Scenic Adventures

The  Alameda Creek Regional Trail follows along the banks of Alameda Creek and stretches 12 miles from Niles Canyon to the San Francisco Bay. From the trail, visitors can access Coyote Hills Regional Park with certain segments open to cyclists and horseback riding. This trail is located on top of the levees of the Alameda Creek Federal Project and also serves as an access road for the District to inspect and maintain the creek. 

Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area, tucked away in the hills of Castro Valley, is the perfect spot to swim with family and friends on a hot summer day. The East Bay Regional Park District manages a swimming lagoon and park adjacent to the District’s Cull Creek.   

The lagoon is family friendly with floating swim docks and a long shallow area for those too young to swim. The park also has shady areas and BBQ pits, fishing spots, and trails that connect Cull Canyon to the Chabot-to-Garin Regional Trail.  

The District restored Cull Creek by updating the Cull Creek dam and returning the reservoir to its natural meandering channel. For visitors, this means the area can look different depending on the season. During big storms, you may see water pooled behind the concrete spillway. During the drier months, it returns to a creek running through a lush meadow.

The Don Castro Regional Recreation Area is a 101-acre park that offers picnic areas, and access to hiking trails like the Bay Area Ridge Trail  and the Chabot-to-Garin Trail. The Park includes the District’s Don Castro Reservoir, which receives water from Eden Creek, Hollis Creek, Palomares Creek, and other unnamed streams before flowing into San Lorenzo Creek. During the summertime, the adjacent swimming lagoon is open for swimming with lifeguards on duty.  

Lake Elizabeth in Fremont’s Central Park is one of the East Bay’s best spots for boating, with kayaks and boats available throughout the year! The park also offers fishing, play fields, picnic areas, and a large dog park.  Beyond recreation, Lake Elizabeth also provides flood protection by collecting stormwater flowing down from the surrounding hills during major storm events and releasing it slowly into downstream flood control channels.

Located by Downtown Oakland between Lakeshore Drive and Grand Avenue, Lake Merritt is a true city landmark. The Lake is a destination for those looking to relax on the lawn or walk around the lake’s 3.5-mile perimeter.  The Lake is home to a variety of migratory and native birds, fish, clams, and even the occasional otter. Several flood control channels run into the lake, which is monitored by the District to control drainage.  Please note that Lake Merritt does not allow public swimming, but boats and kayaks are available for rent on the Lakeside Drive (west) side of the lake.  

Thanks to the District’s Tule Ponds project, what was once a polluted natural depression near the Fremont BART station is now a thriving wildlife habitat with a series of natural ponds that help clean stormwater before it reaches local creeks. Tule Pond is not open for drop-in visits, but members of the public can register for free guided tours on select dates. Educators and student groups can also schedule field trips or community service visits.

Sabercat Creek Trail winds between the grassy, oak-dotted hills of Fremont and provides a habitat for native plants and wildlife. The trail passes through a former dig site where thousands of fossils dating back about 1.8 million years have been collected, including mammoths, saber-toothed cats, wolves, giant sloths, and cave bears.

Over time, severe bank erosion along Sabercat Creek caused parts of the creekside trail to crumble. The District partnered with local agencies to stabilize the creek banks, repair the trail, add a picnic area, and install fencing to protect the creek and trail users.

San Lorenzo Creek is one of western Alameda County’s primary waterways. In 2005, the District undertook protective measures to stabilize creek banks and retaining walls along a stretch of the creek between Foothill Boulevard and Sixth Street in Hayward.  Today, visitors can walk the creekside trail near City Center Drive in downtown Hayward. The trail includes staircases and viewing overlooks, native landscaping, and signs sharing local history and explaining the creek’s role in flood control.

Did you know the stretch of Castro Valley Creek near Norbridge Avenue and Redwood Road was once covered by an asphalt parking lot? Today, this 900-foot trail next to the  Castro Valley Library is part of a larger project to provide effective flood protection in the area. The trail includes benches, a small amphitheater, and a playground built by the Hayward Area Recreation & Park District.

To reserve The Castro Valley Library Creekside Amphitheater for a field trip, please contact the Castro Valley Library. This wonderful team of librarians and staff manage the Amphitheater.  

Spanning more than 1,800 acres just north of State Route 92, the Hayward Regional Shoreline Park consists of saltwater, freshwater, and brackish marshes, seasonal wetlands, five miles of gravel trails along the Bay, and a beautiful expanse of shoreline for hiking, biking, birdwatching, and picnicking. Several of the District’s flood control channels flow into or through the park.   Visitors with a  California state fishing license can fish from the levees (except those located in marsh areas). Dogs are welcome but are not allowed south of Winton Avenue to protect nesting and feeding wildlife.

Just south of State Route 92, a wide stretch of shoreline and former salt ponds is being brought back to life through the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project—the largest salt pond restoration project on the west coast.  When complete, the project will restore 15,100 acres of industrial salt ponds to a rich mosaic of tidal wetlands and other habitats.

At the Eden Landing Ecological Reserve, you can walk along the bay and look out over the ponds and marshes. The trail is designed for quiet, wildlife-friendly public access—bring binoculars if you like birdwatching.