Coyote Hills Regional Park - Hiking

Review

Intro

Northwest of Fremont and Newark, Coyote Hills Regional Park is 978 acres of mostly flat trails, including a 3.5 mile paved stretch that’s shared by walkers, runners, and bikers.A man-made marsh invites myriad species of shorebirds, while the hills are home to rabbits and squirrels. Easy-to-navigate paths and first-come-first-served picnic tables make Coyote Hills the perfect spot for an outdoor family outing. Exhibits in the Visitor Center pay homage to the area’s first inhabitants, the Ohlone Indians, offering visitors a glimpse into the past and the Ohlone way of life, along with a tule reed boat built by park staff and volunteers using Native American methods.

What Makes It Great

The 55-acre Demonstration Urban Stormwater Treatment (D.U.S.T.) Marsh was created in 1983 after the area had been dried out for farming and development. The wetland not only helps remove pollutants from urban runoff, it provides the perfect home and hunting ground for waterfowl, shorebirds, songbirds, and raptors. The 3.5-mile paved Bayview Trail takes you along the marsh and then out to and along the ocean, offering glimpses of hawks, seagulls, pelicans, geese, vultures, and many other birds.

In spring, choose one of the trails that takes you into the hills and you’ll be treated to colorful bursts of suncups, poppies, bluedicks and other wildflowers. Anise Swallowtail and Monarch butterflies flit about on the west side of the hills where thriving patches of fennel grow. Though most of the trails in the park are flat, views from Red Hill offer dazzling views of the East Bay hills, the bay itself, and on a clear day, the Santa Cruz Mountains.

No matter if you stick near the water or explore the hills, watch out for poison oak. It grows in abundance throughout the park.

Who is Going to Love It

With well-mapped trails, and plenty of flat paths, including the paved 3.5 mile Bay View Trail, Coyote Hills Regional Park is a great choice for families with small children, or beginning hikers. The park also offers a number of educational opportunities at the Visitor Center to learn more about the East Bay area's original inhabitants – the Ohlone Indians, as well as the bird and butterfly nectar garden adjacent to the Visitor Center. The park offers two first-come-first-served picnic areas for before, after, during, or instead of a hike. Both sites have picnic tables, barbecue grills, water, and shade.

Directions, Parking, & Regulations

The park's main entrance is at the west end of Patterson Ranch Road/Commerce Drive in Fremont. From I-880, take Highway 84 west, exit Paseo Padre Parkway, turn right, and drive north to Patterson Ranch Road where you’ll turn left. This takes you to the park's entrance where you’ll need to pay $5 on weekends and holidays. Parking is ample, and beware the gates open and close at varying hours depending on the time of year.

If you return to your car after the park has closed, your vehicle will be locked in. Check exact times on at ebparks.org.