Best Ecological Park Richmond Near Me

4worldlovers: The park is open from 5:00am – 10:00pm. Curfew hours are 10:00pm – 5:00am.

The closing hours for the park gate at Alvarado Staging Area are:

Wildcat Canyon Regional Park encompasses 2,789 acres along the Wildcat Creek watershed and the surrounding hills and ridges. The park extends from the Tilden Nature Area above the Berkeley hills in the south to historic Alvarado Park at the north end in Richmond. It includes a significant portion of the paved Nimitz Way extending from Inspiration point in Tilden Regional Park. Easy access from the busy cities of the East Bay makes Wildcat Canyon a popular place for hikers, mountain bikers, equestrians, and those simply looking for a quiet place to spend an afternoon. Alvarado Park, with its historic stonework, provides picnic areas for large and small groups, a wonderful play area for children, and access to Wildcat Creek, all just steps from the busy streets of Richmond.

To address the increased popularity of mountain biking, the Park District is exploring additional bike access in Wildcat Canyon Regional Park.

Park District staff has identified a conceptual trail corridor that avoids or minimizes impacts to sensitive plant and animal communities based upon preliminary resource surveys completed in 2022. The results from these studies along with feedback from the community will be used to further develop a trail project that aims to benefit the park experience for everyone. To find out more about this project, view the Wildcat Bike Trail Project page.

A walk along Nimitz Way is paved and wheelchair accessible. There is trail staging at Inspiration Point on Wildcat Canyon Road in Tilden Park that offers wheelchair accessible parking and restrooms, but there is no drinking water at this staging area. Alvarado Park is paved from the entrance to the main lawn and picnic areas at Camp Alvarado and Elderberry. There is no vehicle access to the picnic areas. Bring a wagon or dolly to transport items from the parking lot to the picnic areas.

Wildcat Canyon has 25 miles of trails (mostly fire roads), including 2.5 miles of paved trail on Nimitz Way, and 6 miles of single track trails in the Tilden Nature Area.

There is a children's playground in the park, and numerous reservable and first-come, first-served picnic and barbeque facilities.

Large coast live oaks, bay laurels, and a scattering of bigleaf maples and madrones grow on the park's east-facing slopes. North-facing hillsides support some beautiful, nearly pure stands of bay laurel, fringed with coast live oak. Moist chaparral of coyote brush, poison oak, elderberry, snowberry, bracken fern, and blackberry grow in thickets high on the north-facing slopes.

In the gorge of bedrock-cutting Wildcat Creek grows a riparian forest of alder, willow, creek dogwood, and bay laurel. The forest extends the length of Wildcat Creek and part way up the tributaries. The west- and south-facing canyon slopes are covered with introduced annual grasses (oat, rye, barley, etc.). A few stands of native bunch grasses persist. There are many native wildflower species.

Foxes, raccoons, skunks, and opossums range nightly through the canyon. Deer, ground squirrels, and voles forage more commonly by day. Coyotes are a commonly seen throughout the Park with potential to see the somewhat elusive mountain lion and bobcat as well. Gopher snakes, king snakes, and western racers inhabit the fields and meadows; garter snakes hunt the ponds and stream verges. In the forest are rubber boas and ringneck snakes. Aloft are redtail hawks, American kestrels, sharp-shinned and Cooper's hawks, and turkey vultures. Most nights you can hear a great horned owl. There are also many varieties of songbirds. Remember: please take neither animal nor plant life, as all such resources are protected for the enjoyment of everyone.

A walk along Nimitz Way is popular with hikers, bicyclists, and equestrians, and affords spectacular views from the crest of the East Bay hills. There are several other trails in Wildcat Canyon that connect to Nimitz Way. Check the Wildcat Canyon map.

4worldlovers: The Presidio is for lovers! Nature lovers, outdoor lovers, art lovers, and history lovers will find something to gush about on Lovers’ Lane, an enchanting trail that connects the Presidio Gate to the Main Post.


The oldest footpath through the Presidio, Lovers’ Lane was established in the 18th century as a shortcut used by Spanish soldiers and missionaries to get from the Main Post to Mission Dolores, located three miles south of the Presidio. Today, you’ll most likely find joggers, birdwatchers, and daydreamers ambling along this shady, picturesque path.

If you begin your journey at the south end, keep your eyes out for Wood Line, an art installation by Andy Goldsworthy located in the eucalyptus forest just east of the trail. This sculpture is made up of felled tree trunks laid end-to-end to create a zigzagging installation that you can even stroll on top of – it’s a literal art walk!


As you journey downhill to the north, look west to see quaint historic homes in the valley below. Further along, you’ll eventually cross a charming footbridge built in 1885.