The East Bay Regional Park District is kicking off the new year by launching its 2025 Trails Challenge, an annual program inviting the public to explore trails handpicked by district staff to show off the region’s stunning natural beauty.

Finishers will receive a 2025 Trails Challenge shirt, while supplies last. There are also awards, prizes and giveaways participants can earn.

“The East Bay Regional Parks Trails Challenge is a great way to explore regional parks and get to know new parks. The selected trails highlight magnificent views, landscapes, and wildlife in the East Bay,” said Mike Moran, the district’s regional interpretive and recreation services manager. “The trails challenge offers an opportunity to get away from the buzz of everyday life and connect with nature and each other in parks.”

Don’t worry if you’re not up to a grueling trek through hills and valleys. Some of the trails featured in the East Bay Regional Park District’s Trails Challenge are as flat and easy as they come. Pictured is a long stretch of asphalt on a damp and foggy evening at Big Break Regional Shoreline in Oakley in December 2024. (Glenn Gehlke/Local News Matters)

The Trails Challenge has been an annual feature since 1993. The 2025 challenge includes 20 trails of varying difficulty levels located throughout the East Bay. The list (which had not yet been released at the time of this writing) includes a number of fully accessible trails that have been evaluated and identified as usable by persons with mobility limitations.

To finish the challenge, participants need to walk, ride, or roll five trails, or 26.2 total miles, by Dec. 31, 2025. Walking, biking, and horseback riding are all ways visitors can participate.

“We want as many people as possible to take the challenge and benefit from time in nature,” Moran said. “In 2025, there are even more rewards for finishers of the challenge, including monthly drawings of finishers, special categories based on age, a trailmaster patch for those who complete all 20 trails, and a 2025 challenge champion award for the person who completes all 20 trails first.”

All finishers must submit their trail log online to qualify for a special award, prize, or giveaway.

People interested in the 2025 Trails Challenge can pick up a free guidebook and T-shirt at any East Bay Regional Park visitor center. The guidebook can also be downloaded.

There will also be drawings for those who post selfies on social media and tag #TrailsChallengeEBRPD.