Outdoors
The Berkeley Hills Fire Trail has great views of San Francisco. It is secluded, woodsy, and a good place to jog or hike. (Don't go there alone after dark, though.) The entrance is behind the Strawberry Canyon Recreational Facility.
Blake House is the official residence of the UC President. The grounds-ten acres of gardens featuring more than 1000 different species of plants from all over the world-are used by the Department of Landscape Architecture as an instructional facility (www-laep.ced.berkeley.edu/laep/blakegarden; 70 Rincon Road, Kensington; 524-2449).
The Botanical Garden spreads over 34 acres with flowers, plants, trees, and greenhouses, and hiking trails in the surrounding wooded hillside. Docent-led tours are available and admission is free with your Cal 1 Card (otherwise, it's $3 for adults, $2 for seniors, $1 for kids, and everyone is free on Thursdays; botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu; 200 Centennial Drive; 510/643-2755).
Cal Adventures offers outdoor programs in activities such as rock climbing, sailing, sea kayaking, team building, and windsurfing. Students can also rent equipment such as sailboats, kayaks, windsurfers, tents, and more at reasonable prices. Facilities include an aquatic site at the Berkeley Marina (calbears.berkeley.edu; 510/642-4000).
The Cal Lodge, see here.
Lawrence Hall of Science parking lot features a panoramic view of San Francisco and at night, the stars and cops who shoo off parked couples after 9pm (accessible by Campus Bus Services, top of Centennial Drive). Real-time 24-hour webcam at: sv.berkeley.edu/view.
People's Park is a small, historic park on the southside, located between Telegraph Avenue and Bowditch Street, Haste Street and Dwight Way. It features a lawn area for studying or Frisbee/football-throwing, a basketball court, community gardens, and a stage that can be reserved for special events at no cost (communityrelations.berkeley.edu; pplspark@berkeley.edu; 510/642-3255).
Sather Tower (aka the Campanile) provides bargain scenic thrills Monday through Friday from 10am to 4pm (the last elevator is at 3:45). Wonderful carillon concerts can be heard at 7:50am, noon, and 6pm, Monday through Friday, and at 2pm on Sundays. Admission is free for students, staff and faculty with Cal 1 Card; there is a small fee for other visitors (berkeley.edu/visitors/campanile.html; $1-$2; 510/642-5215).