East Bay Regional Park District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids East Bay Regional Park District |
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| Type | Special district |
| Location | East Bay in the San Francisco Bay Area in California, United States |
| Area | 124,909 acres (50,549 ha) |
| Created | 1934 |
The East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) is a special organization in the East Bay area of the San Francisco Bay Area. It manages a huge system of regional parks. In fact, it's the largest urban park district in the United States! Its main office is in Oakland.
As of 2020, the EBRPD looks after over 124,909 acres (50,549 ha) of land. This includes 73 parks and more than 1,330 miles (2,140 km) of trails. Some parks are wild areas, while others offer fun activities. You can go swimming, boating, and camping. The trails are perfect for non-motorized fun like biking, hiking, and horse riding. There are even over 200 miles (320 km) of paved trails that connect the parks in urban areas.
Contents
History of the Parks
The East Bay Regional Park District was created to protect natural spaces and offer fun outdoor activities.
How the Parks Started
A big grass fire in 1923 burned many homes in Berkeley. This event showed how important it was to have good public services. Later, in 1934, the EBRPD was officially started. Just two years later, it got its first land from the East Bay Municipal Utility District. People like Robert Sibley and Charles Lee Tilden helped create this amazing park system.
From 1962 to 1967, William Penn Mott Jr. was in charge. During his time, the park system doubled in size! This meant even more land for people to explore and enjoy.
New Lands for Parks
The EBRPD keeps growing! In 2013, it bought a large piece of land called Roddy Ranch in Contra Costa County. This new area will likely become Deer Valley Regional Park. It's exciting because it means more space for nature and outdoor adventures.
Parks and Wildfires
In August 2020, wildfires caused a lot of smoke and problems in the Bay Area. Many parks, including those in the East Bay Regional Park District, had to close for a while to keep everyone safe.
Cool Parks to Visit
The parks managed by the EBRPD are all different and special.
Parks in the Hills
Some famous parks are located along the Berkeley Hills, east of Berkeley and Oakland. These include:
- Wildcat Canyon Regional Park
- Tilden Regional Park
- Robert Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve (which has an extinct volcano!)
- Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve
- Redwood Regional Park (home to the largest natural group of coast redwood trees in the East Bay)
Parks by the Bay
There are also parks right by the San Francisco Bay, offering beautiful views and bay access:
- Point Pinole Regional Shoreline
- Coyote Hills Regional Park
- Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline
- Oyster Bay Regional Shoreline
The district also has a former farm, an old coal mine, and one of the biggest dog-walking parks in the country!
List of Parks
Here are some of the many parks managed by the East Bay Regional Park District:
- Anthony Chabot Regional Park
- Antioch/Oakley Regional Shoreline
- Ardenwood Historic Farm
- Big Break Regional Shoreline
- Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve
- Briones Regional Park
- Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline
- Contra Loma Regional Park
- Coyote Hills Regional Park
- Crown Memorial State Beach
- Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area
- Del Valle Regional Park
- Diablo Foothills Regional Park
- Don Castro Regional Recreation Area
- Dry Creek Pioneer Regional Park
- Dublin Hills Regional Park
- Eastshore State Park
- Garin Regional Park
- Hayward Regional Shoreline
- Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve
- Kennedy Grove Regional Recreation Area
- Lake Chabot Regional Park
- Las Trampas Regional Wilderness
- Martin Luther King Jr. Shoreline
- Mission Peak Regional Preserve
- Morgan Territory Regional Preserve
- Ohlone Wilderness
- Oyster Bay Regional Shoreline
- Pleasanton Ridge
- Point Isabel Regional Shoreline
- Point Pinole Regional Shoreline
- Quarry Lakes Regional Recreation Area
- Redwood Regional Park
- Robert Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve
- Roberts Regional Recreation Area
- Shadow Cliffs Regional Park
- Sunol Regional Wilderness
- Temescal Regional Recreational Area
- Tilden Regional Park
- Vargas Plateau Regional Park
- Wildcat Canyon Regional Park
Future Park Expansions
The EBRPD is always working to add more land for parks and open spaces.
Vargas Plateau Regional Park
Vargas Plateau Regional Park in Fremont is an example of how new parks are created. The park opened in May 2016. It was temporarily closed due to some road access issues but reopened in May 2017 after agreements were made to improve the roads. This means more trails for hiking, biking, and horse riding!
Protecting Open Spaces
A lot of the District's land is kept as "land banks." This means it's protected open space, but not yet open to the public. It might take many years to turn these areas into new parks. This helps protect important habitats for animals like the Alameda whip snake and red-legged frog.
Park Safety and Support
The East Bay Regional Park District has its own police and fire departments to keep visitors safe.
Lifeguards
The East Bay Lifeguards work at eleven different swimming spots, including lakes, lagoons, and pools. They are highly trained to ensure everyone stays safe while enjoying the water.
Images for kids
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The official logo of the East Bay Regional Park District.
See also
In Spanish: Distrito de Parques Regionales del Este de la Bahía para niños
