The small waterfalls don't resemble Vernal Fall or Yosemite Falls , and the canyon's rock outcroppings don't call to mind Half Dome or Cathedral Rocks . On the other hand, Little Yosemite doesn't require shuttle buses, reservations, a long trip and contending with crowds. In fact, few hikers wander the East Bay's Little Yosemite , a narrow gorge cut by Alameda Creek. The creek flows through the southern part of Sunol Regional Wilderness, a 6,000-acre preserve of rolling, grassy hills dotted with oak and madrono. This is a park with room to roam, one grassy hill after another, the pattern interrupted only by occasional rock outcroppings and oak groves.
Numerous trails wind through the preserve.
First-time Sunol sojourners will appreciate Canyon View Trail, which offers the most direct route to Little Yosemite . Head south five miles to Geary Road. Turn left and follow this road to its end and the park entrance. The hike begins by the park's small visitor center. Indian Joe Nature Trail takes you to a bridge spanning Alameda Creek .