Robert Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve

Great place to take my dogs hiking. Not too steep uphill and great views at the top. Easy downhill when you do the loop. Parking lot a bit small so come early on the weekends.

Great views and maps provided at the visitor center. The labyrinths are pretty cool and you can get some good cardio on the hills. I feel like the signage isn’t as helpful as other trails in the area. There are some trail splits that aren’t marked. Also, there are a few gates that were closed. We didn’t realize until later it was ok to walk through. So much manure was on the path though from a large animal (not dogs). I would definitely go again as we didn’t get to finish the self guided tour. We spent about 2 hours and got through the 6^th point taking the scenic route and walking all the labyrinths.

My friend and I walked more than half the trail this morning. The weather is very nice. A little windy though. Neither of us are good at reading maps, but the trail’s direction is clear. Clean restrooms. Easy trail with beautiful views. Quiet trail to walk with friend and have laugh and talk. See the photos yourself.

Really great place to bring dogs !!! Super safe and a place to relax. It’s a long trail. So be prepared with the essentials

OMG! Labyrinths! I went searching for the labyrinths on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. The park has an «information» welcome area when you enter but there are no hints of where the labyrinths are or even a mention. We did our research via awesome Unilocal,as well as local websites. They are tucked in valleys but if you take the right route, you can hit ALL 3 labyrinths. I can tell you but that’ll just ruin your fun: P.
Besides the labyrinths, this is a great place to learn about the once-​active volcano, as well as the geology of the place. We were also lucky to have stumbled upon a cluster of trees located near the peak. We had to trespass slightly though to get to it. It was like paradise! I could live there and be an elf or a troll forever!
Anyways, check out my pictures of the place. It’s well worth it to go labyrinth hunting and maybe get in touch with your spiritual side.

Ok so I did my first trail at Sibley. Walked down to the north from the staging center. All he way it is easy and cool but on my way back to the staging center, oh boy, that was a little bit of a work out coz you’ll be walking most of it upward. But I liked skyline trail and I recommend it (esp to the north from the Sibley staging center).
One cool thing, see if on your way you can find he wreckage of an old right in the middle of all tree and bushes. When you’re going down to the north from the Sibley staging it will be on your left. That’s quite mysterious. I was wondering how that car got here and how long hasn’t been there and who owned time car? So that could be an attraction :) you can walk down to the car and discover more about, I didn’t do it. But if you do take some pictures and post it here and tag me on it maybe :). I’m dying to know he history behind that car :)

Amazingly complementary to the adjacent (dogs not allowed) Huckleberry Botanical Preserve. We take Bear, our bad boy Akita here on a regular basis, and really enjoy the natural beauty of this place. There are a multitude of short hikes that ramify the region, and encircle the (hopefully extinct) volcano. What is sooooo nice, is that the park district keeps Mutt Mitt PooPoo bags available at all times. I am sure that this helps a great deal in keeping landmines at bay. We are fortunate to have this maintained park available for our recreation. Please respect this resource. Enjoy!

Great place to hike with the dogs off leash — good alternatives of open trails with views and nice shady trails through the eucalyptus for those hot summer afternoons. There are usually people around but definitely not overcrowded, and you can find water and bathrooms at the trail head. The trails themselves can be a bit confusing because they split off so much so don’t forget to grab a picture of the map!

My mom and I only came upon this place because she had found a magazine in the doctors office and took it. In the magazine there was a list of regional parks to visit. She brought it home .
We have two dachshunds and love to take them for walks at new places so it was awesome when my mom brought the magazine home. My mom and I took our dogs, Bailey and Bella here and they and absolutely LOVED IT! My mom and I loved it too. Beautiful views and a lot of greenery and if you are a nature lover this would be the perfect park for you. If you love geology and volcanos you will love this park. If you are just looking for a place to hike or take your dog (s) for a nice long walk you will love this park .
My mom and I only got about 4 miles in and still have millions of little trails to go and explore. The only down side of the park is dogs are not allowed on the huckleberry trail which is a botanical garden type trail. Other than that it’s a wonderful place to hike, walk your dogs, have a day trip etc. Be sure to check it out. My mom and I have other parks to visit and I will be sure to Unilocal about it.

Parks like this are hands down one (if not THE) best thing about the Bay Area — and living in Oakland, one doesn’t even have to go farther than your backyard in order to find it. Fantastic. This hike is much more exposed than some of its Oakland Hills counterparts (like Redwood Regional). Lots more sun on a sunny day and great views.

Beautiful park and trails! We hike with our 2-​year old in a hiking carrier and the trails are perfect for it. Also much of it is well-​shaded which can be great in warmer months. Our dog comes home tired and happy.

This is such a great park, great hike to get your heart pumping, the scenic views are breathtaking and the Labyrinth is an adventure to look for.
Just make sure you are wearing proper hiking shoes if you want to climb up/​down the hills to get a good view of the Golden Gate and Bay Bridge, it can be slippery at certain off beat path.
Enjoy!

Went here for the first time recently and overall I had a great experience. I loved seeing all the dogs here and people are either very nice (greet you hello) or they just keep to themselves. Got lost a few times trying to find the trail with the hills and the views but once I found it it was awesome!
There are cows here but they’re harmless, just leave them be. The trails can get very rocky so be careful and wear proper footwear! The incline here is no joke! It’ll have your buns and thighs working but it’s worth it. Running around here is priceless because of the environment, the tranquility, and the views. I’m glad that not a lot of people know about this place because this is definitely one of Oakland’s hidden gems.

Glad that you can walk your dog off leash here. Just wish it was a just for dogs area.
About the space:
Multiple trails, that curve and wind through lush trees with a few narrow paths and then open up to large lanes. In the wider path areas, it is grazing land (lots of cows) so there is dry grass, rocks and dirt. When raining, there can be a lot of mud & huge puddles form. Other than that, it is dry and pleasant with no need for an immediate dog bath.
Pros:
Open space
Dogs allowed off leash
A few different trails
Garbage cans along trail for poop bags
Cons:
Too many people w/​out dogs
Dog owners that keep their dog on the leash (and cause friction w/​the off leash dogs)
People walking here that are scared of dogs — do not come please!
No water bowl/​fountain along trail (only at front park area)
Areas that dip out of site by the cows where you can lose site of your dog if they run that way
This used to be a trail I enjoyed — but lately there have been more and more humans who don’t own dogs or don’t know how to walk dogs on an off leash trail. I’ll probably be sticking to fire trails and dog parks from now on.

You can see East Bay’s iconic scenery here. Brown mountains, Mt. Diablo, and green lush forest. There is not much open vista, but still nice. Dog on leash is allowed.

A friend of mine met me here for a morning run. The path was narrow, hazard laden with large rocks, tree roots and uneven surfaces. Most of the first few miles were shaded by the forest with a few breaks of sunlight. As far as the terrain, THERE ARE NO BREAKS! Come prepared to work hard, pace yourself and have a great time. We ran from the Sibley staging area to Tilden’s trains and back. Good times! I’ll definitely be back.
FYI: the last mile is all uphill. Save the turbo boosters and have fun.

Well marked trails for a lazy hike. There are plenty of views and scenic points along the way as well. Additionally, there’s a pamphlet that you can pick up at the parking lot with a self-​guided tour and descriptions of several points of interest. This definitely makes for an interesting hike with lots of stopping points along the way. There’s a good mix of flat ground, inclines, concrete trails, gravel trails, and rocky trails. I also liked the couple of labyrinths sprinkled in. Once you get to the top, there’s no shade, so be sure to bring a hat or wear sunscreen.
Overall there was a very good mix of scenery with short, manageable trails making this an ideal morning or afternoon hike. Excellent place for walking dogs as well.
It’s also not far from lots of good eats in the Oakland/​Berkeley area. ;)

Never fails… every time we bring a friend from out of town or even friends who live downtown the very first words that come out of their mouths are…(gasp) «This IS Oakland !!!» And I’m like, «YEA!!! This IS Oakland!» Whatchu think?? shoot em up. drive by gangsta land!!! Don’t get me started on the biggest misconception about my beloved town. Sure there’s crime, break– ins, snatch pursing and wackadoos… But that’s just a small, not even, tiny percentage of what and who we are. Yup I hella love Oakland.
Now onto the park review. It’s a great park. A really easy hike. There are facilities located in the park entrance. So make sure you whiz and fill up your water bottles because there aren’t any on the trails. Another tip to make your hike memorable, bring a hat as the trails aren’t as shady as Redwood Regional. And please keep the cattle gates closed behind you — I haven’t seen the cows myself, but I know they are there as evidenced by the cow pies they leave behind. So keep it, «mooooo-​ving!»
This is Oakland baby, don’t get it twisted.

What a beautiful place to hike! One of my fellow walkers was visiting from the East Coast, and he exclaimed «Oakland really does have everything». Which, you know, it does, as long as you don’t have to call 911.
We didn’t get too far as we had a 3 year old and a 6 year old with us, but they absolutely loved the stretch we covered. I’d go back to explore more for sure. A true gem.

A very nice surprise. We were headed for the Redwood Regional Preserve, a place we had visited previously (and loved), when I saw this on the map. Who knew there was a volcanic preserve less than 20 minutes away?
For a place we had never heard of before (shame on us), we were shocked at how popular a place it is. At 9:00 on a Sunday morning, the parking lot was just about full.
There is a nice loop trail going around the volcano, which we took. Some of the trail goes through forested sections (gorgeous). Other parts have very nice ridge views. It is a doable, short hike with young children.
My son insisted on the trek down the hill to view the labyrinth. Good move on his part. Both kids loved going round and round and round. I admit I enjoyed it too.
Some people have complained about the dogs here. I didn’t mind them, but I do mind when dog owners do not clean up after their pet. Or if they do put it in a little baggie, what’s the point of leaving said baggie in the middle of the trail, particularly a loop trail? Are you coming back to get it? I hope so!