Skip to main content
a distant view of the ridges of Las Trampas. the hilltops are covered with dark green trees and shrubs, lower down the flora is a brighter green

Las Trampas, photo by flickr user Harald Deischinger CC BY 2.0

Las Trampas Regional Wilderness

Nature • Hike • Views

Fossils & Missiles

Las Trampas translates to “the snares”, and for good reason – this park is known for its dramatic inclines and fine gravely topsoil, so step carefully! It’s ruggedness makes it less traveled, which lends itself perfectly to a quiet adventure across the 5342 acres of wilderness. Some trails boast as much as 900 ft of elevation gain, making Las Trampas a fantastic place to get accustomed to the hills of the East Bay. If you choose to climb one of the two hilly ridges in the park, you may be so lucky as to come upon a fossil from the Miocene era . There have been a wide variety of fossils discovered in the park – to include parts of a mastodon and a gomphotherium.

During the Cold War, the area was used as a nike missile site, but nowadays it is home to countless species of local flora and fauna, across multiple biomes. To the trained geologist, the area has more questions than it does answers . To the trained hiker, the area offers established trails and hill scrambling. Las Trampas is truly a hidden gem of the East Bay.

Adventure Info

Nearby Food

While you’re in the area, grab food from these Black-owned food establishments:

 

Thank you to our sponsors


  • Peet's Coffee logo
  • CheddarU Logo
  • Cal Athletics Logo
  • Columbia logo
  • safeway community markets logo
  • Berkeley City Club logo
  • graduate berkeley logo
  • asuc student union logo
  • Xfinity logo
  • Naked Juice logo
  • Cal Alumni Association logo