HFxx

Presented by El Cerrito Trail Trekkers and El Cerrito’s Environmental Quality Committee.

Trail Trekkers is dedicated to expanding El Cerrito’s wildland and urban paths and trails and preserving open space.
The Environmental Quality Committee advises the city, educates the public, sponsors cleanups and more.
The Hillside Natural Area is a 100-plus acre park that will be preserved forever as open space.

Please enjoy the haiku poems by Haiku Contestwinners displayed throughout the Hillside.

The 2026 Hillside Festival Brochure includes a map of the Hillside Natural Area indicating the locations for the start of each event. For a PDF file of the brochure, see below. Printed brochures are available at main Hillside Natural Area trailheads.

Saturday, May 2

8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Early Morning Bird Walk led by Cathy Bleier and Tara McIntire, Golden Gate Bird Alliance members. Identify birds and learn how, when and why they make use of the Hillside. We’ll walk up to a 1.5 mile loop. Bring binoculars and walking sticks, if needed, for a couple of short steep pitches. No dogs please, other than service dogs! Location Five, King Court Gateway. Moderate

10 to 11:30 a.m. Edible and Medicinal Plant Walk. Learn about ethnobotany -- how native plants have been used for food, medicine, and crafts -- with Alan Siegel, a docent at Tilden Botanic Garden. Family-friendly uphill walk. You may download the free iNaturalist app to help identify and document what you learn. Location Four, Northern Regency Entry. Moderate

Between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m - Start Anytime. Nature Scavenger Hunt. Learn about plants, birds, animals, rocks, and creeks. Parents help their children in this fun drop-in event. Find things on your illustrated list (no actual collecting please), take photos, return to talk about your finds and win prizes. Location Six, Schmidt Lane Trailhead. Easy to Strenuous.

Noon to 2:00 p.m. Insect Exploration. Learn about the Hillside’s tiniest, most fascinating creatures in this drop- in any time, hands-on event for both children and adults. Capture (and release) insects, learn about their habitat and life cycles. Eddie Dunbar, founder and president of the Insect Sciences Museum of California, hosts with help from his Merritt College students . Location Five, King Court Gateway. Easy

2:00 to 3:30 p.m. Beginner-General Level Plant Walk. Janet Gawthrop of the California Native Plant Society leads this moderate walk , focusing on native plant restoration. Janet hopes to find Oakland star tulips in bloom. Location Three, Madera Circle Trailhead. Moderate.

4 to 6 p.m. Fire Resilience, Forest Conservation and the Future of the Hillside. Climate change and sudden oak death are just two challenges facing our urban forest. A new Hillside Management Plan is guiding the City as it preserves the native forest while reducing wildfire risk. Learn about work tied to a grant from the Coastal Conservancy with Stephen Prée, program manager/city arborist and liaison to the Urban Forest Committee. Location Five, King Court. Easy to moderate

Sunday, May 3:

10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Family-friendly Rock Walk. Learn about the geology of the East Bay Hills by examining and handling rocks and visiting nearby rock outcrops. Gary Prost and Mark Petrofsky of the Northern California Geological Society will share their knowledge and enthusiasm on a short walk. Location Six, Schmidt Lane Trailhead. Easy.

Noon to 3:00 p.m. Geology Walk. Co-sponsored by the Northern California Geological Society. Leaders are geologist Gary Prost and Mark Petrofsky. Learn about the geological setting of El Cerrito, rocks, faults and landslides. This strenuous walk has steep sections. Location Five, Schmidt Lane Trailhead. Strenuous.

12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. Haiku Hike. Celebrate the winners of our haiku contest. Winners will be awarded prizes at the trailhead and read their haiku along the first half mile of walking. Then there are options for a 1 mile or a 2 1/2 mile round trip hike. Hike leaders are Melissa Hobbs, Barbara Lass and Laura Lent. Location Five, King Court. Easy to Moderate

2:30 to 4 p.m. Saving the Hillside Natural Area—in 1963. In the early ‘60s Madera Elementary school student Ruth (then known as Debbie) Wallen unsuccessfully petitioned the City to preserve parts of what would later become the Hillside Natural Area. Let’s tour the area to see how the Hillside has changed in 60 years. Ruth, today an ecological artist, leads, and focuses on challenges to the Hillside’s future. Co-sponsored by the El Cerrito Historical Society. Location Two, Julian Steps. Moderate

4:30 to 6:00 p.m. Building Healthier Landscapes. Join Audrey Liese of Friends of the Hillside as we explore how native plants reveal pathways to ecological resilience, and how we can support healthier landscapes -- especially for pollinators and carbon storage. We will visit restoration sites, with a focus on California’s state grass, purple needlegrass. Location Three, Madera Circle. Moderate.

6 to 7 p.m. Early Evening Stroll. Alina Constantinescu leads a relaxing and sociable hour-long stroll through the Hillside. We'll take breaks to enjoy views and conversation. Meet at Location Five, King Court trailhead. Moderate.

7 to 8 p.m. Bluegrass in the Hillside. Enjoy El Cerrito-based Fresh Picked band while partaking of snacks and beverages and drinking in the view. Fresh Picked, (www.freshpickedband.com) performs bluegrass with a smattering of western swing and swing jazz. For band info: Joyce Hennessey metronome7@aol.com, Richard Brooks FiddlerRichard@gmail.com. Location Five, King Court. Follow signs to the concert. Easy

xx HNA Festival 2026

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