Park Happenings for July

June 29, 2023

Habitat restoration is underway as part of the East Bay Regional Park District’s Briones Pilot Project in the northeast corner of Briones Regional Park. The Briones Pilot Project is a temporary two-year project to test trail-use strategies to enhance the visitor experience, reduce conflicts, improve trail safety, and protect natural habitat and wildlife. Restoring illegally built “bootleg" trails is a critical component of the project.

Key pilot project strategies include:

Odd/Even alternating trail access on weekend days for bike and equestrian use. On odd-numbered weekend days, bikers and hikers are allowed on designated trails with no horses allowed. On even-numbered weekend days, horses and hikers are allowed on designated trails, with no bikes allowed. Hikers are permitted on all days on most trails in the pilot zone.
Three new pilot project trails designated as bike-only and downhill-only. Temporary access for bikes is permitted on three trail sections, with access limited to bikes only due to terrain and for visitor safety. Bikers are required to stay off illegally built “bootleg" trails as they are in the process of being restored.
Restoration of illegally built “bootleg" trails. Bootleg trails often damage natural habitat for wildlife, including endangered and sensitive species.

To provide feedback, sign up for updates, volunteer, or learn more about the pilot project, visit www.ebparks.org/briones-pilot-project.

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The 2023 swim season is in full swing, with most East Bay Regional Park District swim facilities and shoreline beaches open daily. Swimming fees vary by facility.

Open facilities include Del Valle, Lake Temescal, Lake Anza, Shadow Cliffs, Quarry Lakes, Don Castro Lagoon, Cull Canyon Lagoon, and Castle Rock Pool. Contra Loma Lagoon is closed due to required safety repairs and maintenance. Roberts Pool, which is closed due to new pool facility construction, is expected to reopen sometime this summer.

Open status may change due to water quality conditions. Be sure to check facility status and hours before you go at www.ebparks.org/swimming.

Here are some water safety tips that can help you stay safe in, on, and around the water. Remember to be extra cautious around water.

Water Safety Tips:

Swim in areas with a lifeguard on duty.
Keep a close eye on your children. Drowning can occur quickly and silently, even in a foot of water. Children 12 years old and under are not permitted in the swimming area unless accompanied by a responsible, actively supervising individual 16 years old or older.
DO NOT drink alcohol if you plan on swimming or boating.
Obey all rules and posted signs.
If you are unsure of your swimming abilities, wear a life jacket. Regional Park swim facilities have free loaner life jackets available. Boaters should always wear a life jacket.

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Summertime fog? While the communities in the eastern part of the Park District typically sizzle in the summer months, low, rolling fog blankets areas close to the bay – a curious phenomenon caused when warm air off the coast meets the cold surface of the ocean. On summer afternoons, the fog funnels through the Golden Gate, hitting the Berkeley/Oakland hills and spreading laterally. It is no coincidence that Redwoods, which rely on fog to survive the hot summer months, are found in the Berkeley/Oakland hills.

Are you interested in this phenomenon? Consider attending the Twilight Fog Hike at Tilden Regional Park on July 18 from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.ebparks.org/calendar and search “Twilight Fog Hike.”

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Celebrate the United States of America’s 247th birthday at Ardenwood Historic Farm in Fremont with music, games, and activities for everyone July 4, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Bring a picnic or grab a bite at the Farmyard Café and spend the day the old-fashioned way. Entrance fee is $10/adults, $8/seniors (62+), and $5/children (4-17). Children 0-4 years are free.

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Big Break Regional Park’s Otter Festival highlights one of the Delta's most charismatic mammals. Play like otters in our hands-on stream tables, get creative with thematic crafts, and test your otter athletic skills. Otter Play Days, July 20 and July 21, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.; Otter Storytime, July 22, from 10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.; Otter Crafts, July 22, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.; and, Otter Olympics, July 23, from 11 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. For more information, visit www.ebparks.org/calendar and search “Otter.”

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Stop by Bat Watch Wednesdays at Sunol Visitor Center. The Bay Area is home to 16 varieties of bat, a nocturnal flying mammal with a bevy of adaptations that allows them to thrive in the dark. Excellent hearing and ability to echolocate help them eat up to 50 percent of their weight in insects per night! Bats are also vital pollinators, seed dispersers, and cash crop protectors. If you like mangoes, bananas, and cashews, you can thank a bat for pollinating or protecting the plants by eating insect pests. Discover the wonderful world of local bats! Be a community scientist and count the number of bats and different species you can see. Bat Watch Wednesdays are scheduled every other Wednesday in July (and August) at Sunol Visitor Center. For more information, visit www.ebparks.org/calendar and search “Bat Watch Wednesdays.”

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Campfire programs at Dumbarton Quarry Campground on the Bay in Fremont welcome visitors to the Park District's newest campground built in over 30 years! These fun evening campfire programs are filled with songs, games, photos, stories, activities, learning, and more. And s'mores, of course! Additional campfire programs are scheduled in July at Big Break Regional Shoreline in Oakley, Crown Beach in Alameda, Del Valle Regional Park in Livermore, and Anthony Chabot Regional Park in Castro Valley. For more information, visit www.ebparks.org/calendar and search “Campfire.”

The East Bay Regional Park District is the largest regional park system in the nation, comprising 73 parks, 55 miles of shoreline, and over 1,300 miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and environmental education. The Park District receives more than 30 million visits annually throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties in the San Francisco Bay Area.