Contra Costa County
Travelers whizzing through Contra Costa County on their way to San Francisco or San Jose might know the area only for its conveniently located rapid-transit stations—and that’s a shame, because this scenic and affluent slice of the Bay Area is worth visiting for the dog treats alone.
Most treasured by dog lovers is East Bay Regional Park District, whose 64 parks span 108,000 acres and include 1,200 miles of trails in Contra Costa and neighboring Alameda counties. In undeveloped areas of most of the parks, dogs are allowed to run free under voice command—a blessing for owners of hyper types and a joy for canines of all persuasions. In other areas, trails are shared with equestrians and cyclists, so leashes are the rule.
Point Isabel Regional Shoreline, a 23-acre place for wet and wooly off-leash fun, is perhaps the best known and most utilized of dog-friendly Contra Costa parks, but there are others, both on the coast and in the hills, where you can have the landscape to yourself, at least for awhile. You won’t find quite as many fenced dog parks in Contra Costa County as in other places, because—let’s face it—with so much open space at your fingertips, who needs ‘em? That said, the cities of San Ramon, Danville, Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, Clayton, Concord all have lovingly tended patches of fenced ground where dogs can run and play.
The oak-dotted hills are reminiscent of a Sierra foothills landscape, but for residents of the Bay Area, Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve in Contra Costa County is a lot quicker to reach. As interesting for its human history as for its dog-friendly attributes, this 5,375-acre open-space oasis, part of the East Bay Regional Park District, once harbored five communities associated with the most extensive coal-mining operations in California.
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This year Tony La Russa may have made more headlines for winning the World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals than he did for his work with the Animal Rescue Foundation, which he co-founded with his wife Elaine - but that hasn't stopped him and ARF from being beloved local legends. more »
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Point Pinole Regional Shoreline in the northwest extremity of Contra Costa County feels quite remote—not a coincidence, since it was home to an explosives manufacturing plant until late in the 20th century. Now that it's part of the East Bay Regional Parks District, you'll want to go, and not just for its narrow but rompable shoreline.
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The East Bay's premier aquatic jumping-in place is the extremely popular Point Isabel Regional Shoreline, where you'll find hundreds of dogs and people on almost any day. In late spring and summer, though, foxtails can be pretty thick, so we've sniffed out a couple of alternatives along the Contra Costa shoreline north of the Richmond Bridge more »
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With summer around the corner, it might just be time to get your water-loving canine acquainted with the sport of dock diving. You can practice in a pool, at a lake or on the banks of a riveróand who knows, with enough experience, your flying friend might go on to catch big air in front of an adoring audience.
Photo of dock-diving dog by Jumping Lab (CC)
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