All Hail Hulet Hornbeck

Next time you’re on a trail in the East Bay Regional Park District, say a word of thanks to Hulet Hornbeck, who died on January 7, 2012, at the age of 92. Hornbeck was the district’s acquisition chief from 1965 to 1985 and oversaw the purchase of 49,000 acres of parkland, increasing the district’s park units from eight to 46. He remained active in open space and trail issues both locally and nationally long after his retirement.

In 2005, the park district honored Hornbeck by renaming a restored three-mile segment of the Bay Area Ridge Trail after him. Follow Hornbeck’s footsteps along the Carquinez Strait: Start at the Nejedly/East Staging Area in Martinez. Afterward, visit the nearby home of Hornbeck’s hero, John Muir. Download a trail map.