Berkeley Hills
| Berkeley Hills | |
|---|---|
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 581 m (1,906 ft) |
| Geography | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| District | Alameda County |
| Range coordinates | 37°52′59″N 122°14′19″W / 37.883°N 122.2386°WCoordinates: 37°52′59″N 122°14′19″W / 37.883°N 122.2386°W |
| Topo map | USGS Briones Valley |
The Berkeley Hills are a range of the Pacific Coast Ranges that overlook the northeast side of the valley that encompasses San Francisco Bay. They were previously called the "Contra Costa Range/Hills" (from the original Spanish Sierra de la Contra Costa), but with the establishment of Berkeley and the University of California, the current usage was applied by geographers and gazetteers.
The Berkeley Hills are bounded by the major Hayward Fault along their western base, and the minor Wildcat fault on their eastern side. The highest peaks are Vollmer Peak (elevation 1,905 feet/581m), Grizzly Peak (elevation 1,754 feet/535 m) and Round Top (elevation 1,761 feet/537m), an extinct volcano, and William Rust Summit 1,004 feet.
Vollmer Peak was named for the first police chief of the City of Berkeley, August Vollmer. It was formerly known as "Bald Peak". From the top on a clear winter day Davis, Sacramento and the snowy Sierra are visible.
Much of the west slope of the Berkeley Hills has residential neighborhoods of mostly single family homes, except on the land of University of California. Most streets are narrow and tend to follow the contours of the land, although three streets, Marin Avenue, Moeser Lane, and Potrero Avenue, run directly toward the ridgeline. Other roads to the ridgeline wind their way up the canyons. Grizzly Peak and Skyline Blvds follow the top of the ridge.
The east slope of the Berkeley Hills is mostly preserved or partially developed wildland, much of it owned by the East Bay Regional Park District and the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD). From north to south, the ridgeline parks are Wildcat Canyon Regional Park, Tilden Regional Park (includes Volmer and Grizzly Peaks), Sibley Volcanic Regional Park (includes Round Top), Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve, Redwood Regional Park (enfolding Roberts Regional Recreation Area), Anthony Chabot Regional Park, Lake Chabot Regional Park, and Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area. Claremont Canyon Regional Preserve, and Temescal Regional Park are lower on the western slopes while Las Trampas Regional Wilderness is lower on the eastern slope above Danville.
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Wikipedia