Completed: April 8, 2023 | Elevation: 1,905′ | Trail: Seaview Trail-Vollmer Peak Trail Loop | Distance: 1.5 miles
To reach Vollmer Peak we parked in the lot next to the Steam Train, crossed the road, turned left and walked a short distance to the Seaview Trail. (There is a closer lot but we didn’t want to take our chances and not find a space. With it being a sunny day, people were out in full force taking advantage of the good weather.)
Seaview Trail is paved all the way to the summit. There were lots of people—young and old—out for a walk. Although we were going up the entire time, it felt relatively gradual except for a steeper section near the beginning, and then another one approaching the top. Trees lined the way and there were views of the hills towards the east.
As we rounded a sharp turn, the sight of a communications tower came into view and we knew were almost at the peak. It is such a pity that we’ve adorned many of the Bay Area’s high points with these less than eye-catching structures.
Does a black-and-white shot make these things look more interesting?
Fortunately, what Vollmer Peak loses with an unsightly metal column, it gains with bridge (Oakland) to bridge (Golden Gate) views.
On our way back we decided to take Vollmer Peak Trail, located on the left (as one goes down), about 0.2 miles from the peak, to make it a loop. The narrow trail took us into the forest, before coming out onto a grassy knoll. We walked along the side of the hill and in short order found ourselves at the overflow lot for the steam train.
It was a short and sweet trail, with a little bit of elevation to get the heart going, and some amazing views to make it worthwhile. Warmed up, we were ready to tackle the next peak on the list: Grizzly Peak.
Find an overview of our Tilden hikes here.
Follow our progress bagging the Bay Area’s Nifty Ninety here.
Coda
This was the shortest path to the top of Vollmer Peak. It can be made more challenging by starting from other trail junctions or combining this hike with other trails. With so many peaks still remaining on our list, however, optimizing for time was our first priority so we didn’t feel like we had to tackle anything bigger than absolutely required!