Outdoors and nature in Alameda County: 15 picks from the Alameda County guide, each linked to its source. Details can change. Check with the venue before you go.
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Outings near you
Del Valle Regional Park south of Livermore is built around a lake five miles long, with swimming, boating and trails into the Ohlone Wilderness. Shoreline parks and naturalist programs elsewhere in Alameda County are listed here. Source: ebparks.org
Outdoors and nature in Alameda County
Parks, trails, beaches, gardens and nature reserves.
15 picks
Section: Outdoors and natureregional park
Saturday, November 14, 2026No entry fee listedAges 5-12
Kid-friendly games at the Coyote Hills Visitor Center teach young birders (ages 5-12) the basics of bird identification. Parent participation required.
A 2.5-mile bay beach with the Crab Cove Visitor Center and drop-in programs such as Story Time and Fish Feeding. Beach wheelchairs are free, first come, first served.
Cost
Parking $5 per vehicle (card only)
Dogs
Dogs are allowed only on lawn areas and along the paved pathways.
A steep, 3-plus-mile hike to Mission Peak with views of Mount Hamilton and the Santa Cruz Mountains. Allow about five hours to reach the summit and return.
Hours
Daily 6am-10pm (Ohlone College entrance); Stanford Ave entrance area 6:30am-9pm Apr 1-Dec 22, 6:30am-8pm Dec 23-Mar 31
A redwood forest a few miles over the ridge from downtown Oakland. Parking fees are cash only. Part of the Stream Trail is closed for repairs through Oct 31.
Hours
October 8am-7pm; November-December 8am-6pm
Cost
Parking $5 per vehicle (weekends and major holidays, April-October)
Redwood-shaded picnic area with a barrier-free, wheelchair-accessible children's play area, playfields and a sand volleyball court. The pool reopens for the 2027 swim season.
Trails around Round Top, the remains of a 10-million-year-old volcano. No parking fee at the main staging area. Dogs allowed; not on the adjacent Huckleberry Botanic trails.
Cost
Free parking
Dogs
Dogs are permitted at Sibley, but are not allowed on adjacent Huckleberry trails.
34 acres and over 10,000 kinds of plants. Docent-led drop-in tours Saturdays and Sundays at 1:30. Some paths are unpaved, narrow or steep. Closed Tuesdays.
Hours
10am-5pm (last entry 4:30pm)
Cost
Adult $18; Seniors (65+) $12; Youth (5-17) $8; 4 and under free
Section: Outdoors and natureregional park
