Wildcat Canyon is a narrow linear valley just east of the Berkeley Hills in the San Francisco Bay Area, situated in Contra Costa County, California. The canyon is bounded on its east side by the San Pablo Ridge, and is drained by Wildcat Creek which runs northwest to its outlet in San Pablo Bay. Two minor lakes or ponds lie along the creek: Jewel Lake and Lake Anza. The latter was enlarged by the construction of a small dam in the mid-20th century. An active tectonic fault, the Wildcat Fault, runs the length of the canyon. Wildcat Canyon was named for the mountain lions which used to be fairly common in the area. The southern end of the canyon adjacent to the city of Berkeley was incorporated into Tilden Regional Park in the 1930s and remains a major recreation area for local residents. Another regional park, Wildcat Canyon Regional Park, is situated at the northern end of the canyon.
On September 17, 1923, a wildfire ignited in Wildcat Canyon during a period of hot, dry Diablo winds and rapidly spread to eucalyptus groves along the crest of the ridge separating the canyon from populated areas of the Berkeley Hills. Continuing into residential areas, by the next day the fire had destroyed 640 structures, including the home of architect Bernard Maybeck and many buildings he had designed.