Garin/Dry
Creek Pioneer Regional Parks,
East Bay Regional Park District,
Alameda County
In brief:
6.1 mile loop up and down grassy hills at the edge of Fremont.
Getting there:
From Interstate 880 in Alameda County, exit Tennyson Road (exit 26). Drive east
on Tennyson to the junction with Mission Boulevard. Turn right onto Mission Boulevard
and drive south about 1 mile to Garin Avenue (look for brown parks sign). Turn
left and follow Garin Avenue to the end of the road, about 1 mile. Once past the
entry kiosk, bear left and park in the lot shown in the photo to the right.
Trailhead details:
There is abundant parking. $5 entrance fee collected when kiosk is staffed (mostly
weekends). $2 dog fee. Maps are available from the entry kiosk or the Visitor
Center. Restrooms at Visitor Center. Pay phone near Visitor Center. Water
fountains at Visitor Center and near kite field. Two designated handicapped parking
spots, and trails are wheelchair accessible. There are three other smaller entrances
to the park(s), with very limited street parking; Calhoun (near Cal State Hayward),
Zeile Creek (off Zeile Creek Drive), and Tamarack (at the end of Tamarack Drive).
Transit info from EBRPD: "Traveling by BART, come to the South Hayward Station
and connect with AC Transit bus #21. Take #21 to its stop at the foot of Garin
Avenue on Mission Boulevard. From there the park entrance is slightly less than
one mile uphill (steep). From the Union City BART Station, take AC Transit bus
#21 north to its stop at Tamarack Drive and Mission Boulevard. From there it is
about one-third mile to the trailhead. If you are a confirmed bus rider coming
from Oakland, take the AC Transit bus #82 to the Hayward BART station. Connect
there with the #21 line to the Mission Boulevard and Garin Avenue stop."
Visit the Transit Info website
for their descriptions of the public transportation journey.
Gas, food, and lodging:
Gas, stores, and restaurants available on Mission Boulevard. Garin has a reservable
group campsite, but neither park has individual campsites.
Distance, category, and difficulty:
This 6.1 mile loop hike is moderate, with about 800 feet in elevation
change. Trailhead elevation is about 350 feet. The featured hike's highest spot
is about 1160 feet. Some of the fire roads are steep.
Rules:
Most trails are multi-use. A few trails are open to hikers and equestrians only,
and one trail is designated hiking only. Dogs are permitted. Park is open from
5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The Official Story:
EBRPD's Garin/Dry
Creek Pioneer Parks page.
EBRPD's
Garin/Dry Creek Pioneer brochure (pdf)
EBRPD headquarters 510-562-PARK
Map Choices:
• Use AAA's San Francisco Bay Region map to get there.
• Map
from EBRPD
• Afoot and Afield: San Francisco Bay Area, by David Weintraub (order
this book from Amazon.com) has a great map and descriptions of a Dry Creek
hike.
• East Bay Trails, by David Weintraub, has good maps and descriptions
of hikes in both parks (order
this book from Amazon.com).
Garin/Dry
Creek in a nutshell -- a printable, text-only guide to the featured
hike.
• View photos from this hike
Garin and Dry Creek Pioneer
Regional Parks are like two likable people in a happy relationship. Joined
together, both are enriched. These two lovely parks, seamlessly connected,
make for numerous loop possibilities through the rolling grassy hills. Garin provides
the infrastructure, with lots of parking spaces, picnic tables, and a visitor
center. Dry Creek Pioneer is the wild half of the equation, no facilities
to speak of, just a hunk of raw land with a great trail network. There are only
two things I dislike about these parks, the presence of cows (making for muddy
and uneven trails), and the popularity of the area near Jordan Pond as a teenage
hangout on nice afternoons.
It's amazing to witness the seasonal changes at
Garin/Dry Creek Pioneer. Winter rains flush the hillsides with the green of vibrant
new grass, and the numerous fruit trees call attention to themselves with a show
of pastel blossoms. By late summer the hills are the blondest blonde imaginable,
and folks arrive for the Garin 
Apple
Festival, where the park staff offers tastes from fruit-bearing trees. This is
a good place to educate children about the bay area's agricultural past. Kids
are sure to love the old farm equipment on display near the parking lots, and
parents can schedule monthly family visits to check on the progress of the fruit
on the apple trees.
From the parking
area, look for a broad, palm-lined path heading south. Walk down
the path to the Visitor Center, a red barn (open weekends in the summer).
Here you can find a map and use the restrooms. When you're ready to start hiking,
begin at the undersigned junction just past (south) of the barn. Take
the second trail heading right. The flat path passes through pretty groomed
picnic areas and by the kite field. A path heads right at 0.18 mile, heading to
the west side of Jordan Pond. Turn right and cross over the spillway, then
turn left.
Several benches in shady spots rim the pond. On
a hot day the temperature feels much cooler near the water, where the breezes
flutter leaves of cattails, willows, and other aquatic plants. Blue
elderberry trees put out distinctive blue berries in autumn. 
After
0.36 mile, turn right at a signed junction onto High Ridge Loop Trail.
This broad multi-use trail climbs just enough
to give you a lovely view of Jordan Pond, and the hills north and east. High Ridge
Loop Trail sweeps easily uphill through grassland, with some coast live oaks,
buckeyes, fruit trees, and even some gooseberry shrubs down slope to the left.
A gate at 0.53 mile marks the intersection of Ridge View Trail, from the northwest,
and a hiking only trail from the southeast. The hiking trail parallels High Ridge
Loop Trail for a while, then descends back to the valley floor to join Dry
Creek Trail. Continue on High Ridge Loop Trail, where on a visit on
a hot September day, the grasshoppers were jumping all over the place and the
air smelled like sage. In spring, you may see some California poppies and fiddlenecks.
The trail begins descending slightly. Follow a spur trail that crests the hills,
or stay on High Ridge Loop Trail around the hill; both trails meet on the other
side. The next stretch of trail unfortunately features sounds and views of
Mission Boulevard, 
and
then the backyards of some houses abutting the park. High Ridge Loop T rail
crosses Meyers Ranch Trail near the Tamarack entrance, at a signed junction at
1.67 miles. Bear right and then left to continue on High Ridge Loop Trail.
Cows are prevalent in this section of
the park. Some giant oaks stand sentinel on the summit of a hill on the left side
of the trail. An old orchard is fenced on the right side, and the trees are
a froth of flowers in late winter. On a late winter hike here, I spotted three
wild turkeys at the edge of grassland, under the trees. At a signed junction near
a small pond, at 2.17 miles, Tolman Peak Trail begins and continues to the east
(the trail dead ends at the park boundary). Turn left here and head
uphill on a wide trail that runs along a creek bed.
Although this part of High Ridge Loop Trail climbs
steadily, the trail is almost completely shaded by oak, buckeye, maple, sycamore,
and California bay trees. You may see snowberry's blossoms in
spring, and white berries in autumn. The wide trail gets muddy in winter. Pioneer
Trail (open to hikers and equestrians only) heads out from the left side of the
trail near a small pond at a signed intersection at 2.75 miles. (Option: to shorten
your hike to about 4.6 miles, turn left on Pioneer. The path climbs through woods,
then emerges into grassland and descends along a creek. You may notice a lot of
kites and kite parts strung up in the branches of trees. I was confused by this,
until I remembered the kite field down by the Visitor Center. Amazing how far
those escaped kites make it! Pioneer Trail ends at an unsigned junction with
Meyers Ranch Trail. Walk a few hundred feet to the left and at the signed junction
with Dry Creek Trail, turn right. Cross a narrow bridge and meander along across
Dry Creek on this peaceful and lush trail, where common snowberries and wild roses
are prevalent in the understory. The trail turns to pavement and then ends
at Jordan Pond. 
Stay
to the right around the pond, past the beginning of High Ridge Loop Trail, and
back to the parking area.) For the featured hike, continue straight on High
Ridge Loop Trail.
High Ridge Loop Trail continues to climb, although
it soon leaves the woods, taking a sharp turn right and passing through sagebrush
and poison oak on the steepest stretch of the trail. The grade eases up at 2.97
miles, at an undersigned junction with a trail not on the map. Bear left and
remain on High Ridge Loop Trail. Ascending through grassland, a few oaks and
great swaths of poison oak dot the hillside. On clear days, you likely have views
west across the bay to the Santa Cruz Mountains, as well as nice perspectives
of the rest of Garin/Dry Creek, including Tolman Peak to the south. High Ridge
Loop Trail pushes on uphill, cresting at a signed junction at 3.51 miles. A semi-loop
path to Gossip Rock begins on the right. A nicely placed bench provides the perfect
spot for a rest break, although on a cool windy day you probably won't want to
linger. Continue on High Ridge Loop Trail.
The trail bisects the burrows of an active squirrel
community. 
A
pretty little pond nestles in the hills downslope to the right, and a bit further
down the trail another pond sits downhill on the left. High Ridge Loop Trail nears
the fenced park boundary, and begins an easy descent. Buttercups and suncups may
be glimpsed along the trail in late winter, but the cows don't leave many flowers
behind as they graze along the ridgetops. At 4.22 miles, Meyers Ranch Trail heads
downhill to the left at a signed junction. Choosing Meyers Ranch will actually
extend your hike a bit, but it's an option. Continue straight on High Ridge
Loop Trail.
As you descend, you'll have increasingly lovely
views of Garin Peak and the surrounding area that makes up the northernmost section
of the park. High Ridge Loop Trail passes through a cattle gate, then meets Newt
Pond Trail at a signed junction at 5.32 miles. You can continue on High Ridge
Loop Trail (which ends back by the Visitor Center), but on my last hike at Garin/Dry
Creek, I decided to explore Newt Pond Trail. Bear right onto Newt Pond Trail.
Cow paths 
make
it tough to pick out narrow Newt Pond Trail, which despite its size, is open to
hikers, equestrians, and cyclists. The trail abruptly turns right, slipping through
grassland. Switchbacks soften the descent. You may encounter cows on or around
the trail, which passes under some oaks and then seems to split. A rough path
heads to the creek on the left, and another continues straight. The whole area
is scored with cow paths, so I don't suppose it matters much which way you go,
so long as you pass through the creek at the obvious crossing. On the other side,
turn left onto multi-use Old Homestead Trail, at a junction at 5.75 miles.
The flat wide trail soon meets up, at a signed junction
at 5.83 miles, with Vista Peak Loop Trail, on its way to Garin Peak. Continue
on Old Homestead Trail. You'll pass through a cattle gate and meet the road
to the campground; bear left. The trail becomes a narrow paved road. Running along
Dry Creek, Old Homestead Trail is particularly lovely in winter when numerous
fruit trees bloom. The trail draws near to the Ranch Side picnic area, right across
the maple and sycamore-lined creek. At 6.12 miles, Old Homestead Trail ends at
a gate. Turn left, go around (or through) another gate, and you'll be back
in the parking lot.
Total distance: 6.12 miles
Last hiked: Friday, March 9, 2001
Go to Bay Area Hiker Home page
Regional Parks are like two likable people in a happy relationship. Joined
together, both are enriched. These two lovely parks, seamlessly connected,
make for numerous loop possibilities through the rolling grassy hills. Garin provides
the infrastructure, with lots of parking spaces, picnic tables, and a visitor
center. Dry Creek Pioneer is the wild half of the equation, no facilities
to speak of, just a hunk of raw land with a great trail network. There are only
two things I dislike about these parks, the presence of cows (making for muddy
and uneven trails), and the popularity of the area near Jordan Pond as a teenage
hangout on nice afternoons. 
Apple
Festival, where the park staff offers tastes from fruit-bearing trees. This is
a good place to educate children about the bay area's agricultural past. Kids
are sure to love the old farm equipment on display near the parking lots, and
parents can schedule monthly family visits to check on the progress of the fruit
on the apple trees.
After
0.36 mile, turn right at a signed junction onto High Ridge Loop Trail.
and
then the backyards of some houses abutting the park. High Ridge Loop T rail
crosses Meyers Ranch Trail near the Tamarack entrance, at a signed junction at
1.67 miles. Bear right and then left to continue on High Ridge Loop Trail.
spring, and white berries in autumn. The wide trail gets muddy in winter. Pioneer
Trail (open to hikers and equestrians only) heads out from the left side of the
trail near a small pond at a signed intersection at 2.75 miles. (Option: to shorten
your hike to about 4.6 miles, turn left on Pioneer. The path climbs through woods,
then emerges into grassland and descends along a creek. You may notice a lot of
kites and kite parts strung up in the branches of trees. I was confused by this,
until I remembered the kite field down by the Visitor Center. Amazing how far
those escaped kites make it! Pioneer Trail ends at an unsigned junction with
Meyers Ranch Trail. Walk a few hundred feet to the left and at the signed junction
with Dry Creek Trail, turn right. Cross a narrow bridge and meander along across
Dry Creek on this peaceful and lush trail, where common snowberries and wild roses
are prevalent in the understory. The trail turns to pavement and then ends
at Jordan Pond. 
Stay
to the right around the pond, past the beginning of High Ridge Loop Trail, and
back to the parking area.) For the featured hike, continue straight on High
Ridge Loop Trail.
A
pretty little pond nestles in the hills downslope to the right, and a bit further
down the trail another pond sits downhill on the left. High Ridge Loop Trail nears
the fenced park boundary, and begins an easy descent. Buttercups and suncups may
be glimpsed along the trail in late winter, but the cows don't leave many flowers
behind as they graze along the ridgetops. At 4.22 miles, Meyers Ranch Trail heads
downhill to the left at a signed junction. Choosing Meyers Ranch will actually
extend your hike a bit, but it's an option. Continue straight on High Ridge
Loop Trail. 
make
it tough to pick out narrow Newt Pond Trail, which despite its size, is open to
hikers, equestrians, and cyclists. The trail abruptly turns right, slipping through
grassland. Switchbacks soften the descent. You may encounter cows on or around
the trail, which passes under some oaks and then seems to split. A rough path
heads to the creek on the left, and another continues straight. The whole area
is scored with cow paths, so I don't suppose it matters much which way you go,
so long as you pass through the creek at the obvious crossing. On the other side,
turn left onto multi-use Old Homestead Trail, at a junction at 5.75 miles.
