8/3/2019 Nejedley Staging Area to F Street Trail Guide

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The Nejedly Staging Area is located off Carquinez Scenic

Drive. From the upper parking lot, hikers have the choice of

three trails to reach the top of the skyline. A center trail

follows the arroyo while two other trails, one on each side

of the arroyo, follow the ridges that form the arroyo.

The arroyo trail (or center trail) begins at end of the parking

lot, through a gate and straight up to the top. Hikers with

dogs or children may want to consider one of the side trails

Nejedley Staging Area To F Street in MayRound Trip - 4 - Miles

Elevation Change - 600 Feet

rather than this path. The arroyo trail stays muddy until late

in the season and much of the trail has encroaching Poison

Oak.

Watershed Divide

Rankin

Drainage

Merle

Creek

Nejedley

Staging Area

F Street

Alhambra Ave

Berrellesa St

Talbart

St

Escobar St

Carquinez Scenic Dr.

To

Hy-4

Gate

Trail

Other Trails

8/3/2019 Nejedley Staging Area to F Street Trail Guide

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May 2005, db, Nejedly to F Street LR

There is a trail on the left hand side, starting at a gate located

in a picnic area. This left-side (or east) trail immediately

turns left, and then climbs the hill behind the St. Catherines

Cemetery. After passing behind the cemetery it again turns

uphill. Passing through a gate on the left one gains access tothe Rankin Park fire road. Following the road uphill the

hiker passes through yet another gate, passing back into the

East Bay Regional Park, and on up to the top.

The right-side (west) trail also starts through the gate at the

end of the parking lot. It follows the fence on the right, then

up the hill, becoming a single track through classic Califor-

nia Oak Woodlands. At the top, this trail intersects the fire

road along the ridge. Turning left, the road heads southward

towards HY-4. Only a few feet up the road, a single-track

trail joins the road; this is the arroyo path from Nejedly

Staging. A few dozen paces further, another fire road

branches off to the right (it loops back to Shepherds Can-

yon at Ozol). Continuing ahead, the road rises up to cross

over a small ridge. This ridge is a watershed divide. Surface

waters along the trails from the Nejedly Staging Area drain

directly into the Carquinez Strait. On the other side of this

small ridge, the surface waters flow first into the Alhambra

Watershed and then flow to the strait.

After crossing the watershed divide, the East trail from the

Nejedly Staging Area joins the main road. As the main road

proceeds south, a wind-mill pump and stock pond can beseen down-slope on the left. The surface waters from this

collection area flow into Rankin Park, then to Alhambra

Creek.

Beyond the next gate is the Shuman-Perry property, re-

cently acquired by the EBRP. At this writing, the house and

horse stables are still standing, but their future is unclear

After passing the Shuman place, another stock pond can be

seen down-slope to the left, close to three magnificent oak

trees, standing together, but apart from other trees. This

pond is the beginning of Merle Creek, which also flows to

Alhambra Creek. By mid-summer, both the Rankin and

Merle ponds may be dry. Continuing south, the trail inter-

sects the F Street trail. If the hiker continues on instead of

turning to the F Street trail, Hy-4 will be reached. The F

Street trails takes the hiker down to Alhambra Ave. Turning

north (left) the hiker follows Alhambra Ave until it dividesinto two one-way streets, Alhambra Ave and Berrellesa

Street, at the County Medical Center (Merrithew Hospital)

If it is a hot day, there is a respite in a small Redwood grove

on the hospital grounds. After the streets divide, follow

Berrsllesa to Escobar, Escobar to Talbart, then to the Car-

qunizez Scenic Drive and back to the parking lot.

Entrance to the Nejedley Staging Area

Right-Side trail from staging area

Oaks above Merle Creek