Hayward Regional Shoreline and Cogwell Marsh: 8 mile Easy, Flat Hike

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Join us for an easy walk/hike with lovely views of the bay. Much of the route is paved and almost entirely flat. Be aware that cyclists also like to frequent these trails. This is a short route and will go pretty quickly so no lunch break is planned.

The marsh may be closed or inaccessible, in which case we will return to the starting point. Please bear in mind that if we cannot not hike the marsh the total distance will be closer to 4-5mi. No closures are currently posted but I will check out conditions this weekend.

HIKING TIME: 2.5 - 3 hours
DISTANCE: 7.9 miles
ELEVATION GAIN: Approx. 100 feet (flat!)
ROUTE: out-and-back with two small loops
DIFFICULTY: Easy terrain and almost no elevation. First portion of the out-and-back is paved. Be prepared for mud!

RULES: No dogs. Stay to the right to let bicycles pass and be aware!

FACILITIES: Restrooms at trailhead and at halfway point.

RECOMMENDED MAP:
https://www.ebparks.org/sites/default/files/haywardshoreline_map.pdf

MEETING PLACE:
Parking at trailhead. Plan to arrive 20 minutes early to find parking, and walk to the trailhead. Some street parking available.

• Please use the Google Maps link to familiarize yourself with the trip and explore various route options from your home. Zoom in all the way.
• The GPS locations below and the map link above are accurate enough to find us by looking around with your eyes when you get there.

(Most Cars) GPS Degrees Minutes Seconds Format:
37°40'10.6"N 122°09'27.8"W
(Google Maps) GPS Degrees Decimal Format:
37.669610, -122.157716
https://goo.gl/maps/pegE67ASumLzatK47

If you have the Waze app installed on your phone, click this link. It will open Waze and start navigating to the trailhead.
http://waze.to/?ll=37.669610,-122.157716&navigate=yes

• As always, it is good practice to confirm the night before that any app you use takes you to where you expect by comparing the destination with what is posted above on your PC/Mac
• Most street addresses provided are approximate, and may be up to a couple of miles from the hike location. Use GPS coordinates when driving, if possible.

SUMMARY:
Hayward Regional Shoreline consists of 1,811 acres of salt, fresh, and brackish water marshes, seasonal wetlands, and public trails.
Cogswell Marsh, a 250-acre tidal marsh restoration and enhancement project, was completed in 1980. This area, once restored to tidal action, rapidly became an established saltwater marsh.

HIKING DIRECTIONS:
→ San Francisco Bay Trail south to Hayward's Landing
→ Continue clockwise around Cogswell Marsh loop
→ Return north to halfway point with restroom and break at Winton staging area
→ Turn west along flood control channel
→ Turn north (right) to retrace steps along SF Bay Trail to return to starting point

ALLTRAILS LINK:
https://www.alltrails.com/explore/map/hayward-regional-shoreline--7

GPX LINK:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1BCNsFBwgrF-oLOxrXnQ-7JoX-_kycOmX

REFERENCES:
https://www.ebparks.org/parks/hayward/

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