Greenbelt Trail is a 6.3 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Hayward, California that features a river and is rated as moderate. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
dogs on leash
kid friendly
hiking
horseback riding
mountain biking
nature trips
trail running
walking
forest
river
views
There is parking on the west side of Campus Drive. It's not that easy to see unless you're looking for the sign so be prepared to turn around.
This is a real hidden gem. Very quiet and tucked away. I went on a Sunday morning and didn’t see anyone until I was on my way back down the hill. I got a little confused about a half mile in at the spot where a bunch of paths converge. FYI, I figured out on my way back that the trick is to go up the 2 sets of stairs on the right to stay on the trail and follow the creek.
There are a few creek crossings along the trail that I would expect might make it impossible to complete during the rainy season. Along the East Ave trail there were a lot of picnic tables and even some benches that formed some sort of amphitheater. And I spotted an old wrecked car along the Ward Creek Road Trail.
One thing that’s great about this trail is that it’s almost 100% shaded, which is great during the summer months. Garin and Dry Creek parks to the south are the complete opposite, so this is a nice alternative if you want to be active, yet escape the sun and heat.
I was pleasantly surprised with this trail. Being in such an urban area I expected more people and thus litter but it was clean and quiet.