San Jose-Oakland Walk

Length: 41 – 48 miles one way
Best time to start: 3am
Best digital map to use: Apple Map
Length: 13 – 15 hours
Bucket List before leaving the Bay Area for CO is to walk from Bernal Park to Jack London Square. Why? Because I’ve only known a couple of people who’ve attempted to do this and only one person who succeeded. Now think. Do you know anybody? I don’t think so.
This is different for me. I’ve backpacked In the wilderness. I have carried packs weighing as much as 45lbs.
This required a different preparation. I pulled up both Google and Apple Maps. What I observed when I mapped our route was that NOBODY walks in Google map. They won’t commit to a safe walking route. It says BETA. I understand why. Their route includes freeways where I would’ve to run across.
Apple map commits to a walking route. Reviewing the route it’s safe. No running on freeways to cross and no Beta BS to worry about.
Our beginning point was the Raymond Bernal Park on 7^th and 8^th on Hedding in San Jose to Jack London Square in Oakland. At 3am.
The first portion of the walk was parallel to 880. After Bernal Park and after we passed Oakland Rd a good 10 – 12 miles is going to be on Mission Blvd. parallel to 680. We walked on designated bike lanes. There was no side walk for the most part. So an early start is the smart way to go. When the street is not as busy. Bring your headlamps.
We stopped by gas stations for necessary breaks. Only one Indian guy was rude enough and won’t let us use his bathroom because we were on foot and of course we didn’t buy gas. Between 3 – 5 am very few business are open. Be ready to take advantage of any secluded spot anywhere on your way to your destination. If you can’t do this then start at a different later time.
The rest is a walk I probably won’t do again. Some parts of our walk was scary. When you pass San Leandro it will start to get sketchy. So a small group would be safer. It was just us three females.
The things we saw and the streets we walked in Oakland to get to JLS I wouldn’t want to even drive. The filth dumped on the streets was a shock. It felt to me like I walked onto a different country. And yet it was just a 45 minute drive from the South Bay.
Although we met some wonderful kind hearted people on the way. 7 – 11 folks who were happy to let us use their bathroom. A very nice gentleman who works in an automotive shop in Oakland who gladly let us use his toilet. Now that was a really amazing surprise. The toilet was super clean. It was a sharp contrast to the greasy shop. Who knew? I still think about that discovery.
With the technology surrounding us I will urge you to study the map of the route you’re taking and print one or two just in case there is no wifi. Share a digital copy to everyone in your group as well.
Exhaust from cars might bother some of you. So do what you must to help yourself. You will be inhaling them I’m going to assure you that. Bring at least a liter of H2O if you start at 3am. Everything opens at 6am. Bring some food but don’t carry too much. Small bites will do. You can buy snacks on the way. Remember not to stop for too long. You have a ways to go! Wear comfortable shoes with soft soles. Sun screen and a hat.
I fixed the location of JLS and submitted it to Unilocal the same day we were there. There is nothing more frustrating than thinking you have arrived only to find out that you have another mile to walk.
This walk will strengthen friendship and at least to me this walk had given me the opportunity to see what very few of us have seen. The unbelievable way the other side of the track lives.
I am attaching all the pics that we took. Filth and all. The end is worth the walk. It really justifies the means. Walking is always a form of awakening for me. A therapy. Thanks to good friends that did this with me. You three are amazing!
P.S one of us parked in Fremont Bart. We Took Über to the Oakland Bart on 12^th St from JLS for about $ 5. Bart to Fremont and drove home to San Jose! But not before stopping by Nations in Fremont to feed our faces :)