#COYOTE HILLS REGIONAL PARK FREE#

Their colors vary based on the salinity of the ponds-algae and bacteria in the saltiest ponds produce deep reds and pinks while other organisms produce oranges, blues, and greens. Cargill manages 8,000 acres of the ponds, which produce everything from table salt to road salt. Rounding the southern part of your loop, you can see the salt evaporation ponds stretching west. At the next junction, bear right again to stay on the Bay View Trail. On your left is the Dairy Glen campground, a reserveable group campground. You may also see outcroppings of reddish Radiolarian chert and greenish-black greenstone, part of a group of rocks formed millions of years ago called the Franciscan Assemblage.Īt 0.4 miles, bear right at a paved bend in the road onto the Bay View Trail. Hiking southeast on the Quail Trail, sunny grasslands and occasional oak woodland surround the hills. I recommend saving it for the end to take in everything you see at nearly eye-level along the Bay View Trail from a bird’s eye view. At the summit, benches face west and east, with 360-degree views of the San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains, Diablo Range, and lake-like marshes. Almost immediately on your right is the Glider Hill Trail, an optional 1.0-mile round-trip, 240-foot elevation gain hike to Red Hill, elevation 292 feet.

Past the Nectar Garden, pick up the wide gravel road heading southeast-the Quail Trail. Skip it if you have Fido with you this one of the few “no doggie” areas at Coyote Hills. Signs identify plants and their value to insects, and there is a picnic table and benches inside. Weds-Sun), an oasis of plants that provide food and shelter for birds and butterflies. Next door to the visitor center is the Nectar Garden (10:00 a.m. Check the EBRPD event calendar for details.Įxiting the visitor center, head northwest towards the Quail Trail and picnic area.

#COYOTE HILLS REGIONAL PARK FREE#

Tours of a 2,000-year-old Tuibun Ohlone Village Site in the park are also free and open to the public. In October each year, Coyote Hills hosts a Gathering of Ohlone Peoples, where you can experience Ohlone traditions like singing, dancing, games, and tule-boat making. Further inside are a full-scale tule boat, a basket-weaving display, Ohlone culture and history exhibits, and a gift shop. In the foyer are a whiteboard with the latest wildlife sightings and information about naturalist programs. The Chochenyo Trail leads to the Tuibun Ohlone Village Site.īegin your hike at the Coyote Hills Visitor Center (10:00 a.m. View of the marsh and Coyote Hills from the Chochenyo Trail, across from the visitor center.

Coyote hills regional park