Iron Horse Regional Trail Reviews    

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Inline Skating review

By ericm in November, 2010

I skate the portion from Dougherty Road to Bollinger canyon regularly. The pavement is in fairly good shape with few road snakes (Cracks). After Bolinger, heading north it turns to concrete with expansion joints and is not the most pleasant ride. North on Norris Canyon road it is back to pavement, but is in need of repaving/resealing as the gravel and debris increases there.

Also south of Dougherty Rd is not bad going to BART. It is really ready for resealing or repaving, but is ridable as of right now.

Great trail for commuting and recreation

By dhusch in March, 2010

This trail goes through mostly suburban areas. On a weekend there are lots of bikers, joggers, dog walkers, and kids. This trail passes by lots of residential areas so its well used. North of Pleasant Hill the trail follows a wide creek. In March, there was flowing water with wild flowers, geese and ducks. Through the City of Walnut Creek, the trail passes along the creek, which here is in a giant box culvert. In Alamo and Danville the trail passes behind big homes with a mature Oak Tree canopy. Further south in San Ramon and Dubin the trail follows another creek. San Ramon is home to the 2000 acre office parks. There are also some recreation fields and some houses/appartments as well. The trail is adjacent to two BART stations, and somewhat close to three more. If you live near BART, you can have a car-less day on the trail. If you want to ride it one way start at pleasant hill station, 4 miles from the north end; and finish at Dublin station in the south. North Concord station is about 1.5 miles from the north end. I suggest checking the weather first and riding the same direction as the wind, usually from North to South.
Be sure to get the trail map from East Bay Parks (EBRPD). It is available free at some of the trail kiosks, or search the internet for "EBRPD Iron Horse Trail".
There are two places where I missed the turn. Northbound at Monument blvd in concord, be sure to turn left (west) and cross the creek. There is a gravel path that continues straight, but this is not the trail. the Iron Horse trail is 100% paved, so if you are on a gravel road, you made a wrong turn.
Southbound at Rudgear Road in Walnut Creek, after crossing under I-680, turn right (north) on Danville Blvd for 0.1 miles. I turned left because i was going south and thats South. But its 1 mile until there is a way to get back on the trail.
There is a trail overpass under construction (march 2010) across 11 lane Treat Blvd in Pleasant Hill. This matches an existing overpass across 9 lane Ygnacio Valley Rd in Walnut Creek. Yes this is suburbia, and there are lots of cars. Its nice to see the city and county investing serious money in the trail experience.

Iron Horse

By in October, 2007

"I have ridden this entire trail more than once and frequently ride parts of it. All in all, it's a great resource, but it can be clogged with pedestrians, dog walkers who refuse to keep their dogs close, baby strollers, and more, on nice days. There are also numerous road crossings where you really need to look out for soccer moms driving Himalaya class SUVs (especially in Danville) to avoid being run over.

All this being said, it's still a great place for a ride. I've used it to commute from San Ramon to Walnut Creek often, and it's convenient, well-maintained (in most spots), and a wonderful asset for cyclists, walkers, etc.

You just can't really get up to speed and stay there because of the foot traffic and crazy drivers at crossings."

Southern Portion along I 680

By in July, 2005

"I ride this every time I'm in the Walnut Creek area. Coupled with the Lafayette / Maraga and Contra Costa Canel trails this trail is part of a wonderful system. I usually ride the portion from Rudgear Road trailhead to San Ramon and back. Gradual up grade going south with lots of shade, shops and stop signs. Very, very busy trail on weekends. I 680 is hardly noticed except when the trail goes under it. I've ridden the other portion of the Iron Hose but prefer this."

Contra Costa / Ygnacio Canel Section

By in July, 2005

"I ride this western section every time I'm in the Walnut Creek area. The West portion of Contra Costa Canel section is an off-shoot and is interesting in the view of the Walnut Creek area from the base of Mt Diablo where the trail loops back toward town. Unfortunately, the trail is difficult to follow through the Heather Farms area - not enough signs. Fun ride."

Not completed in Concord

By in November, 2004

"The Iron Horse Trail is not complete in Concord. Though it was great when I could find it, I got lost frequently trying to navigate between the unfinished sections in Concord on November 15, 2004. From Walnut Creek heading south was just fine."

A Pretty Easy Spin

By in December, 2003

"I recently completed almost 31 round trip miles on the Iron Horse Regional Trail. The surface was paved the whole way and in very good shape. Unfortunately, repairs are under way, so I could not ride the part of the trail with some climbs, but as a railroad right-of-way I can anticipate mild gradients even on the climbs.

The way north from Dublin to Ramona yeilded a mere climb of 250-feet over 15 miles, so it is an easy spin for most cyclists. Because this trail is located in such a developed area, there are frequent breaks and road crossings. If you want long stretches where you can hammer, forget it. See my review of the Wabash Trace in Iowa if you want a long spin. Foot traffic was not bad when I rode it midafternoon during a weekday. "