Hiking is not only a healthy activity but an opportunity to experience the serene of local surroundings.

Lake Chabot's west shore in Castro Valley. Sean Jones/ Staff Photo

Lake Chabot is a man-made lake with many different trails for different skill levels. The trail that primarily follows the lake is about 9 miles long, which is not a small venture.

If you have 4 hours to spare it is well worth the effort.

Starting out on the East Shore you will be surrounded by many families and people walking dogs, but once you reach the 2 mile marker the trail will go from paved to dirt and the crowds will dissipate.

It can easily be said that the East shore is the easy side with balanced slopes, though there is one hill around 3.5 miles. When you reach this hill, it will determine whether or not you continue.

After that large hill you will be confronted by one more steep path and then you will be in the rolling hills being directed away from the lake.

If you make it past some of these more extreme hills you will be in for a great adventure.

Turtles and cranes in the marsh and the rustling of squirrels and small birds in the brush. You may even cross the path of a snake.

Once you reach the damn you are at the home stretch. On the west shore, fatigue may be setting in but also a sense of accomplishment is felt.

This walk/ hike is not for the unprepared, it is recommended that you bring a lot of water and a granola bar to keep yourself energized.

Also, you should not hike alone, since there is a lot of wildlife and spurs from the trail where others can join in and one moment you think your alone and suddenly someone is passing you.

To find out more about Lake Chabot and all it has to offer go to www.ebparks.org/parks/lake_chabot