Maguire Peak

Maguire Peak is one of the East Bay's better-kept secrets, tucked inside Sunol Wilderness Regional Preserve. February had the hills at peak green — smooth, rolling grassland folding into ridge after ridge, with just enough scattered oaks and brush to break up the color. The climb up from the valley floor is steep in places but short, the kind of hike where the payoff arrives well before you're tired of earning it.

The peak actually has two high points — upper and lower Maguire — and the view from the upper one looking down over the lower summit, with the rest of the preserve's hills rolling out behind it, is the signature shot of this hike. On a clear winter day after rain, the green is almost unreal, and the folds and shadows in the hillsides make the whole landscape look like it's been sculpted.

Short, steep, and one of the most rewarding little hikes in the East Bay for the effort involved — especially in winter and early spring when the hills are at their greenest.