Happy trails trace an Oakland park

Sprawling across the hills of Oakland is Anthony Chabot Regional Park, almost 5,000 acres of preserved land that includes a tranquil lake for canoeing and fishing and 31 miles of hiking and riding trails through eucalyptus groves and chaparral-cloaked slopes.

Out-of-towners often pronounce Chabot to rhyme with “rabbit,” a population of which bounds through meadows here. But the correct pronunciation is sha-BO. Anthony Chabot was a hydraulic engineer and entrepreneur who developed the water system for Oakland and other Bay Area locales. The wealth that water brought allowed him to become one of Oakland’s biggest philanthropists.

He created the lake that bears his name by constructing an earthen dam across San Leandro Creek in 1874. For nearly a century, anglers could only dream of the huge trout and bass rumored to lurk in the reservoir. When Lake Chabot was opened to fishing in the 1960s, the rumors proved true.

The trails explore a diversity of habitats. One of my favorite places is the park’s long, grassy valley and the ridges to the east and west.

Grass Valley, as it had been called, is fading. Before becoming parkland in 1942, grass dominated the scene, but brush has been invading. Experts have offered various explanations: Cattle trampled young growth. Fire prevention stopped beneficial burn-offs and subsequent regrowth. European grasses have replaced hardier native varieties.

It’s still a pleasant trek. To get here, follow Interstate 580 in Oakland to the 35th Avenue exit. Take 35th east until it becomes Redwood Road. Three miles after crossing Skyline Boulevard, the road reaches the park’s Bort Meadow Staging Area on the right side of the road.

Walk south on signed Grass Valley Trail for a mellow, 1 1/2-mile ramble to Stone Bridge. Here you intersect Brandon Trail.

Some hikers head south to connect with Chabot’s crazy quilt of trails above the lake. You, however, should turn north on Brandon Trail for a pleasant walk along the west side of Grass Valley. Explore Bort Meadow or have a picnic on your return to the trail head.

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See John McKinney’s tips at www.thetrailmaster.com.