Indian Trail (Path #17)
Path data:
Lower Street
(Adjacent Addresses) |
Upper Street
(Adjacent Addresses)
|
Notes |
| San Lorenzo & The Alameda |
1900 Yosemite |
20 steps top, 10 bottom |
Photos (click on thumbnail to display photo):
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Meet The Paths:
Indian Trail by Colleen Neff
Berkeley Path Wanderers Association Newsletter -- Spring 2008 -- Vol. 11 No. 1
One of my favorite Berkeley paths is probably the oldest. Indian Trail, in the Thousand Oaks neighborhood of North Berkeley, supposedly was worn into the hillside by the Native Americans who roamed the rock-strewn hills thousands of years ago. The top faces Great Stoneface Park, where San Fernando Ave. meets Yosemite Road.
I recommend first walking down this rustic path. Before you begin, savor the view. Two large pine trees flank the entrance, and even though there are houses on either side, you feel like you are heading into the woods with a high canopy of branches overhead. An old rock wall runs parallel to the path on the right as you meander along. Halfway down the trail, the path curves to the left, around a large rock ledge that actually is the roof of a small cave visible from below. More stone steps take you around several protruding rocks. The wall will be on your right now and covered with ivy.
At the bottom, as you emerge onto The Alameda, a graceful six-foot-tall stone urn stands on your right. It is the last of more than 20 that once graced the paths and main intersections of Thousand Oaks. On the other side of the hedge on your left, look for a much smaller reproduction. What happened to the missing large urns is the stuff of legend: Some say they were tipped over and rolled down the hills. The Thousand Oaks Neighborhood Association is raising money for five replicas. They hope to return one to the top of the path.
It is well worth reversing your route to enjoy the path from the opposite direction. As you climb back, note the rockstrewn yards and the stately houses on either side, and pause halfway up to look inside the shallow cave.
When you reach the top, you can take a stroll to see some of the other historic houses and gardens nearby, many of which include huge rhyolite boulders. Of special note is the turn-of-thecentury, chalet-style brown shingled house at 1865 Yosemite. The original owner was Mark Daniels, a writer and the landscape architect and civil engineer for John Hopkins Spring, the developer of Thousand Oaks.
If you cross Yosemite, you can explore Great Stoneface Park. From the path that hugs its south side, peer into one of the finer gardens in the area. At the top of the park, turn right onto Thousand Oaks Blvd. At 1936 is Villa della Rocca (1912), which John Hudson Thomas designed and at 1937 is a 1915 house with no right angles, designed by Julia Morgan.
From here you can continue south on Yosemite to Frederick Park and the twopart Yosemite Steps which will return you to The Alameda. From there, you can turn right and head north to the double El Paseo Path. Or continue to the end of The Alameda to Vincente Walk which runs down to the north end of Vincente Ave. At its intersection with Visalia Ave. just to the south, you will find Visalia Steps, the canted path pictured on the cover of the new BPWA Berkeley’s Pathways map.
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