Garin/Dry Creek Pioneer Regional Park

Photo by Jane Huber.

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Apr-Jun 2007

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by Ann Sieck — published April 01, 2007

If you'd like to drive a hybrid but can't afford one, try the blend of landscaped city park and natural open space at Garin/Dry Creek. You don't need a car at all: It's easily accessible by bus, east of Mission Boulevard in Hayward.

The park center is shaped around a fascinating history of settlement and farming. Ample picnic areas are flanked by apple orchards, antique farm machinery, and a red barn, where the visitor center is open on summer weekends.

From this busy hub by Jordan Pond—a prime fishing spot—several routes lead quickly into wilder areas. Or start at the less-used Tamarack entrance, from where one trail, an easy half-mile through Dry Creek's riparian habitat, leads to a few farm artifacts and a picnic table at the Meyer Ranch site. Most park trails are steep, climbing to views of the Bay from San Francisco to the Santa Cruz Mountains—not to mention nearby subdivisions. The High Ridge Loop Trail links both entrances as it roams among buckeye trees with fragrant white flower spikes in late spring, when yellow mule's ears dot the grassland slopes. That trail's full loop over folding ridges and wooded canyons is more than six miles long. A much easier option is Dry Creek Trail, a narrow three-quarter-mile footpath below Jordan Pond.

Getting there: Take Industrial east from I-880 to Mission, then go up Garin Avenue to the main entrance. The #99 bus from BART stops near the Tamarack entrance, which has no facilities or off-street parking. No fees; dogs allowed; most trails are multiuse.