A great place for the entire family. A beautiful park where you don't have to drive for hours to…read morevisit. On the weekends, parking is $5. Best to get there early because parking fills up quick. I was there for a BBQ on July 25th, at 10 a.m., and I was able to make parking in the overflow. There's parking on the outside street, but that fills up quick, as well. Anyway, inside the park, there's a long trail that goes all the way around the lake. There's boat rental, either kayak, paddle boat, you can rent a tour boat. I think you can bring your own boat, but it's best to call and make sure. There's BBQ and picnic benches. Volleyball court. A lot of green grass to sit, play sports. There's only one restroom near the boating area, and a few small restrooms if you trek around the lake. There are plenty of hiking trails. There's camping as well. An outdoor Cafe next to the boats. No swimming or wading. You can fish, but I wouldn't eat what you catch. There's warning signs about the water.

So this reservoir was built in 1874 but closed to public, then opened for recreational use in the…read more60s. So the trails around the lake have matured really well. Like most parts of the paved trails are very well shaded from trees that have grown over those years. My dog and I walk for around an hour to hour and a half, so we usually pick west or east from the parking lot and return the same way. I think we've only explored like half of the lake so far. I've seen wild turkeys, deers, rabbits, and ducks around. And if you are wearing overear headphones, you get the natures remix with all the birds and insects chirping.

We always bring our dog to the Dog trail here. Friendly people and has many dogs coming here for…read morewalk. (Unleashed areas) It could be really windy once you get to the top, so please bring a jacket if you can. This is also a great place to watch sunset in the bay area. You can see the whole SF city and bay bridge clearly on some days. You can also watch flights landing at SFO.

"Not as boring as I thought it would be"…read more I often visit Lake Chabot, but decided to try out this location instead. There's plenty of parking on the street close by. There does not appear to be any facilities anywhere in the park. On the map, it looks like just one paved trail going up the hill, but there's a lot more dirt trails as well. When you get close to the top, there's great views of Lake Chabot. Perhaps the highlight of my visit was the historical Nike missile launch site. It's fenced off so you can't get too close, but you can still see some old buildings. It's right next to the amateur radio antenna structure. So while this is still is not one of my favorite parks, it's a decent place to visit, once or twice.

Our favorite place for quiet contemplation. Enjoying the weather, sounds of running water and…read moreenjoying the best secret in town. Again, staff was busy making the garden look even more lovely. The hardworking, friendly and talented staff are the best.

Five stars because it costs no yen…read more As far as Japanese gardens go, this one is my least favorite because it is rectangular, with a visible metal fence perimeter, with ugly trash and graffiti visible from across the creek and no opportunities to feed the koi fish. Three things, though, that make it special is that they have memorial plaques, stray cats, and blowtorched wood for an aged and weather-resistant finish. From 1913-1962, the site was a practice site for farming and raising livestock for Hayward Union High. It became a garden by the late 1970s, and when dedicated in 1980, focusing on botany (with plants donated by local Japanese-American nurseries) rather than religion. Every first Saturday at 1pm there's a free lecture/tour. It's not especially beautiful or big (3.5 acres) or exciting (the few people I saw there were on their phones), but it's a peaceful, clean area. I think informational displays could help people enjoy it more. Or phone chargers. Information like, many of the wooden connections (including the main entry gate) have notches instead of notches to fit together like puzzle pieces. This more authentic approach prevents rust. Or, the garden uses the Shakkei technique: when you can stand at the highest point, the surrounding trees are meant to look like distant mountains, with specific plants blended with the Japanese maples and native Oaks to make the garden feel ten timers larger than its actual 3.5 acres. Or, the hand-selected granite boulders from the Sierra Nevadas are buried one-third into the ground so it looks like they are growing, which is why I don't manicure myself often. .

The High Ridge Loop Trail is part of the Garin/Drycreek East Bay Regional Parks. This trail might…read morebe considered one of the more strenuous hikes, but also one with great views. You can access this trail from the main entrance "down below," or via the Whipsnake trail. Trail was in good shape today. I was able to traverse it with my mountain bike without any trouble. Not much cover, so can be really hot!

I'm not someone who suffers from a syndrome I like to call "hiking hubris", I.e., I don't…read moremindlessly skip along on loose gravel presuming I have the scaling dexterity of a Nepalese sherpa. The De La Veaga Trail is rated as "Moderate", and they're not kidding. It connects Scotts Peak off Grizzly Peak Blvd in Tilden Park with central Orinda near the BART station. I didn't think these two points connected until I saw there was a whole area called Siesta Valley. While it's rustically scenic with Mt. Diablo views, there is little else except steep hillsides and the two trails that traverse it of which the De La Veaga is the longer one. It started on a narrow but relatively flat trail that runs along Grizzly Peak judging from the sound of traffic from above. Once I turned into the valley itself, the gravel felt a lot looser, and there were long stretches of mud even though it had not rained in over three weeks. The trail climbed pretty abruptly into the ridge line overlooking Hwy 24 in the distance. There was a cattle gate that signaled the trail was going to descend. It did and right onto a fire road where the pastoral setting was interrupted by the presence of high voltage power towers. Surprisingly it was on the way down winding into Orinda where I faced most of the challenge as there wasn't much traction provided by the loose gravel on the road. I slipped several times coming down the hill to the point where I had to pause and acknowledge my age. Perhaps walking sticks are a good idea at least for a "Moderate" trail although I have to say some that are labeled in that category were not as challenging as this one. Walking back to my starting point was much more manageable because I knew the watch-out points. This is probably not a trail that I'll walk frequently. RELATED - Up for a hike? Here's a collection of trails that I've walked and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2OrC8nU

SIESTA VALLEY RECREATION AREA is managed by East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD), which has…read morea business address of 375 11th Street in Oakland, CA. Siesta Valley Recreation Area takes the form of huge series of rolling hills, mostly taking the form of grassy meadows, with scenic groves of eucalyptus trees located here and there. The attached Google map photo shows how the trail weaves through groves of trees (see, PHOTO). There is one main trail, which can best be accessed by parking at the parking lot for the Little Train. The second of the two attached Google map photos shows where to find the Little Train parking lot, and the nearby trail that leads you to the main trail in Siesta Valley (see, other PHOTO). The Little Train is well-known by most people in the East Bay, particularly by folks living in Oakland or in Berkeley. Once you have parked near the Little Train, Siesta Valley Recreation Area is best accessed by hiking south on BAY AREA RIDGE TRAIL. After about 20 minutes, you will arrive at the SCOTT'S PEAK TRAILHEAD. The trail is easy to find and easy to follow, because it takes the form of a well-groomed dirt road. The good quality and distinct nature of this dirt road trail is similar to that of EAST RIDGE TRAIL, which is located in REDWOOD REGIONAL PARK, located a couple of miles south of Siesta Valley Recreation Area. MAIN FEATURES. The trail takes about 90 minutes to hike from the western trailhead (Scott's Peak Trailhead) to the eastern trailhead (located on Camino Pablo Avenue in Orinda, CA, just north of the Orinda BART station). What is attractive about this hike are: (1) A great opportunity for aerobic exercise; (2) Grand vistas of distant Mount Diablo and, on occasion, the attractive sight of thick blankets of low-hanging cloud-cover that block the view of towns between Orinda and Mount Diablo; (3) Beautiful sculptural qualities of the rolling hills that you will see during your hike along the entire trail; (4) The opportunity to see occasional deer; (5) Wildflowers and plants such as, Fuller's teasel. The scenery and wild plants found during your hike at Siesta Valley Recreation Area are similar to that encountered on hikes in the western half of LAS TRAMPAS in Castro Valley. What is similar between this part of LAS TRAMPAS and Siesta Valley Recreation Area are the rolling hills that are mostly bare of trees, the lack of crowds of other hikers, and the need to carry an EBMUD hiking pass.

It's hidden and tucked back from the Main Street in a rather industrial area, but it's a beautiful…read moreoasis. There were tons of park benches and big tees for shade, and it's also close to a tennis or marina club that has a restaurant, but I don't know if it's members only. There is also a dog park. Very nice park and perfect round about path for a walk on the waterfront. Nice little gem in San Leandro.

Got up decided I will walk Marina. Go wash clothes and get Nug ticket…read more So, I walked 20 min. Out of shape and back began to hurt! It's ok! Baby steps. Ok at the Nug if you purchase something from Jeeter get a free gift. From last movie night. So we will see. I love free. So it's 9:24am. At the Nug u get a % off if you're early. So b4 10am I believe. We will c.

What an absolutely cute spot. I don't even care that I first missed the sign and were went past it…read more I don't even care that we got there At 8:30 because they open at 11 and we still had a long line to wait in. Just loved my day there

It's one of those hidden gems. A perfect place to spend…read morehalf a day in open water with kids. Not too far for tri valley resident. There is plenty of areas to lay your mats or raise tents. Shallow waters for little ones. They do provide vests onsite but must be limited. The floaties and tubes are allowed only in certain areas. There are always lifeguards on duty. Limited parking And reservation is per day per person. $6 per person. They close it once they are full. Place is open 11-6. We reached around 11:30 and it was almost full. There are changing rooms, shower and restrooms for both men and women. Life guard was on duty and at one point they did ask everyone to come out. They also have a diving deck which is 11 feet deep. There are picnic areas too. People were having picnic, celebrating birthdays and grilling. Perfect for a hot tri valley afternoon. No food onsite so carry everything. There is 5 min walk from parking lot so you need to drag your beach stuff. Recommend to get one of those beach carts. Only drawback the beach/ sandy part is limited and it was mostly occupied and sand is coarse.