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The Tri-Valley’s Coyote Hills Regional Park

Has anyone heard of Coyote Hills?  My wife and son took a guided hike recently through this area that is close-by, but seemed so remote.  The hike was through the Coyote Hills Regional Park.  The park was only about a 50 minute drive in traffic from our home in the Tri-Valley.  Once they were there, however, they felt a million miles away.

Coyote Hills terrain consists of vast marshlands and rolling grassy hills.  Visitor activities include hiking, bicycling, bird watching, nature exploration, picnicking, and much more.  There are naturalists on staff at this park, and they offer programs for the public and organized groups like guided hikes and field trips.  My wife and son were lucky enough to be invited on a sunset, naturalist-guided hike, with the hike starting at 7PM. 

The group met at the Visitor Center, a building that has some displays on Native American history portraying the Ohlone way of life and other exhibits covering park history and wildlife. According to the East Bay Regional Park District’s website, the East Bay’s original inhabitants were ancestors of the Ohlone Indians, and there are programs that Coyote Hills’ naturalists offer by reservation and are located at the main shellmound site.  These programs allow visitors to view a reconstructed tule house, shade shelter, pit house and sweat lodge.  Although my wife and son’s hike did not center around this aspect of the park’s rich history, we would all like to return to participate in that program in the future.

Walking eastward from the Visitor Center, my wife and son’s group started their nature walk and saw some nice displays of wildlife.  The first was my son’s favorite part of the whole trip.  There was a kite bird hovering high in the sky by the hill very near the trail.  All of a sudden, he swooped down and tried to snag a small prey in a bush on the ground.  A super-close encounter to kick off his study of nature on this hike! 

There was also much “scat” identified by the naturalist along the way, the first being from a fox.  According to our guide, the fox leaves his “scat” near the middle of the trail or at a trail intersection to mark his territory.  Rabbit scat was also pointed out.

Next, the naturalist took all of the children and parents out over the marsh and its surrounding water on a wooden, planked walkway. A very cool experience to walk amongst the thick reeds and hear the sounds of dusk resonating with the birds and insects.  Mix in an orangey pink sunset and some smiling, curious kids, and according to my wife, you’ve got pure contentment.

The next wildlife experience for the hikers was when a family of four geese meandered along the trail with them for some time.  The geese did not hurry, and the naturalist kept all of the children and parents at a safe distance (for the birds and the kids!).  My wife said it was very sweet to see the geese parents caring after their children and making sure to guide them into the water safely when they left their shared trail. 

As the dusk really started to creep in, the hikers left flat land and took a short walk over a hill to see a small valley where many geese were resting.  It was very quiet and peaceful.  Close to the end of the return loop, the group was told they might see a fox or two, but alas, the gaggle of children laughing and everyone happily whispering kept any more animal encounters at bay. 

The naturalist ended the evening with a unique twist.  All of the children were invited to come inside the Visitor Center for hot chocolate and a buffet of foods that are produced from plants that bats pollinate.  The feast included bananas, cashews, figs (via the classic Fig Newton cookie!), mangoes, and dates. 

All around, a very well-constructed, guided nature walk was enjoyed by the children and their parents.  And my family discovered a new place to relax and take in more of the wonders that make the Bay area our chosen home.

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