Waterbird
Regional Preserve,
East Bay Regional Park District,
Contra Costa County
In brief:
1.5 mile loop through grassland above a marsh, unfortunately across the highway
from a refinery.
Getting there:
From CA 4 in Contra Costa County, exit Interstate 680 north (exit 12c). Drive
north about 2 miles, then exit Marina Vista/Waterfront Road (exit 56). At the
end of the exit ramp, turn right onto Waterfront Road. Drive about 1/4 mile, then
turn right onto Waterbird Way. After about 1000 feet, turn right into the preserve.
Trailhead details:
No parking or entrance fees. Small gravel parking lot. There's no drinking water,
but there is a restroom, and maps are available at an information signboard. One
handicapped parking spot, and trail access is unobstructed to wheelchairs, although
the trail is poorly suited to strollers and wheelchairs.
Gas, food, and lodging:
Gas, pay phones, stores, and restaurants in Martinez. No camping.
Distance, category, and difficulty:
This 1.5 mile loop hike is incredibly easy, with only about 130
feet in elevation change.
Rules:
The preserve is open from 8 a.m. to dusk (unless otherwise posted). The single
trail is multi-use. Dogs are not permitted.
The Official Story:
EBRPD's Waterbird
page
EBRPD Waterbird
brochure (pdf)
Map Choices:
• Use AAA's San Francisco Bay Region map to get there.
• Map
from EBRPD (download pdf)
Little Waterbird Preserve is a tiny preserve squeezed 
between
Highway 680 and industrial outskirts of Martinez. The dominating feature at Waterbird
is the refinery right smack across the highway to the west. The proximity may
seem strange, but Waterbird exists because the refinery spilled oil into Carquinez
Strait in 1988, and was ordered to "restore, rehabilitate, and acquire the
equivalent of the resources damaged in the spill." Thus hikers have a trail
traversing a low grassy ridge overlooking a pretty marsh, where a variety of birds
may be seen, from common ducks to hawks and shorebirds.
Birdwatching is the premier activity here, but Waterbirds's
solitary trail departs from the parking lot and heads slightly uphill, away from
the marsh. 
The
wide, multi-use trail ascends to a gate, then reaches a split at 0.14 miles. Bear
left.
Cattle graze here part of the year, through grassland
dotted with fennel, where tarweeds bloom and dragonflies flit to and fro in summer.
From Waterbird's highest hill there are views south to Mount Diablo, as well as
to the surrounding semi-industrial area. Meadowlark Ridge Loop begins to descend,
then sweeps right near the preserve boundary and a gravel operation. Although
the marsh is visible to the left, the trail still keeps its distance, and rises
a bit back into the hills. A few cow paths and casual trails depart off to the
left, where there are the best views downhill to the marsh. You'll return to the
hike's first junction, at 1.09 miles. Bear left and return to the trailhead.
Total distance: 1.56 miles
Last hiked: September 16, 2003
Go to Bay Area Hiker Home page
between
Highway 680 and industrial outskirts of Martinez. The dominating feature at Waterbird
is the refinery right smack across the highway to the west. The proximity may
seem strange, but Waterbird exists because the refinery spilled oil into Carquinez
Strait in 1988, and was ordered to "restore, rehabilitate, and acquire the
equivalent of the resources damaged in the spill." Thus hikers have a trail
traversing a low grassy ridge overlooking a pretty marsh, where a variety of birds
may be seen, from common ducks to hawks and shorebirds. 
The
wide, multi-use trail ascends to a gate, then reaches a split at 0.14 miles. Bear
left.