Background:

The Seaview Trail loop is one of the most fun short hikes in the East Bay. Attractive open meadows and forests pass through the first half of the walk. However, the real payoff is the last half of the climb, where the trail reaches a peak with fantastic views of San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Reservoir before descending through some really good ridgetop groves. The loop is on gravel roads altogether.

This is one of the more famous Tilden hikes; you could pass a group every 5 minutes or so on a pleasant summer day. Parking, however, isn't generally a problem.

Hike description:

The hike gets off to a good start as the trail starts to ascend through an open meadow with views of the surrounding conifer- and eucalyptus-clad hills after leaving the parking lot and crossing through a pleasant picnic area. The distinctive variegated look of Tilden, its open meadows streaked with little woodland patches made of an odd assortment of trees, is at its best here.

The route passes a stand of trees and then continues to descend, ultimately reaching another car park. Walk through the parking lot, stay to your left and follow the gravel road to the other side.

The rocky road climbs very steeply. This section of the hike is a little dull; there really isn't any scenery to talk about. While one side is lined with trees, it can be a hot climb in summer.

Turn left to enter the intersection of dirt road T, and continue climbing. Near the summit, as views begin to open up, the scenery improves dramatically; while the best views are from the top, for the remainder of the hike there is great scenery.

Some picnic tables and benches are at the highest point of the trail. There is a fine view of San Francisco, the Harbor, and Mount Tamalpais to the west; the reservoirs and the never-ending rolling East Bay Hills are to the east.

The still-rocky path descends very steeply again; on all the loose rocks and gravel, it can be easy to lose your footing. There are some level areas, however, where the trail passes through some of Monterey Pines's incredibly beautiful and rare groves. The trees aren't native to this region and were planted in the early 20th century by developers.