Best National Park Antioch Near Me

4worldlovers: Historically a shifting riverine sand dune ecosystem, the Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge supports the last known populations of the endangered Antioch Dunes evening primrose, the Contra Costa wallflower, and the Lange's metalmark butterfly.

Due to the sensitive nature of the habitat, the refuge is closed to the public. However, our docent-led tours are back. See below for details.

The refuge was established in 1980 to protect plants and insects federally listed as endangered: Lange's metalmark butterfly (Apodemia mormo langei), Contra Costa wallflower (Erysimum capitatum var. capitatum), and Antioch Dunes evening primrose (Oenothera deltoides var. howellii). The refuge is the only known location in the world where the Lange's metalmark butterfly is found. Once part of an extended riverine sand dune ecosystem, the dunes of the refuge hosted a variety of endemic plants and insects. During the last 150 years, the dune ecosystem was seriously degraded by sand mining (removal), invasive plants, and other threats. Today, the refuge represents one of the last remaining riverine sand dune environments in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta.

Time to get outside again and enjoy a stroll through the dunes.


Our knowledgeable and fun docents lead a free 1-1.5-hour tour through the dunes every second Saturday of the month throughout the year.


Many spring flowers are in full bloom, including the magnificent endangered species, Antioch Dunes Evening Primrose. No registration necessary.


Every second Saturday of the month at 10:00 a.m. throughout the year.

4worldlovers: Although little remains of the coal mining communities, a historic cemetery serves as a monument to the lives of the former residents. Buried here are children who died in epidemics, women who died in childbirth, and men who died in mining disasters and of other things. Although over 10 nationalities resided in the mining area, Rose Hill Cemetery was a Protestant burial ground, and many of the people buried here were Welsh.

Over the years, vandalism has taken its toll on the cemetery, which the Park District is attempting to restore. If you have information concerning people buried here or the location of missing gravestones, please call the Black Diamond office at (510) 544-2750.

Download: List of individuals buried in Rose Hill Cemetery (PDF). (200KB, 9 pp, - Last updated: 07/2009)

The Greathouse Visitor Center is located in an underground chamber excavated in the mid-1920s. View the workings of a 20th-century sand mine and learn about the lives of 19th-century coal and 20th-century sand miners. The center contains displays, photographs, and artifacts related to the park’s coal and sand mining eras.

Admission is free. Parking fee is $5 per vehicle on weekends and holidays, when the kiosk is attended (Visa/Master Card, cash or check only). For more information, call (510) 544-2750. Please note that while dogs on leash are allowed in the Greathouse Visitor Center, they are not permitted on Mine Tours.

Tour the new Coal Mine Experience exhibit to immerse yourself in the history of the Mount Diablo Coal Field. Discover the story of miners who toiled underground as you experience a replica coal mine. We'll discuss the dangers of working deep in the layers of the earth and explore the area's fascinating geology. For safety reasons, you may tour the mine only as part of a guided tour and all participants must be at least seven years old.

30 minute Coal Mine Experience tours are offered on Saturdays and Sundays (Year Round). Advanced reservations highly recommended. Tour groups are limited to 15 people and meet outside the Greathouse Visitor Center.

Tour route is flat along hard packed dirt. Total tour length is approx. ¼ mile (plus the distance to and from the Greathouse Visitor Center).

From the mid-1920s to the mid-1940s, the Hazel-Atlas Mine produced silica sand to make jars, bottles, and other glass items. Today, tour participants can take a 1309-foot walk into the mine to see mine workings, ore chutes, the shifter's office, and ancient geological features. For safety reasons, you may tour the mine only as part of a guided tour and all participants must be at least seven years old.

1 hour Hazel Atlas Mine Tours are offered on Saturdays and Sundays (Year Round). Advanced reservations highly recommended. Tour groups are limited to 15 people and meet outside the Greathouse Visitor Center.

Tour route includes some mild incline and uneven terrain caused by underground railroad tracks that run the entire length of the tour. Total tour length is approx. ½ mile (plus the distance to and from the Greathouse Visitor Center).

Beneath these hills is a history of industry, innovation, and perseverance. Join us as we explore both eras of mining that occurred here in the 19th and 20th centuries. Participants will tour both the Coal Mine Experience and the Hazel Atlas Mine. For safety reasons, you may tour the mine only as part of a guided tour and all participants must be at least seven years old.

1.5 hour Black Diamond Mining History Tours are offered on Saturdays and Sundays (Year Round). Advanced reservations highly recommended. Tour groups are limited to 15 and meet outside the Greathouse Visitor Center.

This tour is a combined tour of the Hazel Atlas Mine Tour and the Coal Mine Experience tour. Half of the tour is along flat, hard packed dirt. The other half includes some mild incline and uneven terrain caused by underground railroad tracks. Total tour length is approx. ¾ mile (plus the distance to and from the Greathouse Visitor Center).