Bay Area Hikes: Round Valley in Brentwood

Looking for places to hike in the East Bay Parks? See if Round Valley Regional Preserve in Brentwood, CA is your kind of place....
Round Valley Regional Preserve, Brentwood, CA
Round Valley Regional Preserve, Brentwood, CA

It was February when we tripped to Round Valley Regional Preserve in Brentwood, CA. With the area having received some rains over the winter months, the greenery was back for the season and it made for a very pleasant hike with girlfriends.

That morning had only a few cars in the parking lot, the hills were lit with some soft morning light and we had the trails almost to ourselves barring a few bovine beings up early and doing what they most like doing β€” grazing.

Round Valley Regional Preserve, Brentwood, CA
East Bay Hikes, CA

Trails of Round Valley

Round Valley Regional Preserve, Brentwood, CA

We took the Miwok Trail that morning. We took the bridge over Marsh Creek and then the trail to the right of the hills before us. Later, we crossed Round Valley Creek and walked a portion of the Murphy Meadow Trail or a part of the Miwok Trail that went around Round Valley, before we retraced our steps.

The first part Miwok Trail is perfect for a hike moderate-in-difficulty. It goes up a hill and down and around, and up and down again. And if it’s a winter morning, it’s lit up to look very picturesque.

And the part of what might have been Murphy Meadow Trail β€” if I’m not mistaken (it could have been a part of the Miwok Trail around the Valley, too) β€” was simple and easier as the terrain was fully flat. This was because this was where the land seemed to look like a β€˜Round Valley.’ The area was open and there were broader views of the landscape.

Later on the way back, we went up a part of the Hardy Canyon Trail just for want of a bit more of a β€˜climb.’ There were some trees that filtered the light that fell on that part of the hills and it was a very pretty picture.

The view of the valley from that hilly area was another pleasing sight.

Hardy Canyon Trail

Beware of cows

You might have noticed that I mentioned cows. We saw more cows than hikers that morning. At one point towards the beginning of the trail we had passed a lone cow, and as we were admiring the view from a slightly uphill part of the path, the cow that seemed to be minding its business suddenly charged at us as if to acknowledge our presence and remind us that we were in her territory. Maybe she even meant to let us know that she had a calf or two further up the hill, and on the other side of the trail.

She stopped a few seconds later seemingly having felt she had done her job. And we, we were sure thankful she hadn’t decided to run up the hill with us. From then on, we were cautious every time we saw cows cross a trail or even graze near the paths. Believe me, there were many of them and I don’t think I’d come across that many on the east bay trails before or after that. (More about cows in the East Bay, in another post.)

Round Valley Regional Preserve, Brentwood, CA

Tips for the hike

  • Layer up if it is in the winter/ spring months that you decide to hike there.
  • Make sure to carry water
  • Make sure to wear comfortable shoes
  • Be aware of the cows in the area, too. 
  • Think about how much traffic you’d like to see on the trails. (Most of the hikers or groups of hikers seemed to arrive when we were on our way out. If you want a quiet hike, I suggest you go before 9 in the morning. After that the place is moderately trafficked.)
Round Valley hikes

More:
Bay Area Hikes
California Trip Ideas

Linking to–
Our World

My Corner of the World

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HikesNatureNorthern California

Dee (Divya) Blogger, Freelance Content Writer & Content Strategist. πŸ“Έ Loves tripping.πŸ›£ Tipsy from every TRIP!😬🫣 🏞Follow > for intoxicating virtual trips!πŸ₯‚πŸ˜‰
25 Comments on this post.
  • Tanza Erlambang
    18 May 2021 at 2:05 pm
    Leave a Reply

    exciting trail and beautiful views… wish to go there.

    have a great day

    • dNambiar
      18 May 2021 at 5:10 pm
      Leave a Reply

      These parts are beautiful in the Winter and Spring months. πŸ™‚
      Thank you for visiting, Tanza. πŸ™‚

  • Ashish Kumar
    19 May 2021 at 1:00 am
    Leave a Reply

    “very pleasant hike with girlfriends”… Hahah… Liked this… πŸ˜› Awesome and beautiful pictures you captured… A good place for “serenity”…

    • dNambiar
      24 May 2021 at 12:56 pm
      Leave a Reply

      Haha … seriously hikes are about the only travel-related thing we can do without feeling like we’re sinning during these covid-times. And with everybody home all the time, a break from chores and away with girls seems to be the best way to recharge. πŸ˜€

      Thanks a ton, Ashish.
      And welcome to Tipsy from the Trip. πŸ™‚
      Hope to see you here again. πŸ™‚

  • magicceye
    19 May 2021 at 6:02 am
    Leave a Reply

    Beautiful landscapes.

    • dNambiar
      24 May 2021 at 1:04 pm
      Leave a Reply

      Isn’t it?
      These areas get very dry in the summer. The green’s almost gone, now. It’ll be back in the winter. πŸ™‚

      Thank you, Magiceye. πŸ™‚

  • Lillian
    21 May 2021 at 5:01 am
    Leave a Reply

    So many things to see around the world

    • dNambiar
      24 May 2021 at 1:11 pm
      Leave a Reply

      We see but a handful of them 😐

      Welcome here, Lillian. πŸ™‚

  • My Corner of the World
    21 May 2021 at 10:27 pm
    Leave a Reply

    Another beautiful post of scenery!

    I appreciate your link at ‘My Corner of the World’ this week!

    • dNambiar
      24 May 2021 at 1:35 pm
      Leave a Reply

      πŸ™‚
      Thank you, Betty.

      And thank you for hosting. πŸ™‚

  • Rajat Kumar
    23 May 2021 at 6:17 am
    Leave a Reply

    This beautiful country-side has such an elegance. I almost got lost in these photographs.

    • dNambiar
      24 May 2021 at 1:36 pm
      Leave a Reply

      πŸ™‚
      Thank you for visiting, Rajat. πŸ™‚

  • Iris Flavia
    26 May 2021 at 10:48 pm
    Leave a Reply

    Beautiful views and clever cow!
    Hope we can travel again soon. You live in a beautiful place. Thank you for sharing.

    • dNambiar
      22 July 2021 at 8:38 pm
      Leave a Reply

      It’s gotten a bit dry around here, now. We’ll have to wait until next winter for the greenery to return. :-/

      Thank YOU, Iris. πŸ™‚

  • Niranjan R
    28 May 2021 at 1:42 am
    Leave a Reply

    Lovely frames, Divya. Would love to hike here.

    • dNambiar
      22 July 2021 at 8:38 pm
      Leave a Reply

      Thank you, Nomad.
      I’m sure. πŸ™‚

  • soma @ InkTorrents.com
    17 June 2021 at 4:18 pm
    Leave a Reply

    That is gorgeous! You took some beautiful photos there. I will have to remember this once it cools down here for hiking again.

    -Soma

    • dNambiar
      22 July 2021 at 8:40 pm
      Leave a Reply

      Go in the winter or Spring months, Soma.
      It’ll be nice and green, then. πŸ™‚

  • Rahul Bhatia
    22 July 2021 at 6:12 am
    Leave a Reply

    Hiking is certainly fun! Lovely pics

    • dNambiar
      22 July 2021 at 8:41 pm
      Leave a Reply

      Absolutely! We try to make a little girls’ time out every weekend. πŸ™‚
      Thank you, Mr. Bhatia. πŸ™‚

  • rupam { xhobdo }
    22 July 2021 at 8:30 am
    Leave a Reply

    Awesome photos. Loved the post.
    Stay well.

    • dNambiar
      22 July 2021 at 8:42 pm
      Leave a Reply

      Thank you, Rupam.
      You too — take care. πŸ™‚

  • Abhisek Nayak
    23 July 2021 at 1:33 am
    Leave a Reply

    Doing some Hard-Work (Hiking) to get these awesome views,totally worth it,Great.

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    17 October 2021 at 8:04 pm
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