Backyard Beat: Del Valle Lake

Del Valle Regional Park is a park in the San Francisco Bay Area. It lies south of Downtown Livermore and is a popular picnic and camping spot for people in the bay area. 

This east bay park lies around Del Valle Lake and is a great place to go on easy to moderate hikes. Last month, we walked a good part of the East shore trail. Since it was a  cool winter day there weren’t many people picnicking out there that Sunday. To be more precise when we parked at the lot not far from the entrance, there was just one family in the middle of a picnic. We did see some people hanging out near the Marina, though. There was a bit of activity going on around there with people boating and fishing. The other people in the park seemed to be there for a hike.

Del Valle Regional Park

This is what Dell Valle Regional Park might look like on a winter morning/afternoon:

East Shore Trail and Dog Run

We started our walk near the Eagle’s View Group Camp and walked the paved path till the Marina and the got into the gravelly Dog Run Trail up until Venados Camp and Swallow Way. It was a very pleasant walk with not very many people out on the trail that day.

Parts of the hills had already turned green from the rains of the winter yet there were some dry bushes here and there. And several trees had lost their leaves. Yet there was enough greenery for a pleasing hike. There were several kinds of birds along the water. And every now and then we’d spot a boat. On our way back we saw a speed boat dash through the water and the ripples take quite some time to hit the shores. And when the disturbance finally hit the east shore it made the sound not unlike that of a wave hitting land. It was interesting to see the slow and seemingly gentle ripples make such a big whoosh in the middle of the quiet. 🙂

Things you need to know for your hiking trip

• The whole trail is 6.9 miles. But we did only a part of it, this time. 
• It is a great place for family hikes. It’s very kid-friendly.
• There are several restrooms along the way. 
• The beach store is closed in the winter. But if you need a quick snack or you need to pick something quick, you might be able to find it and the small store near the Marina. 
• There is a per-vehicle park fee for entry into the park when you take the main entrance.

Linking to–
Our World Tuesday

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