Join Greenbelt Alliance on a botanical adventure to discover the ethnobotany of Tilden Regional Park!

We’ll ascend the Seaview Trail to learn about the edible, medicinal, and cultural uses of native plants. Our journey takes us past a mysterious stone wall and a whimsical labyrinth, and features spectacular views of Mt Diablo, the Farallon Islands, the North Bay, and the distant peaks of the Sierra Nevada on a clear day.

TOTAL DISTANCE

This is a moderate hike of 5 miles with a 900-foot elevation gain

LEADER

Alan Siegel

WEATHER POLICY

Rain cancels

COST

Free; Reservations Required

WHERE TO MEET

We’ll assemble at the Seaview Trailhead near the Little Steam Train upper parking lot, just off Grizzly Peak Boulevard. (Search your map/GPS program for Tilden Steam Train on your map program (2481 Grizzly Peak Blvd. Orinda CA).

NOTES

Dress in layers (it is often windy) and wear good hiking boots. (Alan recommends long pants and long sleeve shirt). Bring water, lunch and hiking poles if you normally use them.  Some parts of the trail are wide but rocky. If you have any questions about this outing, email Ken Lavin or phone him at 415-543-6771 x321.

COVID-19 protocol: If you are fully vaccinated, feel free to come mask-free. If not, please plan to wear your mask for the duration of this outing.

About the Leader

Alan Siegel has hiked the East Bay hills almost daily since the early 1970’s, trying to learn every plant and its edible, medicinal, and cultural uses, and to discover and use native plants that thrive in gardens that are frequently visited by deer. Alan is a volunteer docent at the Regional Parks Botanic Garden (EBRPD) in Tilden Park (www.nativeplants.org) where he enjoys meals of stinging nettles washed down with Yerba Buena tea. As a psychologist, Alan is interested in how cultures discovered the uses of plants and enjoys sharing stories of how diverse peoples use plants in unique ways. Alan has led native plant and nature awareness education walks for adults and children for 45 years.