East Bay Regional Park District

Copyright: East Bay Regional Park District Claremont Canyon

The East Bay Regional Park District has 59 parks and 29 regional interpark trails covering more than 91,000 acres in Alameda (50,000) and Contra Costa (42,000) counties on the eastern side of San Francisco Bay.

Attractions - East Bay Regional Park District has a bounty of land and water-oriented recreations suited to all tastes, ages, and abilities. There are 1,000 miles of trails and ten freshwater swimming, fishing and boating areas (rentals available) that include stocked lakes and lagoons. Forty fishing docks, three bay fishing piers, a disabled accessible swimming pool, nine park visitor centers, two 18-hole golf courses, two archery ranges and a marksmanship range are among the developed facilities. East Bay Regional Park District has hundreds of events scheduled all year long from American Indian events to youth and family functions. For information on the outdoor recreation programs, call East Bay Regional Park District (available 24 hours) or visit their website (see link). The reservations office handles reservations for many of the recreation programs. The District contains 235 family campsites and 42 youth camping areas. Featured are three drive-in campgrounds and 10 locations suitable for groups, equestrians, and those who enjoy hike-in camping. Equestrian activities are a favorite park pastime. The Regional Park District offers horse barns, riding lessons, trail rides, boarding, horse day camps, pony rides, and horse rentals. The use of model boats and model airplanes in the East Bay Regional Park District is permitted, however, restricted to certain locations for reasons of public safety. The Golden State Model Railroad Museum and the Redwood Valley Railway are other unique offerings. Youth enrichment programs are available at Camp Arroyo Environmental Education Center and Summer Youth Camp. Camp Arroyo is a new state of the art environmental education center and youth camp located south of Livermore. This 138-acre site contains six duplex cabins that comfortably house 144 individuals. In total, the park has 9 interpretive and education centers, and 18 children's play areas. Picnicking is particularly popular. Over 100 picnic areas can be reserved for groups of 35 to 500 people. The park has over 2,000 family picnic tables and over 1,700 reservable group picnic tables. Weddings, receptions, corporate and family events can be held indoors or outdoors at a number of the park sites. There are five indoor facilities (catering available) and seven outdoor facilities. For more details about park offerings, see the individual park description.

Recreation - East Bay Regional Park District has a myriad of activities: powerboating, canoeing, kayaking, sailing, sailboarding, swimming, golfing, touring exhibits, target practice, nature study, hiking, horseback riding, camping, picnicking, group gatherings, and model plane, train, and boat pleasure.

Climate - Climate in the San Francisco Bay area varies greatly with elevation and the amount of coastal influence. Areas with more coastal influence experience moderate temperatures year round with fog likely from June through mid-August. Plan your coastal visit in the late summer or fall to ensure the best conditions for viewing the scenery. Also, occasional clear days between winter and spring storms are incomparable. Areas further inland experience greater temperature extremes, with relatively cooler winters and hot summers. Inland areas often receive frost on winter nights. As throughout most of California most of the precipitation comes in the winter months, with April through October normally very dry.

Location - East Bay Regional Park District encompasses Alameda and Contra Costa counties totaling 1,745 square miles on the eastern side of San Francisco Bay.