Two thousand acres of East Bay hills directly above Berkeley, Tilden is where city residents go when they need to remember that the Bay Area is also, emphatically, a place of wild nature. The park has trails for every level, a swimming lake (Lake Anza, open in summer), a Regional Parks Botanic Garden with California native plants, a miniature steam railway that is genuinely charming, and an antique merry-go-round that has been running for over a century.
The Nimitz Way trail along the ridge is the most popular — a paved path with almost continuous bay views — but the backcountry trails in the Tilden Nature Area are quieter and more interesting. Dogs are not allowed in the Nature Area but are welcome on most other trails.
Access from Berkeley is straightforward by car or bike (the climb is steep). AC Transit runs a bus up to the park on weekends.