Coyote Hills Regional Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Coyote Hills Regional Park |
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View of Coyote Hills from the south, across a salt marsh
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| Location | Fremont, California, USA |
| Area | 978-acre (396 ha) |
| Created | 1967 |
| Operated by | East Bay Regional Park District |
Coyote Hills Regional Park is a cool place to explore in Fremont, California. It's a big park, almost 978 acres, managed by the East Bay Regional Park District. The park opened to the public in 1967.
It sits right on the edge of the San Francisco Bay. The park has small hills called the Coyote Hills. Even though they aren't super tall, they offer amazing views! You can see the bay, three big bridges (the Dumbarton Bridge, San Mateo Bridge, and the Bay Bridge), and cities like San Francisco and Oakland. You can also spot the Santa Cruz Mountains and Mount Tamalpais. Besides the hills, the park also has a large area of wetlands, which are like marshy, watery lands.
This park is also special because it has old archaeological sites. These sites show that Native Americans from the Ohlone tribes lived here long ago. You can find shellmounds, which are ancient piles of shells and other items left by these people. You can't just walk into these sites, but you can visit them if you arrange it beforehand.
Coyote Hills Regional Park has many trails for hiking. Most of these trails are also open to people riding horses and cyclists. There are about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) of trails for bikes. Many trails are wide dirt roads that go around the hills and marshes. One main road runs through the middle of the hills. Some narrower trails are just for walkers. These trails connect to other paths in the East Bay, and the famous San Francisco Bay Trail even goes through the park! Sometimes, local schools have cross country races here. The waters near the park are part of the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. This means you can see lots of amazing wildlife from the park's trails.
Park History
Coyote Hills has an interesting past. It used to be a large Project Nike missile base. This was a military site with facilities for missiles. Some of these old buildings are still there, but they are not used for missiles anymore. Instead, some are used for radio and microwave antennas. You can even see old guard stations around the park.
After the missile base closed, a research group called the Stanford Research Institute (SRI) used the area. They did special sonar research in the marshlands. They even had marine animals like dolphins there! When SRI finished their work in the mid-1960s, the land was given to the East Bay Regional Park District. It became a public park in 1967.
The first people to live in the East Bay area were the Ohlone Native American people. They were skilled hunters and gatherers. This means they found their food from nature. They lived well off the land. Many Ohlone descendants still live in the nearby cities today. Coyote Hills Regional Park helps protect these important wetlands. It also protects 2,000-year-old Tuibun Ohlone Indian shellmound sites. These sites show how the Ohlone people lived.
Fun Activities
There are many fun things to do at Coyote Hills Regional Park!
- Learn About Ohlone Life: You can visit a special site where you can see how the Ohlone people lived. There's a reconstructed tule house, a shade shelter, a pit house, and a sweat lodge. These programs help you understand their culture.
- Go Hiking: Hiking is one of the most popular activities. You can do a 2.5-mile (4 km) loop around the park.
- Start at the Visitor Center.
- Cross the main road to a boardwalk over the Main Marsh.
- Follow the Muskrat Trail to the DUST (Demonstration Urban Stormwater Treatment) Trail.
- Turn left onto Lizard Rock Trail. Here you can see cool rock formations and the North Marsh.
- Turn left onto the Bayview Trail.
- Go uphill on the Nike Trail. This trail crosses the hills and leads to a paved part of the Bayview Trail.
- This part of the trail follows the shoreline. You'll see salt marshes and many birds.
- Turn left at Soaproot Trail to go back uphill.
- Turn left again at Quail Trail to return to the Visitor Center.
- Explore Alameda Creek Trail: This trail is 12 miles (19 km) long. It goes from San Francisco Bay to Niles Canyon. It forms the northern edge of Coyote Hills park. It's actually two trails side-by-side: one for horses and one for bikes.
- Visit the Ohlone Village Site: You can take tours, attend open houses, or join school programs at the Tuibun Ohlone Village site. It has an Ohlone-style family house, a sweat house, and a shade shelter. You need to make a reservation in advance by calling (510) 544-3220.
- Have a Picnic: There are two picnic areas. One is at the Visitor Center, and the other is at the Quarry Staging Area. You can't reserve these spots. Both have picnic tables, barbeque grills, water, and shade. There's also a group picnic area called Hoot Hollow that you can reserve.
Park Facilities
The Visitor Center is a great place to start your visit.
- Hours: It's open Wednesday through Sunday, from 10 AM to 4 PM. It's closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
- Inside the Center: You'll find a store with brochures and gifts. There's also a park naturalist who can answer your questions about the park.
- Programs: The center offers programs about the area. These include bird watching walks and learning about native culture, like how to make acorn soup.
- Other Amenities: Clean restrooms and an outdoor picnic area are also at the center. Next to the Visitor Center, there's a beautiful bird and butterfly nectar garden.
Fees and Rules
Here are some important things to know before you visit:
- Parking Fee: It costs $5.00 per vehicle to park. If you have a trailer, it's $4.00. Buses cost $25.00 each.
- Dogs: Dogs are welcome in the park! However, they must be on a leash and under your control at all times. There is a $2.00 fee for each dog. Guide dogs and service dogs are free.
