The Berkeley Path Wanderers nonprofit arose to take care of the fabulous resource of the Berkeley paths, which give the community convenient shortcuts to navigate on foot, beautiful historic places to exercise or relax, and also what might be the best or last option for egress in a wildfire or after a bad earthquake. The Berkeley Path Wanderers have done such a great job taking care of these paths and improving them, without spending much money, that citizens in neighboring Kensington, where I live, are trying to recreate their achievements in Kensington - which is lucky enough to have lovely historic paths too.
I have a developmentally delayed daughter who doesn’t much like taking walks on city streets, but she will go with me on the Berkeley paths because they are beautiful and provide an infinite variety of landscapes. The Path Wanderers help the city of Berkeley to maintain 136 paths on a tiny annual budget of only $50,000. It encourages locals to volunteer and get involved in their neighborhoods, inspires kids to get more exercise and learn history, and encourages a way of life that doesn’t just depend on cars.
I really like Berkeley Path Wanderers Association and I greatly appreciate all that they do for the community. They lead lots of hikes at varied levels of difficulty. Their destinations are also varied -- from birdwatching, to hillside hikes, to dog-friendly, to the SF Crosstown Trail, they will have a perfect hike for everyone. Their website also provides lots of information on places where you can hike on your own. My favorite hike with them was a tour to see a variety of Little Free Libraries throughout Berkeley. It was an easy hike, lots of fun, and a place to learn about other hikes I could do later on my own.
They also expend a lot of time and energy cleaning walkways and stairways throughout the Berkeley, so I appreciate their service to the public at large.
The wonderful path map that BPWA created and sells super-cheaply is a godsend. With it, I’ve found fun paths and explored neighborhoods I never would’ve visited, meanwhile having fun, getting great exercise & being in nature in a beautiful city. BPWA helps people access one of the most special and unusual resources of Berkeley. I also love how they bring people together for volunteer work parties & hikes, thus building community.