Since they are both huge public schools, is it hard to get into a lab as an undergrad?
Obviously it’s not easy to the point that you would be handed a research, but it is not difficult either as long as you state your interest in which lab you would like to join. From the professor’s perspective, undergrads are free labor so there’s no reason to make it difficult. I actually recommend critically selecting which one you would like to join since most research require decent effort and tenacity and it’s easy to find it boring if you’re in a lab that is not interesting for you.
My D was telling me about the undergrad research apprentice program at Cal. You can apply to up to 3 opportunities per semester. Unpaid, but you can earn up to 4 units per semester depending on how many hours you work (at least 3-6 hours/week over the semester ). Minimum GPA of 2.8 and they aren’t interested in AP classes you’ve taken, so it sounds like it’s not an option until you have at least 1 semester of college under your belt.
Here is the link for this faculty-initiated research program:
http://research.berkeley.edu/urap
For independent research opportunities:
Of course, there are other ways, including contacting professors directly whose work you are interested in. As @ttg1125 said, it’s a big school, so lots of kids vying for spots, but then so are the opportunities.