The Tilden Trifecta: Steam Trains + Merry go Round + Little Farm

Tilden Regional Park spreads out across more than 2,000 acres in the hills above Berkeley. It’s one of a string of East Bay Regional Parks that are plenty popular with locals like me, but that most people coming from farther away tend not to know about. I grew up going to Tilden, and now take my children there on sunny days when we all want to play outside.

Older kids and their adults have miles of hiking trails to trek; and for families with young kids, there’s a perfect trio of activities that makes for a full day out. It mixes being outdoors with genuinely kid-pleasing activities that include feeding cows and seeing other farm animals, taking a ride on a historic carousel, and hopping aboard a miniature steam train for a ride through the woods. 

The only additional consideration is food—since there aren’t many options in the park (there’s a cafe at the merry go round, but that’s about it), your best bet is to bring a picnic. For picnic supplies, I either just pack lunches from home or if I’m feeling fancy, I grab takeout from a local spot like Saul’s, Zarri’s, or the Butcher’s Son (Butcher’s Son is vegan). 

Here’s the Tilden Trifecta. Do one or do them all.

Little Farm (and Jewel Lake)

Little Farm is part of Tilden Nature Area, a hub of kid-friendly educational activities in Tilden. In the morning, the main barnyard is gently shaded by trees, and it’s fun to see so many kids being so amazed by the cows, chickens and geese, goats, pigs, sheep, and sometimes rabbits. To make the most of a trip to Little Farm, my family always brings along either lettuce (romaine is the best option because it has structural integrity) or celery to feed the cows. Then we do a loop, walking through the main barnyard and up the path along the paddocks that hold goats and sheep before walking along the top of the farm and back down the other side. 

From there, it’s easy to pop into the Environmental Education Center (EEC), the brown-shingle building next to Little Farm. There are bathrooms (usually important at some point during a visit) plus educational displays and plenty of rangers ready and willing to answer questions. 

The lawn in front of the EEC is the perfect spot for pausing for a picnic or just a snack. And if you want another activity without needing to repark, taking the trail to and around Jewel Lake is very flat and not too far. I loved taking my kids on the Jewel Lake hike when they were toddlers because it felt like an adventure but it was also totally within their ability to get there and most of the way back with relative ease. I always felt like this was a training walk for longer hikes.  

Logistics Note: Head to Little Farm before about 10 am to secure a spot in the main park lot–the lot also serves the trailhead here, a playground, and a bunch of group picnic areas on the uphill side of the lot so it gets pretty crowded, but really the worst that happens is that you have to park a bit farther away, so it’s not a huge deal. 

The Merry Go Round (and a Note About Lake Anza)

Perched on a hill surrounded by forest, the Tilden Merry Go Round is a kid favorite. The 1911 carousel has 22 carved wooden horses plus a mix of other animals and two chariots (chariot people, I see you), and with each ride comes that classic merry-go-round soundtrack powered by Wurlizter and North Tonawanda organs. There’s also a little cafe (fun fact: when I was a teen, my bestie worked here so I spent a lot of time hanging out on the grass outside with her on her breaks) with the expected menu of hot dogs, burgers, grilled cheese, and so on, but also chicken and tuna salad sandwiches, coffee drinks, and ice cream, sundaes, shakes, and floats. 

Just down the road (with littles, it’s a drive rather than a walk) is Lake Anza. In the summer, Lake Anza is a great spot for swimming, with a little beach and a platform to swim out to. In recent years, the lake has had some algae bloom issues (and in winter for the last few years, the lake has been covered in water plants that look like algae but apparently aren’t), but the Parks District monitors water quality and only allows swimming when it’s safe. 

There’s also a fantastic trail that goes all the way around the lake. There are some spots where it gets a little rugged, so it’s not good for strollers and young kids (and elderly dogs) may need to be lifted up and over things occasionally, but it’s a beautiful walk with lots of moss-covered boulders, coastal live oaks, little streams, and bridges. 

Tilden Steam Train

One of my earliest childhood memories is being on the steam train and someone making spooky noises as we went through the tunnel and then I was traumatized for years. But as a parent, I love the Tilden Steam Train, and my kids love it too, and have since they were toddlers. 

Every 20ish minutes, a tiny train pulls into the small station under the redwoods, and kids and their adults pile into the train cars, which are a mix of open carriages with bench seating and some that have roofs but no windows (also with bench seating). It gets pretty foggy here, so it’s good to come with some extra layers, since you’ll be sitting for the 15 minutes or so of the ride. The tracks take you through the woods, over little bridges, and through tunnels, and it genuinely feels like a kid-sized adventure. 

When you’re done, walk to the far end of the platform and take the little path that winds down under the tracks and over to an even smaller hobby train area where, on the weekends, you can see mostly older people working on the railroad. For train-loving kids, this spot is a dream come true.