Sobrante Ridge Regional Preserve facts for kids

Sobrante Ridge Regional Preserve (SRRP) is a fun regional park located in Contra Costa County, California. It's close to the city of Richmond. This park is part of the East Bay Regional Parks (EBRPD) system. One special thing about SRRP is that it's home to the Alameda manzanita plant. This plant is very rare, according to the EBRPD.

A Look Back: History of Sobrante Ridge

The land where Sobrante Ridge Regional Preserve now sits has a long history. It was once part of a large area called the Rancho El Sobrante grant. The government of Mexico gave this land to a person named Juan Jose Castro. Most sources say this grant was made in 1841.

Later, a company called Cutter Laboratories owned this land. Cutter Laboratories was a pharmaceutical company from Berkeley. They used the property to raise horses and cattle. The blood from these animals helped them make important vaccines. These vaccines protected people from diseases like diphtheria and tetanus. In 1974, a German pharmaceutical company bought Cutter Laboratories. Part of the Sobrante Ridge property was given to the EBRPD in 1980 by a local construction company.

What You'll Find: Plants and Nature

The preserve covers about 277 acres, which is a lot of space to explore! You can find many different types of plants here. There are areas with oak and bay trees, forming a woodland. You'll also see coyote brush scrub and open grassy fields. And, of course, the rare Alameda Manzanita plant grows here too.

Fun Things to Do at the Preserve

Sobrante Ridge Regional Preserve is a great place for outdoor activities.

• Many people enjoy hiking on the trails.
• It's also a popular spot for walking dogs.
• You can bring a picnic and enjoy your lunch outdoors.
• Bird watching is another fun activity, as many different birds live here.
• Bicycling is allowed on certain trails.
• The park also offers special naturalist programs where you can learn more about nature.

• If you want to have a picnic, tables are available. They are used on a first-come, first-served basis. This means you can't reserve them ahead of time.
• There are no campsites available for overnight stays.

• The preserve has three main entrances. You can enter from Coach Drive, Conestoga Drive, or Heavenly Ridge Lane.

• The trails are made of dirt fire roads or single-track paths. These trails are used by many people for different activities. Currently, they are not set up for wheelchairs. The EBRPD plans to add a wheelchair-friendly gate at the Heavenly Ridge Lane entrance in the future. However, they haven't announced when this will happen.