Lace Up Those Hiking Boots For The 2026 Trails Challenge

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA — The best thing about hiking trails is that they meet you where you are. On any given path, you can slow down or push yourself, be social or solitary, focused or wandering. Trails offer access to nature without requiring expertise—you don’t have to be an athlete, naturalist, or adventurer to benefit. You just show up and walk.

But if you want to add some spice or incentive, the East Bay Regional Park District is launching the 2026 Trails Challenge, the program’s 33rd edition, inviting adventurers to explore trails highlighting the region’s natural beauty across Alameda and Contra Costa counties.

The annual challenge gives residents and visitors an extra push to discover both familiar and lesser-known parks throughout the district’s 73-park system. Participants can gear up with a free Trails Challenge guidebook and T-shirt at any East Bay Regional Parks visitor center. The guidebook is also available for download on the Trails Challenge webpage and at visitor centers in mid-January, with a Spanish-language edition expected online.

“The East Bay Regional Parks Trails Challenge is a great way to explore Regional Parks — not only a person’s regular favorites, but also planning adventures to parks farther out,” Mike Moran, interpretive and recreation services manager, said. “Visitors can be on the beach today observing shorebirds, then tomorrow head into the redwood groves found in the Berkeley and Oakland hills or tackle a long stretch of the oak-covered Pleasanton Ridge.”

The 2026 Trails Challenge features 20 trails selected by park staff to offer a range of experiences and difficulty levels.

To complete the challenge, participants must either finish any five of the featured trails or log 26.2 cumulative miles on any trails within the Regional Parks system by Dec. 31, 2026.
Finishers can submit a trail log online or by mail to receive a commemorative pin, while supplies last.