Bird Trail at Anthony Chabot

This weekend, I took my 3 year-old daughter to Anthony Chabot to check out a short hike that was big on sensory experiences.

From the Macdonald Gate Staging Area parking lot, we went to the left (or south) to get on the Macdonald Trail. Take that for .25 miles and then peel off to the right onto the single-track Bird Trail. It makes a loop of .34 miles. We took the loop in the clockwise direction. Even at the tail end of August, there was water in the stream. The sounds of the splashing water, and the sweet songs of birds filled the air.

The aural qualities of the hike were a little marred by traffic noise from Redwood Road, but this really wasn't too bad unless motorcycles were driving by. This trail is aptly named, for we saw SO many birds. This trail is deeply shaded by the woods, a mixed forest of bay, oak, and redwood. My daughter opted for me to carry her in the backpack carrier, but I think she could have easily walked it if she wanted to do so. There was some poison oak, so I was fine to carry her; however, I think she would have enjoyed crossing on the narrow bridges for the creek. This easy, pleasant hike is a great option for little ones or for bird lovers.