Iron Horse Regional Trail 2016-01-08

Iron Horse Regional Trail is a 32 mile long multi-use trail that runs from Concord to Pleasanton, spanning two counties and a dozen cities. Apollo and I walked the Alameda County portion of this long trail, starting at Santa Rita Road & Stoneridge Dr. in Pleasanton. You can find street side parking on Santa Rita Rd. near Navajo Ct. 

This regional trail is in a completely urban setting. Our walk today can be broken into three separate segments. The first segment was from Santa Rita Rd. until Dublin BART station. The second was from BART station to Amador Valley Rd. And the final segment from Amador Valley Rd. to Alcosta Blvd.

The first segment starts off running parallel to a canal and Arroyo Mocho trail briefly before turning right, heading in a north westerly direction. Little more than a mile and a half, this is the newest segment of this trail, done fully in concrete. The trail runs through a residential neighbor. Along the way, it also passes through two neighborhood parks in the city of Pleasanton.

The trail crosses several main roads along the way. It was interesting to see the trail's name called out at multiple pedestrian crossings. In addition to the parks and residences, the trail also passes by commercial buildings belonging to Valley Medical Care and Kaiser Permanente before crossing Owens Dr and reaching BART station.

After crossing the BART station using the Hwy 580 underpass, the trail resumes as a paved blacktop road. The second segment goes through a mix of residential and industrial area, crossing Dublin Blvd and Dougherty Rd. Just before reaching Amador Valley Blvd, the trail crosses Alamo Canal trail where Alamo creek and Coyote creek intersect.

Great Blue Heron

The final segment we walked was less urban compared to the earlier ones. Set on the levee of Coyote creek, this stretch is in the backyard of Dublin High School with views of the Dougherty Hills Open Space on the right. I have seen Great Blue Heron walking tall in the past, but this one on the banks of the creek put on a different face, sitting perfectly still as we walked by. We turned around at the four mile mark, just shy of Alcosta Blvd and essentially retraced our way back to where we started.

This trail is a nice option for those interested in training for long distance running or cycling. As well as for those seeking options to walk and avoid the wet rugged trails after several rainy days. The two trails that Iron Horse trail cut across - Arroyo Mocho trail and Alamo Canal trail are interconnected with Centennial trail offering plenty of options to Pleasanton residents for long walks and runs.

When we left home, it was sunny in south bay, the red hue from the rising sun offering hope for a bright hike. Turned out that Pleasanton and Dublin were chill and covered in fog for much of our hike. 

More pictures from our 8 mile walk. 
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