Strawberry Canyon

Oil on canvas 16x20

SOLD

Tucked behind UC Berkeley's Memorial Stadium, Strawberry Canyon is an unassuming hiking haven of tangled flora that quietly rises to impressive views. A 7-mile (round-trip) hike follows burbling Strawberry Creek and snakes up the gorge. Start on the lower fire trail before reaching the "Connector"—a thigh-burning incline that links to the upper trail. The reward for making it up this challenging pitch is a panoramic vista of the Bay. The trail soon mellows as you wander through a thick eucalyptus grove where the changing season brings the crunch of fallen leaves beneath your shoes. Keep an eye out for wild turkeys that live in the area, and count the banana slugs sopping up the shorter days. When the trail dead-ends, flip it for the return.