Best Hiking Area Fremont Near Me

4worldlovers: This 1,249-acre regional park provides tremendous views from its setting in the Fremont Hills. The plateau rises quickly and steeply from the bay plain to an elevation 1,000 feet above the streets below, overlooking Niles Canyon, Fremont, Union City, Newark and the San Francisco Bay beyond. Atop the plateau a pastoral landscape predominates, and golden eagles, hawks, deer, bobcats, frogs, snakes and a variety of other animals make their home in the open grasslands, ponds and steep wooded canyons. These characteristics, with the Bay Area Ridge Trail along the ridgetop, make the park a great place for outdoor recreation and nature appreciation on the urban/wildland threshold.


Due to steep grade, the trails are generally not suitable for wheelchair users.

Vargas Plateau Regional Park has a diverse array of wildlife habitats typical of the inner coast ranges, including grassland, seasonal wetlands, stock ponds, perennial and ephemeral drainages, northern coastal scrublands and oak woodlands, with some low rock outcrops.

The parkland provides an important ridgetop link between ridgeline parks to the north and south (Garin, Pleasanton Ridge, Mission Peak, Sunol). This makes it an important corridor connecting habitats for threatened species, allowing genetic mixing between populations and encouraging their recovery. The ponds in Vargas Plateau provide habitat for several special-status species, including the threatened California red-legged frog and the Alameda whipsnake, and for the federally threatened California tiger salamander.

Ground squirrels are easily found in the highest elevations of the plateau. Their burrow chambers may be inhabited by the California tiger salamander and the California red-legged frog, and by reptiles such as the Pacific gopher snake and the Northern Pacific rattlesnake. Many insects also utilize the burrows, including crickets, ants and beetles, which serve as food for non-breeding tiger salamanders. The ground squirrels, along with the California meadow vole, attract a wide array of predators such as the white-tailed kite and Northern harrier.

Wetland habitats within Vargas Plateau include several ponds and seasonal wetlands. Upland, tributary drainages serve as the headwaters of various streams, all of which drain into Alameda Creek. The dense stands of coast live oak and interspersed California bay located in the drainages and on the plateau’s steep slopes support a wide array of species, including the gray fox, black-tailed deer, dusky-footed woodrat, red-tailed hawks, Cooper’s hawks, the great-horned owl and tiny pygmy owl, and wild turkeys.

The park’s steep topography has contributed to the plateau remaining somewhat isolated from major human encroachment, save for mostly agricultural uses such as ranching and dryland farming. This in turn has preserved the plateau’s integrity as a favored foraging area for golden eagles and other raptors, and for far-ranging mammals such as coyotes, bobcats and mountain lions.

There are more than six miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails. This is a prime location for birdwatching, especially raptor viewing, and the ridgetops offer panoramic views westward towards San Francisco Bay. Facilities include only a trailhead with a wayside panel and a restroom. Bring sufficient water for you and your animals, as drinking water is not available.

The Park District’s Phase Two plans for Vargas Plateau Regional Park include group and trekking camps, which are dependent on the construction of an upper staging area. More significant road improvements will likely be needed prior to opening these areas to the public. This phase could take years to implement.

This parkland appears to be located within the homeland of the Tuibun, an Ohlone-speaking tribe with villages in the Fremont Plains, or the Causen, an Ohlone-speaking tribe or village in the Sunol Valley. The Tuibun and Causen lived with the land rather than on it, managing it with specialized horticultural techniques that increased the numbers and health of the innumerable plants and animals on which they relied. The 1772 and 1776 arrivals nearby of Spanish expeditions foreshadowed a time of severe dislocation and suffering for the Tuibun and Causen under the Spanish, Mexican, and early American governments. Despite the changes of history, today’s Ohlones continue to maintain cultural communities and traditions.

4worldlovers: Towering above the city of Fremont in the San Francisco Bay Area the 2,517 foot Mission Peak is an extremely popular summit with both hikers and casual walkers alike. With around two thousand foot of elevation to climb, everyone gets a workout, which makes the views from the top of the mountain even more rewarding.

Although the steep trails and the tall mountain can be hard for some, possibly harder still finding a trailhead parking spot on a weekend. Arrive early or hope to get lucky at the Stanford Avenue trailhead, though you can likely find some street parking a short walk away.

The Hidden Valley Trail is a wide path frequented by most of Mission Peak's hikers, providing a steady incline that switchbacks gradually towards the summit. Two thousand feet in three miles isn't especially steep, but the constant incline will give all but the most seasoned walkers a workout. Pick up the Eagle and Peak Trail on the mountain's ridgeline to reach the summit, and try and avoid all the informal desire paths that folk continue to gouge into the landscape. After enjoying all three hundred and sixty degrees of scenic San Francisco Bay Area views, a return journey that retraces your steps is the easiest route back down.

For a slightly more adventurous return route consider hiking Horse Heaven and Peak Meadown trails back to your starting point. Though this looping return is roughly equidistant to the Hidden Valley Out & Back journey, these narrower and occasionally steeper return trails provide additional interest and more varied scenery.

Dry ground conditions are best when taking the looping return route to avoid getting quite literally bogged-down in mud. We've marked on our map a couple of traversing trails that link back to the Hidden Valley Trail should the going get too tough.

Shelter is non-existent on the mountain so be sure to prepare appropriately for hot weather and sun exposure, but we also recommend bringing layers to keep you comfortable at the sometimes gusty summit. Also be aware that Mission Peak Regional Preserve is home to herds of grazing cattle, which usually don't pose a problem but can sometimes become an obstacle - particularly when taking the Horse Heaven loop.