Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve

Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve

5175 Somersville Rd.
Antioch, California 94509
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Local Phone: (510) 544-2750

East Bay Regional Park District 80 years logoAs part of the East Bay Regional Park District, one of the most dog-friendly park districts in California, dogs must be on a leash where posted and under full verbal control elsewhere. And there is a lot of elsewhere!

Downloadable trail maps, brochures and mileage charts are available for each regional park and regional trail. Trails that allow dogs can be found here, while a list of parks can be found here.

The East Bay Regional Park District began acquiring land for Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve in the early 1970s. Today, most of the mining district is within the preserve's nearly 5,375 acres. The area is an ideal location for hiking, picnicking and nature study. Naturalists conduct a variety of programs relating the Preserve's natural and historic resources.

You have plenty of different trails to choose from at this park, depending on your hiking level. You can have it all here, expansive views, steep climbs and switchbacks. Keep in mind that there are grazing cattle here, so if your dog tends to chase or be fearful of larger animals it's best to keep a firm hold on their leash.

• Fee: Seasonal, weekends and some holidays: $5 per vehicle. $2 dog fee.
• Water: Bring your own.
• Best time of year: Year round, but watch out for foxtails in spring and summer. 
• Distance: varies depending on trail, most range from 2 to7 miles.
• Degree of difficulty: Moderate to strenuous.
• Hours of operation: Unless otherwise posted or permitted, open 8 a.m. to dusk (closing time varies seasonally).
• Leash rule: Keep dogs on leashes in developed areas, around horses and on the busy trails.

park, hike, history, coal mining, off leash, east bay regional park district

Zoe and DJ Running at Fairmont Ridge. Photo: marymactavish (cc)
Zoe and DJ Running at Fairmont Ridge. Photo: marymactavish (cc)
If all 1,250 miles of trails within the East Bay Regional Park District stretched in a straight line up and down the West Coast, they’d reach from San Diego to Seattle. Instead, the pathways dip and dive over 120,536 open-space acres within a network of 65 parks enjoyed by hikers, bikers and equestrians, as well as DogTrekkers grateful for the opportunity to disconnect from the leash while away from developed areas. As you will see as you read on, many are close to the town of Concord. More... more »
Ghost Tunnel, Black Diamond Mines - Nick Fullerton (CC)
Ghost Tunnel, Black Diamond Mines - Photo: Nick Fullerton (CC)
From the late 1800s to the early 1990s, as many as 900 miners at a time labored to remove nearly 4 million tons of coal—“black diamonds”—from the ground in what is now Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve near Antioch in Contra Costa County.

As interesting for its human history and artifacts (mine shafts, cemeteries, crumbled buildings) as for its 65 miles of pet-friendly trails, this 5,375-acre open-space oasis, part of the East Bay Regional Park District, is an off-the-beaten-track find for DogTrekkers.

The hilly, oak-studded landscape reminiscent of the Sierra foothills melds into oak chaparral and evergreen forest to keep things interesting for you and Daisy. more »
From the late 1800s to the early 1990s, as many as 900 miners at a time labored to remove nearly 4 millions tons of coal—“black diamonds”—from the ground in what is now Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve near Antioch in Contra Costa County.
yellow and black lab on hiking trail
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With state finances in the pits and many state parks facing service reductions or even outright closure, it’s refreshing to know that forward-thinking Alameda and Contra Costa counties are home to  the largest urban park district in the United States.

Many of the 65 parks included in the East Bay Regional Parks District are not known outside the region; in fact, many Northern Californians don’t even know the EBPRPD exists. more »
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