Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve, Botanical garden in Berkeley Hills, United States

Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve is a 241-acre regional park and nature reserve on the crest of the Oakland Hills above Oakland and Orinda, in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. Its 1.7-mile self-guided Huckleberry Trail loops through mixed evergreen forest and montane chaparral. Exposed rock layers hold microscopic diatom and radiolarian remains, and the nutrient-poor soil over fractured rock supports pallid manzanita, western leatherwood, Douglas iris and California hazelnut.

The preserve lies within the East Bay Regional Park District system and is named for the California huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum), which grows abundantly in its habitat. Its plant association is a relic of coastal California vegetation now found elsewhere only on the Santa Barbara Channel Islands and in isolated coastal spots from Point Conception to Montara Mountain. Trails link it with Robert Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve to the north and Redwood Regional Park to the south.

The preserve is named for the California huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum), which grows abundantly in its habitat. The 1.7-mile Huckleberry Trail is a self-guided nature path looping through the preserve, where visitors can also spot golden chinquapin, western leatherwood, Douglas iris and western sword fern.

The 1.7-mile Huckleberry Trail is a self-guided nature loop through the preserve, linking north to Robert Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve and south to Redwood Regional Park. The park opens daily from 5:00 AM to 10:00 PM unless otherwise posted. Dogs are not allowed because of the sensitive plant habitat, and there are no reservable campgrounds or picnic sites. Parking is free.

The exposed rock layers were laid down in a deep-ocean basin and hold the remains of microscopic diatoms and radiolarians. Uplifted and folded over time, the fragile beds now sit interleaved with chert and shale, tilted at odd angles beside the trail.