Lafayette Reservoir was introduced to me by a girlfriend years ago, and it became our meeting place…read morefor a weekly walking date. The trail that follows the perimeter of the reservoir is about 3 miles, an easy, paved, mostly flat walk. There are more challenging trails off the main path if you're so inclined (get it, inclined...?...I'm here all week). A lot of cute dogs to see on the trail, as well as other critters around the park at times, including wild turkeys who think they own the place, and adorable goats which are sometimes brought in to 'mow' the grass. Watching the animals is one of my favorite parts of visiting this place. The sun is often blazing during the warmer months, and much of the area is unshaded, so setting out earlier in the morning is a good idea, and sunscreen and a sun hat are a must. Protect your skin folks, you'll be glad you did. There are multiple picnic areas that can be rented out, and we've had a lovely time celebrating several special occasions here with friends. I've never been out on the water itself, but you can fish here, or rent a paddle boat to go out on. A nice outdoor recreation destination in Contra Costa Co, and a welcome reprieve from daily urban life.

Lafayette Reservoir is a beautiful local park! And there is so much parking and bathrooms with…read moretoilet paper and soap! That's honestly way more than I was expecting. The parking lot we parked in had a max 2 hour limit, which isn't enough time to walk the entire perimeter of the reservoir but it looks like there are other lots that don't have as much time restrictions. Beautiful little walk - not much of a hike because of the paved path, but it's a nice distance and has beautiful views. We would definitely come back again.

Absolute gem! We are so lucky to live minutes away from this incredible park. My husband and I have…read morebeen hiking from Lafayette to Martinez and back for years and the hike never gets old. It is beautiful in all seasons and such a reprieve.

Alhambra Creek Trail - we came back again and had to minus 1 star from our previous review for the…read moreamount of animal droppings along the trail. It attracted a lot of flies, gnats, and mosquitoes. Every few feet, there'll be a swarm of bugs circling. It's a nice trail with a little bit of elevation, but the swarms of bugs made the hike very unpleasant.

I Have biked and hiked and geocached on this trail numerous times. It's t's one of my favorite…read moreplaces to visit, but I don't think there's any bathroom facilities along the way. If you're looking for a beautiful bike ride, this is a great option.

I love visiting the east bay city of Lafayette. There are so many beautiful outdoor trails and the…read moretown itself is adorable. I was looking to get a morning walk in and a family member brought me to this trail which she typically runs. We parked at the community center off of St Mary's road. Just one of many locations that you can catch the trail. Plenty of parking was available. The 7.65 mile trail runs on both sides of St Mary's road through Lafayette and Moraga We decided to cross over to the other side of the street from the community center and walk towards Moraga. The paved trail can be used for biking and horses as well. The trail towards Moraga has quite a bit of inclines and makes for a good workout. I went 2 miles in and turned around at Rheem Blvd for a 4 mile round-trip walk. Beautiful scenery and lots of people walking their dogs.

After all these years of hiking in Contra Costa county we finally decided to go on a hike at…read moreOursan Trail in the Briones area. We parked at the Oursan/Bear Creek Trailhead staging area which is an about 1/2 mile down from the Briones Park Main Entrance on Bear Creek Road. It's fairly large parking lot in comparison to the other entrance at the corner of San Pablo Dam Road and Bear Creek Road. Both the Oursan and Bear Creek Trail require an EBMUD permit which can be purchased at the EBMUD website or at their Headquarters on San Pablo Dam Road. The trail runs along the beautiful Briones Reservoir to the left and the hills of Briones, Lafayette, Orinda and El Sobrante. The trail length is about 1 to 10miles, but you can hike as far as you can and turn around. We hiked about 3 miles in and then turned back since it was getting late. This trail is moderate to easy with a few up and down hills. A few are fairly steep and luckily I had my walking poles to help me. We had our normal tennis shoes on, but the next time we will definitely wear our hiking boots. This is probably one of the best hiking and most serene trails we've been on this year. The trails we've been on at Tilden Park are nice, but Oursan trail is different. On our entire hike we only saw 5 other hikers. If you are looking for a nice trail with very few hikers and spectacular views of the Briones Reservoir, and the hills of Orinda, Lafayette and El Sobrante this is the trail for you. We encountered some cows, but they were off in the distance and were not an issue. Other hikers have told us that the best time to do this trail is in the spring when all the flowers are in full bloom and the hills are nice and green. Dogs are allowed, but will need to be on a leash. No bikes are allowed.

I had been curious about Briones Reservoir because driving on Bear Creek Road, it looked inviting -…read morethough it turns out to be quite a restrictive area when it comes to recreational activities. That explained the complete absence of any boats, canoes, or kayaks on the water. I had read about this particular trail online as it hugs the northern side of the lake from two different staging areas. I stopped first at the Briones Overlook, but found the trailhead blocked by some major excavation occurring around the dam. I then drove over to the Bear Creek staging area which has the trailheads for both the Bear Creek and Oursan Trails. I inadvertently walked on the Bear Creek Trail for a bit but it was dull as dirt, so I went back to get on the right track. I knew I needed a EBMUD permit and indeed I wrote down my permit number on the sign-in sheet. Good thing I had a pen in my pocket because someone stole the one that was attached to the clipboard. From the outset, there was a gentle climb before the reservoir came to view, and then it got very woodsy and surprisingly hilly. That was where the moderate part of the trail came in because I had to side-step a lot of loose gravel to make it down some of the slopes. The trail eventually evened itself out though some stretches were overgrown with tall stalks. I went as far as Hampton Trail and then headed back because the total distance was almost ten miles. That was enough, right? Especially since there were no benches or restrooms en route. I did run into a couple of snakes which froze the moment I walked by. My testosterone clearly intimidated them. RELATED - Up for a hike? Here's a collection of trails I've walked and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2OrC8nU

Are you looking for a short half-hour hike to spectacular views of Mount Diablo? Then Acalanes…read moreRidge may be for you! I hiked the South Trail one sunny afternoon to see what I could see. Once I made it up the hill and emerged from the trees, I found myself on top of the ridge. At first, I could only see the mansions in the surrounding hills, but I was soon rewarded with beautiful views of the whole area as I continued on. From the ridge, I could see from Pleasant Hill all the way down to the Martinez refinery eight miles away on one side, and from Walnut Creek up to Mount Diablo on the other side. The biggest challenge with Acalanes Ridge is finding it (I used Google Maps to get there). The trailhead is tucked away in the hills above Walnut Creek, and there's very limited parking there. Put on sunscreen and bring water--the hills are a good workout and the trail is sunny once you leave the trees. Don't forget to stop and take in the views! If you're lucky, you might even sight a red-tailed hawk wheeling above. I enjoyed this hike and will have to try hiking it at sunrise next time. (Did you know? Before the days of radar navigation, airmail arrows used to be lit as beacons to guide pilots along the transcontinental airmail routes at night. The arrows on Acalanes Ridge are among the last remaining airmail arrows in the Bay Area.)

This is a this is one of the smaller wilderness parks in the city of Walnut Creek. This particular…read morepark is in divided into several sections. Some of them are very close to the East Bay Mud water treatment plant. I don't believe there are any facilities in this park, and I did not see any drinking water. The trails are well maintained however. And the signs appear to be correct. While this is not one of my favorite parks, it's a decent place to go hiking. I enjoyed my visit.

One of my favorite places to visit in the bay area. It's a great place to go hiking or even for a…read morescenic drive but it is a drive with more twists and turns up throughout the hills. It's a beautiful place to catch the sunset but only if the clouds allow it. There's a few places to pull off the road to get a better view if driving as well.

One of the great views of the Bay area is Grizzly Peak…read more I came to visit and my friends took me here to get a view of the Bay area as a whole and it was so amazing. The winding roads that led to the peak were definitely something this Florida gal was not ready for but it was worth the drive! Not too long but definitely a bit winding path upwards. The view is free and you can see all parts of the Bay here, especially if it's a clear day. It seems like a lot of locals (especially kids) come here to hangout. A nice spot to detour and take people from out of town to hang.

Fantastic for toddlers and adults! The botanical gardens are free! And so heavenly- the Sequoia…read moregrove is my favorite part. I visited twice this trip and felt I saw new plants and trees each time. The labeling of each plot was meticulous and I only wish I could have stayed in town long enough for the plant sale! -(Not that I could've taken any home, lol!) The train rides for the kids pass through beautiful woods and are very enjoyable even for adults.

Visited the Little Farm and Jewel Lake a few months ago, and after a positive experience with all…read moreof the adorable animals (especially the rabbits), I made it my goal to return to explore the entire park. Well, not the whole park, it's quite massive with far too much to see and do in one day. But I did make my way back here this past Saturday to do a little picnicking in the park, go for a hike at Lake Anza, take in the views at Inspiration Point, and appreciate the plethora of trees, plants, and flowers at the Regional Parks Botanic Garden. The garden was my fave, a pleasant surprise during my time here this past weekend. I also made a stop at the farm again to see the cute bunnies, of course. It's amazing that most attractions and activities at this beautiful park have no entry fee and offer free parking lots for convenience too. Beware that wifi and internet access is limited.

Amazing 10-15 min ride through the park. Nice scenic views, great smell of nature…read more I highly recommend

We've been wanting to do this train ride for quite some time now and we're super happy we finally…read moregot around to it! Children 2 and under are free Ages 3+ $5/ per person The entire staff is so friendly and inviting. We came on a Thursday afternoon around 4pm Parking was super easy and quick, right in front in the main parking lot. As soon as we arrived there was already a train waiting to load up and depart, we quickly purchased tickets and walked right on. We were on the train in less than 5 minutes from the time that we had parked. The bathrooms are clean, they have two and a portable toilet behind the restroom building. The ride itself claims to be 12 minutes but I'd say more around 10. Not much of a difference but something to note. The view is absolutely beautiful and we'd love to do it again. I highly recommend it!

This is probably one of the strangest parks that I have ever frequented... probably because I don't…read morereally view it as a "park". At any given time, you will probably find graffiti sprayed on the ground and rocks, beer bottles, cigarettes, and sometimes even broken glass. I always make it a point to look down at the ground when I do decide to take a short stroll through the trails. And when I say short, I mean SHORT! The longest trail is probably only about a quarter mile long. However, I don't come here to walk the trails. This place ironically provides me with a sense of solace during my time of need. You can say what you want about the upkeep, but this park has some of the most amazing views of the East Bay. In the summertime, I come here often just to take in the beautiful views of Mount Diablo. I've come here during the Fourth of July to watch the fireworks and it has always been amazing. Although I enjoy hiking, there are those times when I don't feel like hiking for miles just to get to a view point. I can just take a short drive down Taylor boulevard, park my car and post. There have been times when I don't want to go out but I don't want to be stuck at home. When I feel like this, I will often hop in my car and drive to this park. Sometimes I don't even get out of the car. I'll just bump my music and roll my seat back and just relax. The parking lot is small and has maybe about 8 parking spots maximum, but it is almost never full. People don't stay here for a long time, so there usually are always a few parking spots available. I've had quite a few memories coming here and it almost always ends up being so nostalgic when I visit. I've never walked down to the creepy old house nearby because, well... it just looks super creepy! I don't need to walk down there to find that out; I can already feel it from a distance. When they DO take the time to clean this place up, it's actually not half bad. It's one of my favorite places to go when I need to clear my mind. I'm so happy that this place even exists.

Views and a trail loop - more of a natural open space rather than a park with built in amenities…read more Come here for the views. It is a little bit of a walk but worth it. Natural paths - good for walking your dog. Probably not best for kids - especially young ones. I'm not sure if they will value the view. Most kids just like tik toc and i pads. Great place to come to see some nature. Maybe you are not the type to camp and stay over night in the woods... well, you dont have to. Make an afternoon of it here to get 80% of that experience.

Wowza! This place is definitely a hidden gem that's tucked away with some of beautiful "hidden…read morelakes". It's all in the name, folks! I swear lil ol' Martinez never ceases to amaze me. I'm always finding the most wonderful little spots in this city. Been meaning to visit this park for a loooong time. I'd always heard that it was nice. Even drove passed it a million times, but finally stopped by to get a quick little hike in one evening. All I can say is daaaayum. What a beauty!!! Not only are the hiking trails wonderful, but the actual park itself is great. It's super clean with lots of parking and restrooms on site. They've got a kid's playground area, a soccer field, and even a track for some easy exercise. There's also an adjoining park that has tons of picnic tables and outdoor exercise equipment as well as several large grassy fields and walking paths (Hidden Valley Park). And those lakes! They are simply beautiful. They really sneak up on you too. I took a short walking path from Hidden Valley Park and connected to Hidden Lakes. Turned a corner and then BOOM! This beautiful little lake seemingly appeared out of nowhere. There's a nice little waterfall. Not sure if there are actually any fish in this lake, but I did witness one person fishing (or at least trying too). The hikes in this park are all on the shorter side but perfect for a quick little jaunt. You can also extend it by connecting the nearby walking paths for a longer excursions. What's nice is that there are several hills that you can climb up to get some inclines in. And once you reach the top, you'll be rewarded with some wonderful views of tbt entire park as well as some great panoramic views of the city. I was seriously in awe during my entire time here. This is such a gorgeous and extremely well maintained park that's perfect for kids, pets, and families. Will definitely be getting my butt out here again before the end of summer.

This place is a gem. Really good for walking your little dogs, for hikes, playing basketball, or…read morekids playground, and has a beautiful soccer area. There are picnic tables and plenty of parking. Clean bathrooms that the city of Martinez does a good job of keeping clean. We go to this place over and over again because it's just so nice.