East Bay Regional Park District

2950 Peralta Oaks Ct.
Oakland, California 94605
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Local Phone: (888) 327-2757

The East Bay Regional Park District spans Alameda and Contra Costa counties east of San Francisco with more than 125,000 acres in 73 parks and 1,250 miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding, nature study—and, of course, dog walking/hiking.

The Park District offers lakes, shorelines, campgrounds, visitor centers, interpretive and recreation programs, picnic areas, indoor/outdoor rental facilities and much more. For dogs and the humans who follow, the EBRPD is one of the most dog-friendly entities in the state of California.

• Dogs must be leashed (six-foot maximum) and under control at any posted area, parking lot, picnic site, lawn or developed area.

• Dogs may be off-leash in open space and undeveloped areas of parklands, provided they are under control at all times.

• Undeveloped areas are un-posted and unpaved trails or open space areas that are separated from developed areas by a distance of at least 100 yards or by fences.

• You must remove your dog's waste from all park property and dispose of it in a garbage can or carry it out of the park.

• Do not leave dog waste in plastic bags along the trails as it is considered littering.

• For your convenience, plastic bags are provided in many parks and along some trails, but as a precaution, please carry extras with you.

alameda, contra costa, hike, picnic, water, history, voice control, leash

Putting paws to paths around Concord

Pups love the Mt. Diablo Region.

Get tails a’waggin’ on trails at one of the East Bay Regional Parks District preserves serving Contra Costa and Alameda counties. The 73 preserves include between them 125,000 acres of open space and 1,250 miles of trails. Yes, that’s a lot! Start, perhaps, by exploring Lime Ridge Open Space, held jointly by Concord and Walnut Creek. Its 1,200 acres are criss-crossed by 25 miles of dog-friendly pathways. more »

Juneteenth FREE Park Day In East Bay Regional Parks

Courtesy of the East Bay Regional Park District

The very dog-friendly East Bay Regional Park District is partnering with Outdoor Afro to commemorate Juneteenth by waiving park entry fees on Saturday, June 19, 2021. Juneteenth is an annual recognition of the 250,000 enslaved Black Americans in Texas who were notified of their freedom on June 19, 1865, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect.

“There is no better place than parks to reflect on Juneteenth, the end of slavery, and today’s ongoing social justice issues,” said Park District Board President Dee Rosario. “The District embraces diversity, inclusion and promotes equal access for all.” Learn more here. more »

Pick A Dog-Friendly Trail, Any Trail

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 »

Wag Tails for Oakland!

Photo: Instagram @thecharliebean

Yes, Oakland is a vibrant urban place to visit, but it’s not all about dog-friendly ale and wine trails, waterfront dining and hotels (more about that below). As dog-centric locals know, one of the pleasures of living here is proximity to many open-space preserves where you can flee the big-city hustle-bustle and revel with your pup in the shade of redwoods or atop grassy ridges with panoramic views. more »

Open Space Rambles for You and Your Dog

Diablo Foothills Regional Park - Photo Credit: @oaklandanne

Concord and neighboring communities are surrounded by thousands of acres of protected open space cherished by locals and visitors alike. At this time of year, the hills are neon green, the weather cool and the trails ideal for DogTrekking. If you’re new to the area and up for a jaunt of an hour or more, start on the Contra Costa Canal Trail, one of the most popular paths in the East Bay Regional Park District system. more »

In the Tri-Valley, Wide Open Space for You and Your Dog

Sycamore Valley Open Space Preserve <br/> Photo Credit: @mr_wigglebutt

Sycamore Valley Open Space Preserve
Photo Credit: @mr_wigglebutt

The story behind why the Tri-Valley region has more open space than urban sprawl is long and complex, but there’s no arguing with the results! All four towns in the region are situated in close proximity to parcels within the vast East Bay Regional Park system, where dogs can hike with their people off-leash in many open-space and undeveloped areas, provided they are under strict voice control at all times. more »

Chasing Cascades in the Bay Area

Sunol Regional Wilderness <br/> Photo Credit: @chico_the_boston_terrier

Sunol Regional Wilderness
Photo Credit: @chico_the_boston_terrier

From easy family hikes to certified huffer-puffers, the hills and streams of the San Francisco Bay Area are at their voluptuous best in spring. Short on time but need some fresh air for yourself, your dog and your kids? Head to Fairway Falls, a 30-foot seasonal gusher in Novato reached via a family-friendly, mile-long round trip. more »

Hike Your Tails Off

Pretty Pittie at Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve - Photo Credit: @ac_sivs

Oakland is surrounded by hills, and the hills—luscious green at this time of year—are laced with hiking trails. You don’t have to go far from downtown Oakland to access one of the close-in preserves managed by the East Bay Regional Park District, which oversees more than 65 open-space areas with 1,250 miles of trails between them. A perk you won’t find on many other public lands: more »

What and Where is Tri-Valley?

Macaroni exploring Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park. <br/>Photo Credit: @pennandpaww

Macaroni exploring Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park.
Photo Credit: @pennandpaww

Three valleys and four cities make up the Tri-Valley region, which away from urban areas is characterized by rolling hills studded with gnarly oaks and sprawling vineyards. It’s less than an hour from San Francisco or Sacramento, straddling the line between Alameda and Contra Costa counties on the “sunny side” of the bay. Dog-friendly hotels, restaurants, wineries and craft breweries abound as you explore the three valleys—Livermore, Amador and San Ramon—from which the region takes its name. more »

East Bay Regional Park District

Happy dogs at Point Isabel. Photo Credit: @theemmanation

The Bay Area wouldn’t be what it is without its tawny, oak-studded hills, and we have the East Bay Regional Parks District to thank for keeping many of them accessible to the public. The district manages 65 parks spanning 114,000 acres in Alameda and Contra Costa counties, offering between them some 1,200 miles of dog-friendly trails. Away from developed areas, four-legged friends trained to come when called can trek with you leash free. more »

East Bay Regional Wonders

Hiking Sunol Regional Wilderness. Photo Credit: John Kay (CC)

The East Bay Regional Park District, a network of 65 parks spanning Alameda and Contra Costa counties, is cherished by dogs and their people, and rightly so. Its 1,250 miles of trails dip and dive over 120,536 acres of open space and are enjoyed by hikers, bikers and equestrians as well as DogTrekkers grateful for the opportunity to disconnect from the leash. more »

Dog-friendly Tri-Valley Region Trails

The Bay Area’s Tri-Valley region, just 45 minutes east of San Francisco, is a sunny paradise for hiking dogs and their people, rewarding both with lots of wide open spaces and scenic vistas.

The four cities that make up the Tri-Valley region, Pleasanton, Danville, Dublin and Livermore, each have something special to offer DogTrekkers. What they all have in common is their proximity to the vast East Bay Regional Park system where dogs can hike with their people off-leash in many open space and undeveloped areas, provided they are under control at all times. more »

Put These Hiking Havens On Your Radar

Pits at play. Photo Credit: besuroz

Regional park districts in the Bay Area and beyond offer myriad venues for hiking with your dog. Check out the possibilities and put paws to path this fall! more »

Tri-Valley: The Sunny Side of the Bay

Photo Credit: Elsa Day

The sprawling San Francisco Bay Area, home to more than 7 million people, contains a surprising amount of green space, much of it concentrated in the rolling hills of the East Bay’s Tri-Valley region. Dog-friendly hotels, restaurants and wineries abound, and if you’re looking for places to stretch your legs, the East Bay Regional Park District manages tens of thousands of acres where you can do just that. more »

East Bay Getaways

Cassie at Mission Creek Preserve. Photo: Sean Ness (CC)

What would the East Bay be without its regional parks—all 65 of them?

The East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) marks its 80th birthday this year, and as athank-you to its many users EBRPD is offering, “Free 3rd Fridays” each month for the remainder of the year. Perks include free parking, free boat launching, free entry for dogs and horses, waived swimming fees and free fishing permits. At other times, regular fees apply—but they’re hardly prohibitive. more »

Trail Etiquette With Your Dog

Dog on Fairmont Ridge. Photo: Mary (CC)

We all like to give our dogs the privilege of romping off-leash from time to time, and not just in a fenced dog park. But with that privilege comes responsibility. The East Bay Regional Park District is among the precious few land-management agencies that allow visiting dogs to hike without a leash away from developed areas. Unfortunately, not everyone who visits EBRPD preserves is aware of the impact their friendly companions can have on other visitors. more »

East Bay Hikes

Point Isabel. Photo: Maverick Wyatt Myers

Since DogTrekker.com kicked off in late 2010, our hiking pages and listings have become the most popular features on the site.

Readers continue to be astonished by the wealth of possibilities offered by the 64 parks of the East Bay Regional Parks District, which span 108,000 acres and include 1,200 miles of trails in Contra Costa and neighboring Alameda counties.

Some of the parks are literally in the back yard of bustling Oakland and Berkeley, while others feel so remote you’d never know a city was nearby. more »

Rambling Around Oakland

Dog-loving residents of Oakland have it all: tons of bars and restaurants with dog-friendly outdoor seating; an overall welcoming attitude toward canines; and a wealth of open-space trails, many of which don’t require leashes away from developed areas. The city also has a hip, dog-friendly place to stay in the Waterfront Hotel in the heart of the vibrant Jack London Square dining, shopping and entertainment district. more »

Bonus Trekking Resources

Over the past year, our hiking pages and listings have become the most visited of all activities on DogTrekker.com. In addition to the terrific hikes presented in this newsletter, we have some perennial favorites. Here are some great ways for you and your pup to put paws to the path in 2014. more »

Diamond in the Ruff

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 »

Down in Del Valle

Willow at Del Valle Regional Park

A regional plan adopted in the early 1990s to revitalize agriculture and limit urban sprawl is largely responsible for preserving the Tri-Valley region's semi-rural character. more »

Tri-Valley Treats

Danville

Three valleys, two counties and five distinct cities make up the Tri-Valley region 33 miles south east of San Francisco and 27 miles northeast of San Jose. more »

To the Hills, Spot

Here we are again, just coming off the rainy season. With Jake bouncing off the walls, it's time to head for the hills. more »

Shoreline Rambling

Sometimes the urge to breathe deeply of a sea breeze comes on as strong as an appetite at lunchtime. Fortunately, the East Bay Regional Parks District offers multiple ways to satiate the desire for a shoreline ramble with your best friend. more »

Where Else to Rover Around

Kayla Takes to the Trail

Camp life can be very exciting for a dog, so long as she doesn’t eat too many marshmallows. Dogs are welcome at 90 percent of California campgrounds—it’s the rare one indeed that doesn’t allow pooches. But before you put your credit card down, you’ll want to find out where, outside of developed campsites, Daisy is allowed to hang out. more »

East Bay Regional Park District

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