Whether it be biking, fishing, or even just for a walk you'll get an exceptional view of the Carquinez Strait. The majority of biking or walking is done on asphalt and for this type of activity is completely free. There are three self-contained RV sites available at first come first serve basis. No dump available. Restrooms are at the other end of the park and far from these sites. Majority of the time there are no staff at the entrance, but parking fees can be paid via drop box. read more

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Really pretty trails, watch out for bikers. Even on a hot day by the water so nice and windy great trails. Gotta pay for parking. read more

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Walk in nature and along the waters of thr Bay. Exceptional view of the Carquinez Strait and bridge.

Very nice in the FALL with warm sun, cool breeze, and the fall leaves. Sad I didn't get any pictures of the beautiful trees with all the fall color. Had a great 3 mile walk in the best weather. Lots of folks were out as well. There is an entrance fee to get it at $6.00. When we went, there was a park employee taking parking payments at the gate. She offered a map, which we didn't need. She was very pleasant. read more

Benicia State Recreation Area - Parks Near Me - Benicia, California

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In need for a walk but don't got the funds to go here? Rent a state park pass from your local library! It's super duper worth it especially being able to go to various state parks in CA. Support your local library This is my second time visiting Benicia State Park & I would say it's so worth going here if you have the time. The park ranger was nice & gave me a map and a brief overview of the state park. There are various places to park your vehicle & various walking trails with different levels of walkability to walk around at in the park. The path I took while here was the one at the end of parking area. This pathways walk along the bay, you can see various types of animals(usually squirrels & smaller rodents) walking alongside this trail. When I went there wasn't much people. This pathways is more easy going & doesn't require that much willpower to walk alongside this path. Going down this pathway you can see the Carquinez Bridge & the train across the bay, if you like relaxing & beautiful view of the bay I would recommend taking this pathway. Another interesting thing about this park is the mini garden area, at this place they have various types of plants & flowers. The layout of the garden is in a zigzag pattern so you'll spend most of your time walking around this area if you do explore it(around 20-30mins). If you get tired walking around the area there are many benches along the main road & on the pathways. read more

Benicia State Recreation Area - Parks Near Me - Benicia, California

This makes for a nice, scenic walk. Not much of a hike, but a nice, consistent stroll for a sunny day. The trails near the water are quite peaceful and there are interesting plants to admire along the way. **Beware of the critters**. On this particular day I saw a snake, squirrels, and a rat! This was closer towards the water, if you walk on the path that is paved, you will probably see less of the critters. read more

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** The following review reflects my experience DURING the COVID-19 pandemic. ** On the outskirts of Benicia (if you can imagine Benicia in a skirt, a pencil one probably) is this rustic area of grassy hills and marshlands hugging the north shore of the narrowest part of the Carquinez Strait. I only point out the narrowness because big storage tankers came chugging by precariously close to the rocky shore. There's a $6 car entrance fee which explains why Jamie W. and I saw a lot of locals walking on the winding road to Dillon's Point where quite a few people had fishing poles firmly planted. Otherwise you could do what we did and just stroll along the water toward the Carquinez Bridge. That was about it, but with the views, it was enough as social distancing was no problem here. RELATED - Up for a hike? Here's a collection of trails I've walked and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2OrC8nU read more

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Pay your small fee for a window sticker and drive down to the end of the road for doing some hiking. The path along the shore from there is fairly short, but interesting, the best is the hiking above to some of the view point. Very worth the time for those hikes and they aren't very long. Great views - especially of the bridge from Crockett. read more

You directed me to park in a certain spot and I ignored you. I made you walk a quarter mile up the trail, kiss me, then turn right back around and walk to the car. You seemed not to mind. We came back a few weeks later and you saw my head in a fluorescent pill and you let me see yours safely capped in your own little pill. A+ for safety! We stopped to try the pullup bar. I guessed your favorite tree. We offroaded to a picnic table and you hated my lychee jelly so now I know to bring you cold Yukon gold potatoes. We rated bridge aesthetics and sat a while with each other at that bench. Then we swapped bikes and you liked how zippy my single speed was. We ended the afternoon blasting AC inside the car and exploring some hang ups which turned out not to be hang ups. read more

Depending on where you park, the walking/running/biking path from start to finish is about 5 1/2 miles and I love it! It's flat land with little inclines so to me it is fairly easy to run or walk... the difficulty is to keep up your endurance for the entire stretch. I'm a work in progress hahaha Since COVID, the park has put up signs to remind everyone to be courteous to one another via social distancing and what side to be on if you are on a bike or walking/running. The best time to come here is in the morning because the weather is comfortable and there is just enough people to make you feel safe without you feeling you have to weave through people. As many times as I have come here though, it never gets super crowded. Everyone is so kind out here so enjoy the park, the views, smiling faces, and people waving hi. Perfect place to start shedding the Quarantine 15! read more

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I have many, many fond memories of this park. As a child, my Dad and I would come here to walk and utilize the exercise "equipment" that can be found along the trail. Many times, my entire family would come here to go on a family walk. As I grew older and started preparing myself for the Police Academy, I again utilized this park's 5 mile jogging path to get myself at least somewhat conditioned. There's also been times that my Father, Gramps, and I took advantage of the good fishing that can be found near the end of the parks border. As you can see, there's plenty for a family to do and enjoy here. I've always found it to be safe. Never had an issue where safety's concerned. Exercising, fishing, photography, nature walks....all this and more can be done. Parking fee is $6 bucks if you park in one of two main parking lots. One side there's a Ranger there collecting fees but on the other side, it works on an honor system. Parking can be found along the street just outside the park for free. read more

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Benicia is filled with so many wonderful little hidden gems, and Benicia State Park is definitely one of them. First off, how about those views?! The main walking path will take you along the outskirts of the Southampton Bay. It's so peaceful and serene here. The sunsets are truly heartwarming, especially when they're being casted right off of the bay. Although this park is entitled "Benicia" State Park, a large portion of the recreation is actually located in Vallejo too. There's a parking lot near the entrance that charges a $6 day use fee. My advice: unless you're planning on lugging a bunch of stuff into the recreational area, but find parking along the street and walk over. I was able to find lots of street park less than a half mile away from the entrance. There's a mix of paved and unpaved walking, running, and biking trails within the park. None of the trails are intense, so I wouldn't come here with the intention of doing any strenuous hiking. However, the trails are perfect for walking, running, and biking too. There's lot of places to picnic near the recreation, and there's even a beach-like cove where that's perfect for getting your feet wet on a warm day. This park comes equipped with picnic tables, barbecue pits, and restrooms. So many shady spots to relax near while you take in the views. There are some excellent views of the Carquinez Bridge along some of the trails. What I really enjoy most about this recreation is how few people that you'll actual find here. It's incredibly peaceful and at time you'll be able to have certain sections of the park all to yourself. Maybe I shouldn't be exposing this gem because it's just too beautiful NOT to share. If you're looking for a peaceful place to explore in Solano County, Benicia State Park is it. read more

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First time taking my pup on a hike here, great option to get my dog used to exploring on a leash. It's nice and flat and mostly gravel, lots of bikers as well. I like that there are separate lanes for runners/hikers and bikers, makes it easier to navigate and enjoy the hike without worrying about getting hit or being in a biker's way. read more

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Got a chance to walk here this week! It's a huge park and lots of areas for picnic and walking. It's mainly flat so a good option for an easy hike. It has a breathtaking views too if you walk around the water. There is a $6 parking fee. And they only accept cash or check (they're still fixing their machines). It was recommended that there are some street parkings too but we opted to park inside. There are lots of picnic areas too!!! read more

Beautiful park for a jog, walk, bike ride or hike. Not much traffic as far as cars and people. But during the rainy season it has been a number of trees down and debris. Always someone here fishing as well. Plenty of parking at a small fee or park in the shopping plaza across the way and walk over the over pass. You can see Mt Diablo across the water and other nice views. So make a visit for a workout, picnic outing, leisurely walk or whatever your WooSah is! read more

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We stay here periodically at the camp sites. There are no hookups, however there is a water faucet In the middle of the three camping spots. It is a perfect spot for overnight an exploring the area if you do not need electricity or sewage dump. It is only $12.00 a night and there is a 1 night only Rule as well as no tent camping. Also 9 AM checkout, so you can imagine that it's usually easy to find a spot. It is quite a large park and beautiful with water all over. If you're here in the right season, you could even pick some wild berries. As you can see from the pictures, there is quite a lot of space for each campsite. Great for nature hikes and kids to get out and explore right next to Benecia. We have seen quite a few joggers and people doing exercise here. Quite a bit of wildlife later in the evening also. read more

Benicia State Recreation Area - Spacious camping - Parks Near Me - Benicia, California

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Great place to hike overall and an excellent spot for fishing. A lot of people do miss this small park off the freeway however if you visit this area. You will not be disappointed. Plenty of parking. read more

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I spent an hour walking with friends here and it made me remember how wonderful it feels to go on hikes! It was so quiet and peaceful. The trail here is paved and very flat. So, it was an easy leisurely walk. It was very green from all the rains. read more

Benicia State Recreation Area - Parks Near Me - Benicia, California

I love this place. It's incredibly stunning all year-round and peaceful every single time I go. Beautiful place to walk, jog, bike, explore, hike, BBQ, picnic. There are bathrooms and garbage cans and water fountains at the end and a few spigots along the way if you need water. There are also receptacles to put your used fishing hooks in along the water. A cute little botanical garden. Lots of shaded and unshaded picnic tables with gorgeous views. Lots of wildlife, mainly beautiful sea birds and various ground squirrel type creatures, butterflies, dragonflies and such. I only deducted a point because the road signs/markings seem to confuse people. Drivers should go slow please because you will need to carefully and cautiously maneuver around people walking and biking on all parts of the road. It requires a bit of patience so if you have road rage, maybe steer clear. It's a breathtaking place to be outdoors, get some exercise and breathe the fresh air. read more

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This is the closest park to me that will let me get some good cardio in with nature, without driving an hour or so to go to a good hiking trail. Parking: $6 if you want to park inside, but I take the Military West Exit and park on the side of the road and start my walk/run from there. Scenery: Not much. Mostly marshes and grass. When it's hot, it's dry and brown...but because of the recent rain this whole place was green and there were some flowers blooming which my dog and I loved. My favorite part of this trail would be when you hit the fishing area and there's a mini beach with a view of the Carquinez Bridge. The wind feels really good after a run or brisk walk with your dog! Difficulty: It's a straight and pretty much flat trail, so it's only as difficult as you make it to be for your own personal workout :) There's also some monkey bars and other things like that that test your upper body strength along the way as well. read more

Benicia State Recreation Area - Parks Near Me - Benicia, California

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Great place for walking with no hills. I like to go in the morning to get in 5 miles from Military Rd entrance to the end and back. Kids are ok bike riding, strollers, you name it. Lots of wildlife to observe there as well. There is a cool native plant garden to check out. Plenty of benches and or picnic tables to picnic if you want to drive in too. If you can, hike down (unpaved) past the bathrooms around the corner. The view is worth it! read more

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Nice spot to go and get a run, bike ride or walk. There are a few different trails (paved trail, coastal trail, etc). It cost $6 on weekends to enter. Plenty of parking available. The paved trail is the first trail you'll see- it's the road you drive on upon entering. The coastal trail is a rocky fort trail along the coast line- views of the water, seals and the Carquinez bridge. People are usually fishing along the coastal trail. The trails weren't over packed and people were respectful of other hikers. Dog friendly as long as the dogs are on a leash. read more

First time here in the late afternoon. This place is absolutely beautiful and serene. Quite windy though. We can't wait to,go back.

Recently got back into biking and came here for a good workout. This was my first time coming here in years! It's pretty much how I remember it. There's about 5 miles of a paved main trail, fishing spots, and picnic tables throughout. There are also some great views to be had here, too. There are also a couple overnight campsites available as well. As far as the bike workout goes, it can give you a pretty decent cardio workout due to some small hilly areas throughout. I usually bike from the parking lot to the picnic area at the end of the trail, and do it twice, which equals to about 10 miles according to Strava. I recommend this place if you're looking for a good workout on foot or on two wheels. read more

Benicia State Recreation Area - Nice views at the picnic area at the end of the paved trail. - Parks Near Me - Benicia, California

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Beautiful and lovely walk! Breathtaking views! $6 entrance fee per person. Dog friendly. 5 small parking lots. The drive in past the kiosk is often full of walkers and bikers, youre advised to drive slowly at 15 mph. Masks are required in the park and most folks were following the rule. The native plant garden was cute! The shoreline trail is a pretty flat dirt trail. The width of the trail definitely varies, and can make social distancing a bit hard when walking by small groups and families. Lots of picnic tables with great views. In the wet season, the more you explore and go towards the view of the bridge it gets quite rocky/muddy and can be very slippery just a heads up! Have fun! read more

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This park seems like it would be an ideal place for joggers, walkers, and bicyclist or to fish. I went to look for birds or other wildlife and I did not see any the day I went. The park seems pretty barren; there are not any trees or bushes to break up the landscape. There are, however, windswept beaches and nice views of the bridges. I will come back and look again, there might be things of interest that I missed. I just bypassed the pay here box and continued in the park the day I went. Perhaps I missed something of interest because I was busy looking for the ranger that was going to ask for my entry pass and arrest me. read more

Awesome park and I always find barbecue grills are always available and plenty of parking..!

Great Views to check out and on a jog and get some excercise and mental clarity as well.

I have been going here non-routinely most of my life. I went fishing here as a kid, attended group picnics, went walking when pregnant with my first. I returned today to run with a friend. Some things have changed over the years: Parking is tough to come by & $5 now. Some things have stayed the same: There's a one car road into the parking lot, a porta potty, randomly placed wooden exercise stations, excellent views of the bay, and a drinking fountain at both ends of the 2.5 mile path. There are some remote spots, so bring a friend for safety. There are tons of great picnic tables and some parking spaces past the gate in the middle. Restrooms are locked up for the winter. Not sure how often the unlock them in the summer. I had a great run today with a childhood friend. The path has a few rolling mounds/inclined but is mostly flat. read more

Really a cool place to run!! Wasn't expecting Benicia to be so nice, actually never really thought about Benicia. Period. I was just visiting my parents, decided to run more than 5 miles, yelped it (THANK YOU YELP YET AGAIN), and Benicia State Park came up. So, parking is $4 bucks. Minimal price to pay for running w/ such great picturesque views surrounding you. You can opt for street parking, but there are signs all over preventing you from doing that. Besides, park rangers are actually doing their job...saw a few of them patrolling around regularly. The "Bay Trail" was awesome. We ran through it for a little over 5 miles. Went through cute beach type homes; felt like I was on vacation. Was daydreaming throughout most of my run. Thinking, "Aw it's so nice here" but then BAM! A kite almost hit me. Haha, you have to watch out for those. Or at least pay attention. LOL I think I may have just found a new running spot when visiting the parentals. Nice! read more

Benicia State Recreation Area - Parks Near Me - Benicia, California

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So I took my kids to pick up some wood tools around San Ramon and Rohnert Park but I didn't want to waste a whole day on the road and I promised the kids park time. I wanted a park that was either on our way and not divert us from our original trip. Yelped it, says closing soon (it was 5 something and we were stuck in traffic but it was a pretty view of winery). We figure we drive by and check it out to see if it's worth returning back some other time. We arrived at the park and the friendly park ranger said we had a few hours before sunset, so paid the $6 parking fee and we slowly drove the 15mph road (that was difficult so I just put it on cruise). We came to a round about/dead end, yey bathroom!. We walked down the path near the stair, didn't think much as the area we went down to had big slippery rocks with a huge tree bark, picture time. Kids saw birds, ducks, squirrels, lizard, and heard stuff around the bush...so I picked my little girl and demand buddy to follow back to the car to get my pocket knife. Ok we're back on our voyage, saw a huge rock, of course buddy wants to climb it and of course I said "sure but not all the way to the top," and sissy wanted Snapchat. We heard train horn, saw a few train on the other side, buddy enjoyed that. kept on walking and came to the best part of the park. It was perfect! Kids took off their slippers, got in the water, up to ankle only: I'm not the best swimmer, I have two kids with no life jackets and we didn't have any change of clothes. We'll be prepared next time. Kids thought the water was just right, not as cold as Lake Tahoe which they are looking forward to going camping next month. For those who want to camp here, RV camping only ($12 a night). That's not the kind of camping we like but then again we haven't tried RV camping and I don't think I'm an extreme backpacker kind of person either. We're more in the middle: I still want running toilet, shower, and not have to worry about bears getting to my food/us. But I'll definitely try the RV camping here one day. Little girl had to pee, so off we go. The little princess is exhausted and didn't want her feet dirty so I had to give her a piggy back, she ain't light and I'm too old for this! Note to self, bring water shoes, towel, life jackets, sun block, biodegradable soap, and RV with an ATV lol. Bathroom: clean, well supplied with TP, but no hand soap (which is a norm for state/nat'l parks). Sissy asked who painted the toilet seat black, she like the retro look (she gets that from me). read more

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Lost in the wondrous East Bay with a friend but both of us armed with cameras, we were originally searching for a different wilderness area but discovered it was too far away.... being on a time schedule, we had passed and decided to backtrack to this state park, especially when we saw from the highway it was bordering a body of water. We both thought it quite steep for a $6 day-use fee with a vehicle so we wanted to get as much possible out of our measly fee paid by driving all the way to the last lot next to the water. We then trekked to the water and though very unkept as far as maintenance of the grounds goes, the views and numerous picnic areas seen and knew this place must be VERY busy during the height of summer period. With cameras in hand, we saw many boats cruising around, two Amtrak trains, the Carquinez Bridge and straits, many small lizards, a dove, many seagulls, a very active egret, and many unusually pocked standstones that I would normally see on a northern California coast. Many people fishing and jogging, though not at the same time. Nice peaceful area with lots of potential if only they would spend a bit of non-existent money to spruce up the park. Aside from fast-moving travel on I-80 E or W-bound, am not usually in the area, but if I were would visit again! Many areas for parking! One thing I did notice that was very apparent, this park to me seemed very STaRK as compared to other state parks I've been to. DISCLAIMER: Items, things seen by my friend and I during this visit may or may not be seen during your visit. I will not be responsible for the control of things seen by persons while at the state park. Venture at your own risk in reference to my description. PHOTOGRAPHICALLY SPEAKING: On this particular day it was hot, clear skies but with a nice breeze. Everything was so dry we even passed up seeing the gardens which we both usually would see as we enjoy photographing flora. You will need your super-sensitive eyesight in order to SEE all of the details and especially those tiny lizards!! Lots of seabirds - no pelicans though but in general the unique perspective of seeing the great bay from yet another Bay Area location for pictures made this spot a joy. You can make this a picnic to enjoy a relaxing time makes this a good spot for pictures in you're in the woods nearby. Am sure on a more cloudy/foggy day the scenes would be more interesting! read more

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Passerby only walk the paved trail.. I recommend for you to drive all the way up(&6.00) to park inside the park.. Then hike the down by the water.. Great scenery , abundance of wildlife and if you're brave enough, walk the Benicia trail towards the bridge.. Wear weatherproof shoes .. Possibility you might get wet if you decide to take the shore trail. read more

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Where do I even start!! I was in such a pickle last night. The RV that we rented broke down in Fairfield. We had plans to camp around Burney Falls but because of the delays we had to cancel our whole RV trip and needed a place we could camp out for the night. Nancy who's a park ranger here at Benicia was so wonderful! She helped us get one of their 2 enroute RV camping spot so we had a secured place to stay for the night. Great rest area for any RV'ers! Keep in mind that you do have to check out the next morning by 9am. It's super easy though, just pull out of the RV spot and parallel along the road. Each site comes with a camping table and BBQ pit. No tent camping and only self-contained campers with restrooms since they don't have any showers, facilities, or hookups on site. The area has fantastic views of the bay and there's lots of fishers, joggers in the area. Shoutouts to Nancy again for helping us out! read more

Benicia State Recreation Area - The Enroute RV site we stayed at - Parks Near Me - Benicia, California

Nestled between the bay and the 780 freeway lies the Benicia State Park. It is nice place to relax, to take a stroll, ride a bicycle or run. There are really cool nature walk trails that take you right up to the waters edge. I didn't really see any animals other than some small birds, but I did hear some type of animals rustling in the bushes. At one point, this park was going to shutdown due to state budget cuts. I am glad that it is still open, happy that I was able to make it by and enjoy the park today. read more

Benicia State Recreation Area - Nice day at the state park. - Parks Near Me - Benicia, California

Really nice size park! Beautiful natural surroundings for a long run or bike ride. Plenty of picnic tables for parties. And there's a flight of stairs that goes down towards the water and the Carquinez bridge. The bathrooms are also pretty clean for a park! But they do close the gates at sunset so don't get locked in! :P read more

Beautiful park, DONT drink the water from the water fountains. My friend and I are both sick from it.

Beautiful state park. I would do a five star review for the beauty, the nice paved trail, and the fact that they allow dogs. I also appreciate the fact that they have bathrooms, grills, campsites, and spots for fishing. However, this trail is very dangerous. I walk here with my children and pets almost daily. Recently, this park has become very dangerous. They have a 15 mph speed limit on the same road that pedestrians and bicyclists share. cars drive well over 15 miles an hour and the speed limit is not enforced. at the entrance of the state park it is well marked which side of the road is for pedestrians and which side of the road is for bicyclists. When the entrance leads to the main shared road with cars, the state park changed sides that the pedestrians and bicyclists use. this change is not clearly marked and painted on the floor like it is at the main entrance. There are signs saying that there is a Switch in sides. Once again, this is not enforced. This has been dangerous as bicyclists think that they are in the right lane when they are not and they will not move over for pedestrians. There have been several times where myself my dogs, or my child have either almost been ran over by speeding cars or bicyclists. The state park has potential if this would be enforced read more

Great place to get a walk/jog/run in. Also equipment to do pull ups and dips. As a active gym person this a great place for a break from my normal gym routine. Parking can be tricky at times due to the charge for parking inside. Outside parking fills quickly. read more

I have mixed feeling about this Park. We visited in mid-August, everything above the water and wetlands was dry a uninviting. Maybe this would be better in the spring and might be a good place to camp then. The parking lot at the end of the road was full. We could see people near the water. Some were fishing. read more