This hill rises up above the University of California campus on the east side. There are some houses and apartment buildings here and some roads and trails. The views of the Bay and San Francisco are superb, but note that the hill is steep.

I have friends who have lived on this hill and dwelling here are sought after for the splendid views of the Bay and the East Bay urban area. You can also just park your car and gaze out.

We were out for a walk around the Berkeley campus and we stumbled upon the Panoramic Hill stairway. The stairs climbed up toward the fire trails through a neighborhood of hillside homes with tremendous views of the bay.

This is a great hike close to the Berkeley campus. You get great views of the city and the Bay. We drove up Panoramic Way to avoid the very steep early parts of the trail. Our hike was pretty leisurely and completed within 2 hours.

I got down at the Downtown Berkeley BART station and walked to the Panoramic Hill. On the way, one has the option of going through Telegraph Avenue. This area has bookshops and is lively, but many poor people looking for a hand out. You can go around this area, if you prefer. Once you get to the foot of the Panoramic way, you have to keep your eyes open for several flights of steps that will lead you to the Jordan trail, also called the Lower and Upper Fire trails.The Aldren steps are not well marked. Climb up these trails for a spectacular view of the bay!If you are using Google maps, put your destination in as Claremont Canyon Regional Preserve. Keep your eyes open for the steps, the map was not reliable at these points! (June 2015).