(08-20) 04:00 PST LAFAYETTE -- All was peaceful along the Lafayette-Moraga Trail on a Saturday morning. A tree shaded a wooden bridge over Las Trampas Creek, which gurgled through the gully below. Tangles of tree branches, wild berry vines and brush wove interesting patterns alongside the paved pathway. The early morning was still hazy and cool.
The Lafayette-Moraga Regional Trail parallels St. Mary's Road through Lafayette and Moraga. The appeal of the 7.6-mile route was evident along this portion of the trail, near Glenside Drive and St. Mary's Road in Lafayette.
A woman walked briskly, holding the leash of her Labrador-Rottweiler mix. A stream of seven bicyclists whirred down the path, dressed in sleek helmets, black bike shorts and multicolored shirts gleaming with lime, red and rich blue. ``On your right,'' called out one of the riders, as the group passed a solitary walker, then crossed St. Mary's Road to zip down an adjoining trail. Headphone-wearing joggers thumped by. Couples strolled, chatting softly.
The Lafayette-Moraga Trail is a favorite relaxation spot. Reader Ruth Carver says she enjoys ``walking/biking on the Lafayette-Moraga Trail, which starts in Lafayette in a quaint residential neighborhood shaded by oak trees, passes by Lafayette Community Center, which has a kids' playground, and then through the countryside past St. Mary's College to Moraga Commons, which has another nice playground.''
It is open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. to walkers, hikers, skaters, bicycles, dog walkers and equestrians and is wheelchair-accessible.
The trail begins at a staging area at Olympic Boulevard and Pleasant Hill Road in Lafayette, south of Highway 24. It ends at the East Bay Municipal Utility District's Valle Vista staging area on the outskirts of Moraga, bordering the San Leandro Reservoir and Redwood Regional Park.
The trail connects to schools, regional trails (Briones-to-Las Trampas), parks and commercial areas in downtown Moraga.
For more information, call the East Bay Regional Park District (510) 562-7275 or visit online at www.ebparks.org.
