The completion of Fremont’s Dumbarton Quarry Campground, the East Bay Regional Park District’s first on the San Francisco Bay shoreline, will be celebrated in an Aug. 28 program.
Festivities will begin at 10 a.m. with tours and other activities led by naturalists from adjacent Coyote Hills Regional Park. The ribbon-cutting ceremony at noon will feature a performance by Newark’s Wadaiko School of Taiko drummers. After the ceremony, there’ll be an ice cream social sponsored by the Regional Parks Foundation. Tours will continue until 2 p.m. If you plan to attend, RSVP to Monique Salas at msalas@ebparks.org for more information and directions.
The Dumbarton Quarry Campground is on the site of a former rock quarry. It’s the culmination of many years’ work by the park district, the DeSilva Companies, Dumbarton Quarry Associates, Pacific States Environmental Contractors Inc., DeSilva Gates Construction and current and former city officials. Due to open soon, the campground is at the east end of the Dumbarton Bridge next to Highway 84. It has 60 sites with full RV hookups; three sites with water only; restrooms and showers; a camp store, amphitheater, playground and picnic areas. Trails and bike paths connect it to Coyote Hills Regional Park and the 30,000-acre Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge. All in all, it will provide a safe and accessible camping opportunity near the bay shoreline for visitors from near and far.
Oakland: Fishing is an enjoyable way to spend time in the East Bay Regional Parks, and the park district stocks fish in most of its lakes to improve your chances of catching something. As an introduction to the sport, the district is offering a “Bass Basics” fishing clinic from 8 to 11 a.m. Aug. 28 at Temescal Regional Recreation Area in Oakland. Topics will include rigging, knot tying, bait and gear selection and catfish habitat and behavior. After the class there’ll be hands-on fishing time in the lake.
The class is for ages 12 and older, and adult participation is required for ages 12 through 15. A California fishing license also is required for ages 16 and older. Registration is required. The class costs $25 for district residents, $29 for nonresidents. The fee for ages 12 through 15 is $21 for residents, $25 for nonresidents. For registration and information, call 888-327-2757 and select option 2.
Livermore: “Beach Break” is the theme of a naturalist-led program from 3 to 3:30 p.m. Aug. 28 at Del Valle Regional Park south of Livermore. Join in a variety of games, crafts and other activities, all with a natural history theme. It’s drop-in, no registration required. The program is free, though Del Valle has a $6 parking fee.
Del Valle staff also plan a “Sunset Saunter” from 6:45 to 8 p.m. Aug. 29. Meet the naturalist at the East Ridge Trail at the top of the hill on Del Valle Road near the gate, before the entrance kiosk. Watch the sunset, and learn how sunset colors are created. This is not a guided hike, and the naturalist will remain at the trailhead. No registration is required, and there’s no parking fee. Bring a flashlight for the walk back to your car. Del Valle is at the end of Del Valle Road, off Mines Road about 9 miles south of Livermore. The visitor center is on the west side of the lake. For more information on the beach or sunset programs, call 510-544-3249.
Antioch: Moving on from the beach to bats, Antioch’s Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve has bats living in its former mining tunnels. You can learn about these fascinating and beneficial creatures during a bat-monitoring program led by naturalist Virginia Delgado at the park from 7:30 to 9:45 p.m. Aug. 28. The group will hike half a mile uphill on rocky terrain to monitor bat species as they emerge from the mines into the night sky.
Participants must be age 7 or older, and parent participation is required. Flashlights, water, snacks, jacketa and sturdy shoes are advised. Due to COVID-19 protocols, masks are required, and social distancing must be maintained. The program is free, but parking costs $5. To register, which is required, call 888-327-2757 and select option 2.
Sunol: “Not So Creepy Critters” is the theme of a program from 2 to 2:30 p.m. Aug. 29 at the Sunol Visitor Center in southern Alameda County. It’s a chance to meet a live snake, toad, turtle or spider and learn a bit about the animals’ interactions with us. The program is free, but registration is required. Call 888-327-2757. Sunol Visitor Center is at the end of Geary Road off Calaveras Road about 5 miles south of Interstate 680 and the town of Sunol.
Ned MacKay writes about East Bay Regional Park District sites and activities. Email him at nedmackay@comcast.net.
