Canyon, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Canyon
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 Canyon
Location in California
Canyon
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Contra Costa / Alameda |
| Elevation | 1,138 ft (347 m) |
| Population | Approx. 200 |
| GNIS ID | 255912 |
| FIPS code | 06-10830 |
Canyon, once called Sequoya, is a small community in California. It's not a city, but a special kind of area called an unincorporated community. It sits near the edge of Contra Costa and Alameda counties. You can find it between the cities of Oakland and Moraga, in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Canyon gets its name because it's located in the upper part of a canyon. This canyon was formed by San Leandro Creek on the eastern side of the Berkeley Hills. Canyon is about 1,138 feet (347 meters) above sea level. The main roads through the community are Pinehurst Road and Canyon Road.
The homes in Canyon are tucked away among steep, narrow private roads and paths. You'll see tall redwood trees and ferns near the creek. Higher up, the hillsides have forests with live oak, bay, and madrone trees. Even higher, you'll find chaparral plants and knobcone pines along the ridge.
Contents
Exploring Canyon's Past
Canyon has a very interesting history! In the 1800s, it was known for its logging camps. These were places where people cut down trees.
Early Logging Days
A huge forest called the Moraga Redwoods used to cover the valley where Canyon is now. In the 1850s, a man named Hiram Thorn ran a sawmill here. A sawmill is a factory that cuts logs into lumber.
Thorn built a road to move redwood logs from the forest to his mill. This old logging road is still around today. It helped bring wood over the mountain to Oakland. The part of the route in Oakland is now called Thornhill Road.
Water and Growth
In the early 1900s, the local water company, East Bay Municipal Utilities District, bought a lot of land south of Canyon. They built the Upper San Leandro Reservoir. This is a large lake that stores water.
As the reservoir filled up, it covered some older towns like Valle Vista and Redwood. It also flooded parts of Canyon itself. This is why Canyon isn't as big as nearby Moraga today. There just wasn't enough water available for a large population.
Most people who live in Canyon now are commuters. This means they travel to nearby cities for work. Others are retired people who enjoy the quiet and peaceful setting. They like being close to big cities like San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose.
Railroad History
Earlier in the 20th century, a train line called the Sacramento Northern Railway ran through the canyon. The train tracks were on a raised path above Pinehurst Road. This path is still visible today.
The train came out of a long tunnel from Oakland. The eastern entrance of this tunnel was buried by a landslide in 1980. It's no longer visible, but it was near a sharp turn on Pinehurst Road.
A Place for New Ideas
In the late 1960s, Canyon became a hub for new ideas and creative alternative lifestyles. People who wanted to live differently often moved here. For example, Canyon Cinema of San Francisco was started by people living in Canyon in the 1960s. This group helped show independent films.
In the summer of 1967, famous music groups like Country Joe and the Fish and the Youngbloods played a concert here. It was a benefit to raise money for the Canyon School.
Community Spirit Today
Even today, Canyon residents work together to keep their community running. They help maintain their own roads and water systems. The Canyon Community Association is made up of volunteers. They help solve problems, plan for emergencies, and work with county and state groups. Much of the land around the community is owned by the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD).
Community Life and Services
Canyon has a few important public services for its residents.
Post Office and School
The community has its own post office (ZIP Code 94516). Everyone in Canyon picks up their mail there.
Canyon is also home to the Canyon School. This is a public school for students from kindergarten through 8th grade. It's located on Pinehurst Road, right by the Upper San Leandro Creek. About 68 students attend the school.
The school is known for its unique approach. For example, their lunch menu often includes organic milk and produce. They also serve beef from Niman Ranch and chicken that is free of hormones and antibiotics. The community's phone area code is 925.
A Unique Community
As John van der Zee wrote in his 1972 book about the town, Canyon:
A small assemblage of mostly unconventional dwellings, mostly built by the nonconformists who live in them, it is a consciously ecological community that recycles everything it can. In Canyon, the mutual respect and the cohesion of neighbors revive the vital satisfactions once intrinsic in human communities, and its 'civil agencies' are functions of the inhabitants.
This means Canyon is a place where people live in unique homes, often built by themselves. They care about the environment and try to recycle everything. Neighbors work together and respect each other, making it a strong community.
Between 2011 and 2013, a Carmelite monastery was located on a ranch in the western part of Canyon. The nuns moved to a building in nearby Kensington, California in 2014.
Weather in Canyon
Canyon has a cool summer Mediterranean climate. This is similar to the weather in nearby Oakland, California, but Canyon can be a little warmer. Fog often rolls in during the summer, which helps keep the temperatures cool.
Important Dates
- 1850s: The first settlers arrived in Canyon.
- 1918: The first Canyon School building was constructed.
- 1922: The Canyon Post Office was built.
