1. The East Bay Regional Park District, in partnership with Kaiser Permanente and the Regional Parks Foundation, hopes that residents of Alameda and Contra Costa counties will rise to the challenge, and that this year's numbers will top the more than 10,000 participants from 2011.
2. The challenge for this self-guided hiking program is to hike five trails in five different parks or complete 26.2 miles, and it's as easy as tying the laces on your hiking boots. Online registration sets you up for a free T-shirt and access to the 2012 trail guidebook. With this year's theme, "Happy Trails," you can't go wrong. The chosen trails are unique and promise scenic destinations. The time period for this challenge extends to Dec. 1.
3. Your job, should you accept the challenge, is to take five hikes, record them on your trail log, send it in and receive the commemorative pin.
4. The guidebook details the 2012 hikes with enough added information to qualify for Hiking 101. There are detailed trail descriptions, maps, tips and driving directions for each park. Also included are sections on hiking with kids and dogs; using a compass, wildlife encounters, trail safety and hot weather hiking.
5. Ten of the 20 parks included this year's Trails Challenge are in East Contra Costa County. Rated from easy to challenging, they include ones for hikers, bicyclists and equestrians, and many are wheelchair-accessible.
6. Easy hikes vary from one to three miles and are flat, generally on paved or gravel roads. Big Break Regional Shoreline, in Oakley, offers a good 3.08 round-trip beginner's walk that skirts the delta and marsh, a good hike for watching birds and ambling. The easy-to-follow route makes it hard to get lost.
7. At Dublin Hills Regional Park, the Calaveras Ridge Regional Trail's 2.72-mile hike has spectacular views with potential sightings of red tailed hawks, white harriers and golden eagles. It's an easy out-and-back route with a gradual elevation gain.
8. A third easy-to-moderate hike in Martinez's Carquinez Regional Shoreline has a round trip of 3.32-miles and several trail junctions as it combines Hulet Hornbeck, Franklin Ridge Loop and California Riding and Hiking trails. This surprise-laden hike combines far-reaching views from open hillsides with wooded areas and steep ravines.
9. Hikes labeled moderate are three to six miles and climb from 500 to 1,000 feet. In Antioch, Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve offers a 4.5-mile hike that combines Nortonville, Black Diamond and Coal Canyon Trails. Once at the park you can also explore the Greathouse Visitor Center and Hazel Atlas Mine. The hike passes a seasonal pond, Rose Hill Cemetery, where many coal workers are buried, and some interesting sandstone formations.
10. A 5.78-mile hike in Antioch's Morgan Territory Regional Preserve combines five trails, including Coyote, Stone Corral, Volvon, Valley View and Condor Loop. Habitats vary from a cool, shady creek canyon and oak woodland to a hot, dry chaparral hillside. Save this one until spring for a wonderful wildflower display.
11. Lafayette's Briones Regional Park is the site of a 4.86-mile lollipop loop along Old Briones Road, Briones Crest and Valley Trails that takes hikers to the park's highest peak with panoramic views. Mostly on paved or gravel fire roads, this is a good hike for equestrians and bicyclists.
12. Diablo Foothills Regional Park in Walnut Creek offers a good hike for those who want to test their map reading skills as it combines six different trails and several intersections. From this hike a short detour leads to Old Borges Ranch Interpretive Center.
13. At Martinez's California Riding and Hiking Trail the rating ups to moderate-to-challenging due to hills and steepness. The 6.34-mile route moves from Hidden Lakes Open Space to Mt. Wanda, on public right-of-way through neighborhood streets and open space.
14. Challenging hikes have been designed for experienced hikers, ranging from six to 20-plus miles and elevations over 1,000 feet.
15. The 7.8-mile hike with 1,300-feet elevation in San Ramon's Las Trampas Regional Wilderness is not for beginners. It requires sturdy boots and lots of water and snacks as the route feels like it's going uphill in both directions and the five trail changes require attention to trail markers. Regardless of the effort, the views and solitude make the hike a keeper.
16. Pleasanton Ridge contains the most challenging hike of the Trails Challenge. At 12.5 miles and more than 1,000 foot elevation, it combines Oak Tree, Thermalito, Ridgeline, Bay Leaf and Sinbad Creek Trails. The multipurpose trails are open to hikers, equestrians and bicyclists and climb to ridgetop views of Tri-Valley and Mt. Diablo, then descend in heavily wooded Kilkare Canyon. This is a good hike to start early and pace yourself as it can take more than six hours to complete.
17. Complete the 2012 Trails Challenge and your rewards far outweigh the commemorative pin you'll receive -- spending time outdoors in America's largest Regional Park District, adding nature's postcards to your memory bank and improving both your outlook and well-being.
18. It's a tough challenge to pass up.
19. TO PARTICIPATE- What: East Bay Regional Parks District 2012 Trails Challenge
- When: Throughout 2012
- Where: East Bay Regional Parks
- Cost: Free
