Entrancing Photos of Hillside Nature Area

The Hillside Nature Area in El Cerrito may look like one place on a map, but it can seem like a variety of different worlds depending on the day and time – and the eyes, or lens, of those who are viewing it.

We thank Berkeley photographer Stefan Klocek for permission to publish the accompanying photos he took on a misty morning visit with his wife and son to the semi-tamed hillside park.

Klocek, a software designer for the Cooper design firm, was asked by Patch what drew him to the Nature Area.

"I've seen the patch of green forest from the freeway for years," he said by email. "It's always had me curious about what adventures you could have there. I looked it up on a map and took my family there. We don't have specific ties to the area except that we've been exploring all the East Bay parks. This one in an amazing gem, hidden in plain sight."

The photos were taken around 10:30 a.m. on Nov. 25 with a Panasonic DMC-GF1. They are part of a series from Klocek's Flickr photostream.