Adventures: Hiking the Franklin Ridge Loop by Ann Marie Brown Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline Although San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay are as familiar as the local freeways to most Bay Area residents, the immense waterway at Carquinez Strait is far less known. The northeastern arm of the conglomeration of waterways that constitute the bay and river delta, Carquinez Strait forms the narrow passageway between San Pablo and Suisun bays. It’s the meeting place of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers, where they join together to flow to the Pacific Ocean through the Golden Gate. Hundreds of thousands of king salmon once passed through here on their way to the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers to spawn. Native Americans, and later settlers, lived off their abundance for centuries, until the fish populations dwindled. This provides food for thought as you hike the bluffs above Carquinez Strait, perhaps at the close of the day when the waterway turns silver and the sky burns red and orange. The Franklin Ridge Loop provides wide-angle views of the strait and its environs, reminding us there is still “wildness” left in the Bay Area. Native grasslands sway and dance in the breeze; raptors soar overhead. It’s not uncommon to spot a bobcat or fox darting across the trail. Still, the views are the prize. From atop Franklin Ridge, you can see Mount Tamalpais to the west and Mount Diablo to the east, plus the grassy ridges of Briones and Las Trampas regional parks to the south. Combined with the long blue stretch of Carquinez Strait to the north, the overall effect is stunning. The Details Length: 2.6-mile loop Difficulty: Easy Best Season: Year-round Highlights: Ridgetop vistas, native grasslands, good sunset viewing Map: A free park map is available at the trailhead Trail Guide: 101 Great Hikes of the San Francisco Bay Area (Foghorn Outdoors) Park Information: East Bay Regional Park District, (510) 635-0135 or (510) 562-7275 Website: www.ebparks.org Getting There: From Pleasant Hill BART, take County Connection bus #116 to Marina Vista at Alhambra in Martinez. (From Concord BART, take County Connection bus #118 or #108.) Walk uphill two blocks (west) on Marina Vista; turn right on Talbart, which becomes Carquinez Scenic Drive. Continue four-tenths of a mile to the Carquinez Strait East Staging Area. Follow the California Riding and Hiking Trail from the far end of the horse trailer parking lot.