Albany Hill

Albany Hill is a 373-foot summit in Albany that rises along the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay. The hill is composed of Jurassic sandstone transported by the Pacific Plate to North America.

The site was documented by the Fages expedition in 1772 and initially called El Cerrito. The Peralta family later renamed it Cerrito de San Antonio.

The north side once housed a Chochenyo Ohlone settlement, evidenced by mortar stones and shell middens visible in the landscape. These remnants tell of communities who lived here long ago.

The hill features multiple hiking trails of varying difficulty with parking areas and picnic spots near the summit. Access is straightforward and the areas around the peak are well developed.

In the late 1800s, workers for the Giant Powder Company planted eucalyptus trees around the hill to muffle explosions from their dynamite manufacturing. These trees still shape the landscape today.