Distance: 3.6 miles out and back if you only hike the Cañada Trail but can be combined with other trails for longer hikes (see the description section below)
Elevation change: About 1,000 feet but varies depending on exact routes taken
Difficulty: Moderate to challenging
Trail surface: Mostly smooth with packed dirt and gravel
Trail access: Hiking only
Best seasons: Late fall, winter, and spring
Managing agency: Contra Costa Water District (Los Vaqueros Reservoir and Watershed)
Hours: Varies by month; see the Contra Costa Water District website for details
Trailhead location: On Los Vaqueros Road, about 2.5 miles from the south entrance of the Los Vaqueros Reservoir and Watershed, at the tip of South Cove
Bathrooms: Yes
Dogs allowed: No
Yellow: Cañada Trail
Orange: Black Hills Trail
Green: Homestead Trail
Pink: Los Vaqueros Trail
Overview
Finding pure solitude in the San Francisco Bay Area—the kind where you’re more likely to spot a deer or wild turkey than run into another person—isn’t always easy.
But look no further, because we’ve found the perfect hiking trail to escape civilization, at least temporarily. The Cañada Trail is just under two miles of gorgeous, sun-drenched serenity.
The trail starts at the edge of the Los Vaqueros Reservoir’s South Cove off Vasco Road in Byron and ascends toward Morgan Territory Regional Preserve.
Marked by blue and coastal oaks, madrone, manzanita, toyon, sagebrush, chaparral, and other native species, it features a challenging elevation gain of about 1,000 feet. However, it’s relatively wide and smooth, making it easy to navigate.
As you climb, views open up of the gleaming reservoir below and the distant wind turbines of the Altamont Pass—all set to a pleasing soundtrack of birdsong.
The landscape varies dramatically depending on the time of year. During hot, dry months, the surrounding hills look like vast desert dunes, while wet winters transform them into velvety emerald waves.
One thing is certain—you won’t see or hear cars from this peaceful corner of the world.
View of Morgan Territory Regional Preserve and Los Vaqueros watershed. Photo by Sean Burke
When to Go and What to Bring
Because there’s very little shade, it’s best to hike here in late fall, winter, and spring. If you go in the summer or on any warm day, go out early to beat the heat and be sure to wear a hat, apply sunscreen, and bring plenty of water.
Though the trails are wide and the terrain is relatively smooth, it’s always a good idea to wear sturdy shoes, especially if you’re hiking after it rains when the trails can be muddy. And if balance is a concern due to the steep incline, you may want to bring poles.
Getting to the Trailhead
Located in Byron, between Livermore and Brentwood, the reservoir and the trail can be reached from Vasco Road off Interstate 580.
From Vasco Road, turn onto Los Vaqueros Road and drive about 2.5 miles to a small parking area facing the reservoir’s South Cove. The trailhead is directly across the street.
Note: If you pass the South Cove restrooms or find yourself at the Los Vaqueros Marina, you have gone too far.
Parking Fee Required
Shortly after turning onto Los Vaqueros Road, you will come to a gatehouse at the County Line Staging Area and be asked to pay a parking fee: $6 per vehicle (non-ratepayers), $5 for seniors, and $4 per vehicle (ratepayers who can show proof of residency in any of the following towns: Antioch, Bay Point, Brentwood, Clayton, Clyde, Concord, Martinez, Oakley, Pacheco, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill, Port Costa, and Walnut Creek).
Tip: When you pay the parking fee, be sure to accept or ask for the Contra Costa Water District’s trail map. The Cañada Trail is not well represented online and mobile device reception is spotty.
You can also download or print out the map in advance from the Contra Costa Water District’s website: Los Vaqueros Watershed Map (PDF). Either way, having this trail map handy is a huge help, especially if you decide to hike beyond the Cañada Trail.
Trail Description
Starting at the trailhead on Los Vaqueros Road, the Cañada Trail ascends steeply for 1.8 miles and ends at the Black Hills Trail. From here, you have three options:
Short(ish) out-and-back on the Cañada Trail (3.6 miles)
Once you reach the Black Hills Trail, you can turn around and go back down the Cañada Trail to the start. You’ll enjoy a nice hike that doesn’t take a lot of time but still delivers a good workout!
Longer out-and-back on the Cañada and Black Hills trails (mileage depends on how far you go)
With more time and stamina, you can turn right onto the Black Hills Trail. It winds further into the wilderness, maintaining a rigorous elevation gain and ending at the Whipsnake Trail.
The distance between the end of the Cañada Trail and the intersection of the Black Hills and Whipsnake trails is 2.6 miles, so if you were to go all the way out and back, the total hiking distance would be 8.8 miles—all of it challenging but beautiful.
If that’s still not enough, you could turn left onto Whipsnake and head toward Morgan Territory Regional Preserve, or turn right to continue on the Whipsnake Trail until it ends.
Either way, there is no good option that loops you back to the start, so you’ll need to return the way you came via the Cañada Trail.
Enjoy expansive views of Los Vaqueros Reservoir from the Cañada Trail. Photo by Scott Hein
Longer loop on the Cañada, Black Hills, Homestead, and Los Vaqueros trails (6.9 to 7.7 miles)
The third option may be the most satisfying, because it loops you back to the start and offers a nice mix of hard, medium, and easy elevation gains. (Your knees will also be happy that you won’t have to go back down the steeper Cañada Trail!)
When the Cañada Trail ends, turn left on the Black Hills Trail. This section of the hike meanders pleasantly through grassland and alongside steep valleys, offering beautiful, “big-sky” panoramas.
The trail isn’t completely flat, but it’s a lot less taxing than the Cañada Trail and the other side of the Black Hills Trail.
Black Hills soon begins to skirt Morgan Territory Regional Preserve, and after about a mile, it veers sharply left. Be sure to follow the trail instead of going straight, which would take you onto private property.
You’ll come to a hilltop with rocky outcrops and oak trees. It’s a lovely spot to enjoy the views, find rare patches of shade, and if you’re lucky, spy a family of grazing deer.
When you’re about 1.5 miles along the Black Hills Trail, you’ll start a gentle descent through rolling hills heading toward the County Line Staging Area on Los Vaqueros Road (the one on which you drove in).
Just before reaching this staging area, turn left onto the Homestead Trail, which becomes the Los Vaqueros Trail in less than half a mile.
This trail is a broad, grassy path that rollercoasters alongside Los Vaqueros Road for another 1.8 miles, taking you back to the start at the Cañada Trail. The total distance of this loop route is 6.9 miles.
To make this loop longer (approximately 7.7 miles), there’s another route you can take from the Black Hills Trail.
After you’ve passed the rocky hilltop with oak trees described above (3.3 miles into your hike, or 1.5 miles from the intersection of the Cañada and Black Hills trails), you’ll see a sign for the Homestead Trail.
Turn left, follow it down until you hit the Los Vaqueros Trail, turn left on Los Vaqueros, and hike the remaining 1.8 miles to the start.
Compared to staying longer on the Black Hills Trail, this section of the Homestead Trail has more twists and turns, which makes it a little longer and a bit harder to follow unless you have the trail map handy.
Both options are pleasant and offer wonderful views of the reservoir and the surrounding wilderness.
Los Vaqueros Reservoir, seen from Morgan Territory. Photo by Scott Hein
Photos by Karen Bakar and Scott Hein
