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Brightside — Niles Canyon – Niles Canyon Railway loop from Sunol

Brightside — Niles Canyon – Niles Canyon Railway loop from Sunol

Moderate

2.6

(21)

riders

Brightside — Niles Canyon – Niles Canyon Railway loop from Sunol

01:15

27.7km

130m

Road cycling

Moderate road ride. Great for any fitness level. Some segments of this route may be unpaved and difficult to ride. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: July 7, 2026

Tips

Includes a segment in which cycling is not permitted

After 14.1 km for 288 m

Waypoints

Start point

Train Station

Get Directions

43 m

Sunol Depot

Highlight • Historical Site

The Sunol Depot houses the Niles Canyon Railway, a museum that showcases the role of the railroad in the development of California, as well as the United States.

Tip by

112 m

Sunol Historic Railroad Station

Highlight • Historical Site

Sunol is a nice little town, known for its historic railroad system. You'll find a bar and a café there.

Tip by

3.65 km

Scenic canyon through the South Bay hills to the Central Valley. Its level topography made it a preferred route for trains and cars, so it can get a bit tight for biking where Niles Canyon is narrow and leaves little space for the road shoulder. In a wider section near Brightside the historic trains are preserved in an old railyard with a loop, offering museum rides.

Tip by

6.89 km

Stony Brook Park & Canyon Entrance

Highlight • Canyon

This branch of the old Niles Canyon Railway lines is now a museum line to the historic train depot.

Tip by

10.5 km

Alameda Creek Waterfall and Picnic Area

Highlight • Waterfall

This small picnic area right next to the trail is the perfect spot for a shady break on your ride.

Tip by

24.9 km

Niles Canyon Railway

Highlight • Historical Site

The history of trains in Niles Canyon dates back to the building of the original transcontinental railroad. The first Western Pacific Railroad Company (formed in 1862) started construction in San Jose towards Sacramento. It built twenty miles of track that reached into Alameda Creek canyon in 1866. Its first passenger excursion entered the canyon on October 2 of that year. Construction was halted shortly thereafter, however, because of disagreements between the railroad’s contractors and its financiers. In September, 1869, four months after the famous golden spike ceremony at Promontory Summit, Utah, the Central Pacific Railroad completed the transcontinental rail link between Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay, finishing the track through the canyon. The CP had acquired the Western Pacific and other local railroads and built track to connect them at a waterfront terminal at Alameda Point. Very few rebuilding programs by the railroad left the Niles Canyon line with much of its original cut stone bridge abutments, culverts and retaining walls from the original Western Pacific’s right of way (circa 1865). These unique constructions can still be seen today.
Steam locomotives pulled trains through Niles Canyon for eighty years before diesels took over in the 1950s. In 1984, after twelve decades of railroading in the canyon, the Southern Pacific ceased operating trains on the right-of-way, pulled up the tracks, and deeded the land to Alameda County.
The Pacific Locomotive Association entered into an agreement with the county and began rebuilding the rail line in 1987. Association volunteers worked for over a year on the first part of the track reconstruction between Sunol and Brightside. On May 21, 1988, almost 122 years after the first Western Pacific excursion, the Pacific Locomotive Association brought railroad passenger operations back to life in Niles Canyon. Presently, Niles Canyon Railway provides train rides to the public year-round between Sunol, California and Niles in Fremont, California. ncry.org

Tip by

27.7 km

End point

Train Station

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

19.6 km

6.48 km

516 m

477 m

275 m

267 m

130 m

Surfaces

26.0 km

695 m

662 m

373 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Highest point (80 m)

Lowest point (20 m)

Weather

Today

Saturday 29 August

27°C

14°C

0 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 25.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Comments

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Our route recommendations are based on thousands of hikes, rides, and runs completed by other people on komoot.

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Brightside — Niles Canyon – Niles Canyon Railway loop from Sunol

Sunol Depot

Sunol Historic Railroad Station