LEONA CANYON: a Pleasant Walk in the Hills of Oakland, CA

Leona Canyon Trail

Leona Canyon, popular with runners, bikers, dog walkers and hikers, is one of many trails in the Oakland hills in California and one of my favorite places for a short walk. Descending through oak woodland and open space along a seasonal creek, it is a pleasant escape from nearby urban life. The trail head is close to the fields where my granddaughter’s soccer team practices, so on the occasions that I drive her to practice, while she and her teammates are honing their soccer skills, I have enjoyed a walk in the canyon.

Trail head near Merritt College

Leona Canyon Regional Open Space Preserve is a  pristine wooded canyon that is protected in a 290-acre parkland near Merritt College in Oakland. A range of habitats in the canyon support a variety of wildlife ranging from hummingbirds and hawks to butterflies, lizards and snakes. On my recent visit I spotted a flock of robins, which I assume were on the way south for the winter. More than 150 different kinds of plants grow in the canyon ranging from ferns in the shady spots to native grasses in the sunnier areas.

An introduction to Leona Canyon Creek wildlife

The Leona Canyon trail is a one-mile round trip. For a trail map, a teacher’s guide to the plants and their use by the Native Americans who once lived there, and other information about Leona Canyon go to http://www.ebparks.org/parks/leona .

The hills above Leona Canyon in the late afternoon sun