Beginning Wednesday, January 16, the East Bay Regional Park District is accepting registrations for the 2013 Trails Challenge. Last year 10,000 participants joined the challenge. Thanks to a partnership with Kaiser Permanente of Northern California, the Trails Challenge is offered free to residents of Alameda and Contra Costa counties. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the popular outdoors program.
The Trails Challenge is a self-guided hiking program that gives participants an incentive to discover their Regional Parks, while promoting fitness through enjoyable outdoor exercise.
Participants who register for the Trails Challenge receive a free T-shirt and online access to the 2013 trail guidebook. The booklet includes detailed trail descriptions, including driving directions, for hikes in 20 Regional Parks or Trails. Hikes range from easy to challenging. There are trails open to hikers, bicyclists and equestrians, and many are wheelchair accessible.
To complete the actual challenge, participants are asked to hike five of the trails and send in their log after doing so. They will receive a commemorative pin mailed to them. As in past challenges, the honor system applies.
Registration officially opens Wednesday, January 16, but aspiring participants may prepare by creating their online account at www.RegionalParksFoundation.org. No telephone registrations are accepted for this program.
2013 Featured Parks Trails
Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve
Briones Regional Park
Coyote Hills Regional Park
Crockett Hills Regional Park
Diablo Foothills Regional Park
Del Valle Regional Park
Garin/Dry Creek Pioneer Regional Parks
Iron Horse Trail
Las Trampas Regional Wilderness
Marsh Creek Regional Trail
Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline
Martinez Regional Shoreline
Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline
Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park
Quarry Lakes Regional Park
Redwood Regional Park
Round Valley Regional Preserve
Sobrante Ridge Regional Preserve
Tilden Regional Park
