In all but name San Pablo Reservoir is one of our most scenic local lakes, surrounded by thousands of acres of deciduous and conifer woodland. Both on land and ‘sea’ this area has an abundance of birds. These include herons, … Continue reading
The Alameda shoreline, with miles of sandy white beaches and stunning views of the bay, is one of our local environmental treasures. During the early fall and winter it’s also a magnet for hundreds of shorebirds -- Dunlin, godwits, peeps, … Continue reading
At Las Gallinas, hundreds of acres of grasslands, ponds and marshes surround a small water treatment facility. The marshes extend for miles, and beyond them a clear view of the beautiful hills of Marin. Acre for acre, it has some … Continue reading
Home of the Holy Grail of rails (the Black rail), this section of Palo Alto marsh and shoreline has some of the greatest concentrations of wildfowl, shorebirds, raptors and waders in the Bay Area. Herons and egrets, stilts, Avocets, rails … Continue reading
This wild and open expanse of East Bay hills is part of Garin Dry Creek regional park, high above the city of Hayward. Our bracing tour will also include riparian groves and oak woodlands, additional habitats for many varieties of … Continue reading
Tucked away among the sloughs and grasslands of Grizzly Island Wildlife Area near Fairfield is the 2,000 acre Rush Ranch Open Space preserve. It is a mosaic of 19th century barns, farm equipment and horse corrals, part of the frontier … Continue reading
Well-known to nature lovers, the Marin coast is one of the Bay Area’s natural and cultural treasures. This day trip to the secluded village of Bolinas will demonstrate why: the soaring Bolinas Ridge and the pristine Pacific coastline, thick coastal … Continue reading
At 3,800 feet, Mt. Diablo sits in solitary splendor at the center of Contra Costa county, monarch of all it surveys. It is equally visible for miles in all directions, throughout the delta, Marin, Alameda and Solano Counties. Parts of … Continue reading
We return to early frontier California at Rush Ranch, part of the Grizzly Island Wildlife Area near Fairfield. This is a Gold Rush-era farm complete with horse corrals, set within 2,000 acres of grasslands and marshes. The land has been … Continue reading
Far from the hustle and bustle of Alameda’s cities and highways is Sunol Regional Park, perhaps the most beautiful and wild of the county’s parklands. Covered in oak woodlands, surrounded by high crags and bisected by Alameda Creek, it is … Continue reading