Strawberry Creek natural history

Strawberry Creek from headwaters to San Francisco Bay.

Tour Information
Tour Map
Tour Stops
Comments

Strawberry Creek natural history

Berkeley, California 94703, United States

Created By: Fin, Hoof, Wheel

Tour Information

Explore the natural history of the south fork of Strawberry Creek, from headwaters to San Francisco Bay. Hike is about 2 miles to the bottom of the UC Berkeley campus. It is another 3 miles if one wants to venture all the way down to the Bay for the final two points. Here is a link to an AllTrails map for the campus leg.


Tour Map

Loading Tour

 

What You'll See on the Tour

You are standing in Hamilton Gulch at the headwater of a major tributary of the South Fork of Strawberry Creek. This watershed originates below Chapparal Peak, near the intersection of Grizzly Peak Boulevard and South Park Drive at the high... Read more
At this site, another tributary of the South Fork of Strawberry Creek flows under the trail. It originates from the broad canyon under Grizzly Peak (the second highest point on the Berkeley ridgeline), and it tends to have water year-round.... Read more
Just below this location is the confluence of the three major tributaries of the South Fork of Strawberry Creek. You stand above the tributary that emerges from Strawberry Canyon Gate near Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Buildings 74 ... Read more
Near this location, the South Fork of Strawberry Creek takes its first major trip below ground. At this elevation, the creek is forced through two pipes that shunt the water under the Strawberry Canyon Pool, the rugby field, and Memorial St... Read more
At this location, Strawberry Creek flows right across the Hayward Fault! Transpression at this fault lifts the land to the east helping to form the Berkeley Hills, and horizontal movement causes the land to the west to move northward at the... Read more
The statue of a California Grizzly Bear gives you a good sense for the size of these beasts. Grizzly Bears are also known as Brown Bears, and both of these common names refer to the same species: Ursus arctos. Across its wide range in the n... Read more
Now we find ourselves on the fully urbanized landscape of the UC Berkeley campus. Strawberry Creek remains below ground at this elevation, but we are surrounded by life, including a nice selection of native plants on the steps that lead dow... Read more
Strawberry Creek re-emerges! In this shady spot under a heavy canopy of redwood trees (Sequoia sempervirens), the creek flows back to the Earth’s surface. A few bay laurels break through the heavy duff as small seedlings, and the spot ha... Read more
This beautiful patch of wetland sits within the Goodspeed Natural Area, one of the three designated green areas on central campus. The diversity of plants at this spot includes sedges, rushes, grasses, and other herbaceous plants near the c... Read more
This is a deeply resonant spot on the Berkeley campus with a lot of tradition. Archaeological evidence suggests that this site was once occupied by an Ohlone homestead. The creek — which was once lined with wood strawberry (Fragaria vesca... Read more
This charming spot along Strawberry Creek is next to Sather Gate, the original entrance to campus from the south. The North and South Forks of Strawberry Creek initially formed the campus borders, with central campus established between th... Read more
You are standing above Strawberry Creek on Bay Tree Bridge. Up and down the creek from this location are redwoods and coast live oaks that anchor the stream banks. The bricks from the old student cottages that once lined this part of the cr... Read more
At this bustling corner of campus, you find yourself on a stone bridge over the South Fork of Strawberry Creek, not far from the confluence with the North Fork. Several spectacular California buckeyes line the banks of the creek here, and t... Read more
You are now approaching the confluence of the South and North Forks of Strawberry Creek! The confluence is a magical spot, in the urban park sense. You might see a bit of garbage on the ground, but you will also find some amazing natural hi... Read more
The Main Branch of Strawberry Creek has coalesced here from its many seeps, springs, and tributaries up slope. At this location, it was once possible to gaze through the Golden Gate on a clear day. A plaque here commemorates the 1772 Spanis... Read more
Strawberry Creek Park is a hidden gem in the neighborhood of Berkeley known as Poet’s Corner. Here, beautiful Strawberry Creek returns to the open air as a result of a 1977 “daylighting” project that became an international model for ... Read more
It has been a journey, but Strawberry Creek has finally reached the sea. In a previous era, this shoreline was a rich estuary, with Strawberry Creek being one of several creeks that drained the East Bay Hills into San Francisco Bay. The fre... Read more

 

Leave a Comment

 

 

Download the App

Download the PocketSights Tour Guide mobile app to take this self-guided tour on your GPS-enabled mobile device.

iOS Tour Guide Android Tour Guide

 

 

Updates and Corrections

Please send change requests to changerequest@pocketsights.com.