Sunol Regional Wilderness facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sunol Regional Wilderness |
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| Location | Alameda County, California |
| Nearest city | Sunol, California |
| Area | 27.74 square kilometres (6,850 acres) |
| Created | 1962 |
| Operated by | East Bay Regional Park District |
The Sunol Regional Wilderness is a huge park in Alameda County, California. It's part of the eastern San Francisco Bay Area. You can find it near the town of Sunol, not far from Pleasanton and Fremont.
This amazing park covers about 6,859 acres (or 27.74 square kilometers)! It was created in 1962. The East Bay Regional Park District takes care of it. Sometimes, from June to October, parts of the park might close or have rules about fires. This is to keep everyone safe during the wildfire season.
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Discovering Sunol's Nature
The Sunol Regional Wilderness is located in the California Coast Ranges. Long ago, Native American tribes lived here. Later, the land was mostly used for ranches. Today, you can explore different natural areas. These include chaparral (shrubs), oak forests, and open grasslands.
You might even see cattle grazing in the park! This is because some areas are still leased for grazing.
Plants and Trees in the Park
Sunol Regional Wilderness is home to many cool plants and trees. Some common trees you'll spot are the Coast live oak, Valley oak, and Blue oak. You might also see Mexican elderberry, Pacific Madrone, and Gray pine.
Near Alameda Creek, you'll find special "riparian" trees. These trees love water! Look for White alder, different kinds of willows, and California sycamore.
In the spring, the park bursts with colorful wildflowers! You can see Chinese Houses, Ranunculus, monkeyflowers, and bright California Poppies. There are also fields of goldfields and several types of Lupines.
Animals and Wildlife
The park is a great place for bird watching! It has one of the biggest groups of golden eagles that live and raise their young here. These eagles love to eat California ground squirrels, which are very common in the park.
You might also see skunks and black-tailed deer. While Coyotes and mountain lions visit the park, they are usually shy and hard to spot. The Visitors' Center has a full list of all the plants and birds you can find.
Some common amphibians and reptiles living here include the California red-legged frog, Pacific tree frog, and California newt. You might also see the Diablo Range garter snake, Western rattlesnake, and San Francisco Alligator lizard.
Fun Things to Do in the Park
Sunol Regional Wilderness has lots of trails for outdoor adventures! You can go hiking, horse-riding, or mountain biking. There are also places where you can go camping overnight.
If you like climbing, the Cave Rocks formation is a popular spot for rock climbing.
The Ohlone Wilderness Trail
The Ohlone Wilderness Trail is a long path that connects several regional parks in the East Bay. It goes right through the Sunol Regional Wilderness! This trail stretches from Mission Peak Regional Preserve near Fremont all the way to Del Valle Regional Park near Livermore. Along the way, you can find special campgrounds for backpackers.
Much of this trail crosses land owned by the San Francisco Water Department. To hike on these parts of the trail, you need a permit. You can usually get one at the Sunol Wilderness entrance gate.
The path between Sunol Wilderness and Del Valle Park can be quite challenging. Rose Peak is the highest point on the trail, almost as tall as Mount Diablo!
