methane gas from the still-decomposing waste underneath. This urban marvel now boasts a popular 3,000-foot recreational pier, a marina with sailing and windsurfing lessons, many restaurants, Shorebird and César Chávez parks, and miles of paths. The park’s western coast is an excellent spot to watch the sunset and take in the beauty of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Adventure Playground is a unique outdoor playground for young children where they can play and make things out of discarded and discarded material.

At César Chávez Park, acrobatic kite flying is a popular year-round attraction, and the Berkeley Kite Festival and West Coast Kite Championship, the largest kite-flying festival in the United States, is held here every July.

The Shorebird Park Nature Center is housed in the United States’ first municipal straw bale building, which serves as a showcase for green construction. A 50-gallon saltwater tank, a 30-gallon freshwater tank, and exhibits on marine creatures and birds, including bones, shells, and skins, may be found inside.

A pedestrian bridge at Frontage Road West over Interstate 80 and leads to Aquatic Park and Berkeley’s upmarket Fourth Street shopping district, which are both worth seeing. An adaptive cycling program is offered at Aquatic Park by the Bay Area Outreach and Recreation Program.

Parking places for vans are numerous throughout the neighborhood. The trails are normally paved and at least five feet wide. They’re typically mild, with only 5% of them becoming aggressive. To get to Cesar Chavez Park, proceed east from the Spinnaker Way parking spot and take the ramp that gently descends to the trail, which then runs parallel to Spinnaker Way for a quarter-mile before turning north. The route comes to a halt at the cul de sac, but if you wish to go another mile to the pier, cross Spinnaker Way and enter the boat launch parking lot to rejoin the track near the water. A difficult dirt route leads to the highest point of another hill and a solar calendar west of the off-leash dog area in the park’s center. On the other dirt trails that crisscross the hill, those in manual wheelchairs may require help.

Berkeley, California is blessed with some of the Bay Area’s most beautiful hiking trails for you to explore with your furbaby.  Here’s a list of our favorites:

  • Panoramic Hill, Chaparral Peak, and Strawberry Canyon Loop
  • Stonewall Panoramic Trail
  • Wildcat Gorge, Meadows Canyon, and Curran Trail
  • Strawberry Canyon Fire Trail
  • Chaparral Peak via Stonewall-Panoramic Trail
  • Upper Big Springs, Seaview, and Quarry Trails Loop
  • Grizzly Peak Trail from Golf Course Drive
  • Strawberry Creek Fire Trails via Dwight Way

All of these dog-friendly hikes are located just a short distance from our location in downtown Berkeley, at 1935 Addison Street, Suite A!