Attractions and Places To See around Newark - Top 20

The San Francisco Bay Trail is a flat, paved trail that runs along the border of the bay. It is a great place for a run because it is traffic free and has great views.

The Dumbarton Bridge is the shortest and southernmost bridge across the San Francisco Bay. At 1.6 miles you can cross the water with nice views over the bay. Just keep an eye out for potholes, especially on the east side, as the road conditions aren't the best. That being said there was ongoing road works the last time I was in the area so hopefully things are improving.

On a clear day you can see San Francisco and Oakland cityscapes. You also have views of the peaks, Mt Hamilton, Mt Diablo and if really clear you can see Mt Tam.

The Guadalupe River Trail in downtown San Jose is a paved path for exercise or commuting by bike. Starting near the Children's Discovery Museum, the trail runs northward and is easily accessible via light rail and major cross streets. It provides opportunities for bird watching and people watching along the mostly flat, paved surface. The trail is popular for biking, running, and walking, with accessible parking, benches, and picnic areas. While the trail is ideal for daytime use, sections near downtown may have some litter and encampments, making it less advisable to ride here after sunset.

The Stevens Creek Trail spans 6.7 miles across two disconnected segments in Mountain View and Cupertino, closely following Stevens Creek, which flows from the Santa Cruz Mountains into the San Francisco Bay. This multi-use, asphalt trail is an off-street pathway for Silicon Valley’s communities and offers views of major tech campuses. The trail connects parks like Stevens Creek Shoreline Preserve and McClellan Ranch Preserve, popular for recreation and wildlife viewing. Named after Captain Elijah Stevens, the creek is one of the better-preserved waterways in the Bay Area, still following much of its original pathway.

The Bay Trail is a flat and picturesque paved path around the wetlands of Shoreline Lake Park. The trail can be crowded on weekends, and there is not a lot of shade. Shoreline Lake Park was once a landfill but has been transformed into a 750-acre recreational space. Bikers can use nearly eight miles of scenic trails through sloughs and marshlands. Benches are scattered throughout for visitors to take a break. Check out the restored Rengstorff House, a nice example of Victorian Italianate architecture that offers free tours.

It's nice there's a way to ride across the bay, but it's really miserable. You're inches from a freeway (it's really loud). It's always cold and windy on the bridge and on the road on the east side of the bridge. The road surface on the east side of the bridge is in extremely poor condition as well.

Safely separated dedicated bike trail across the bay, between Hayward and Mountain View