Introduction
Park History
Access
Trail Description and Views

Go to Coyote Hills - Part 2 - Hills, Marshes, and Trails.
Go to Alameda Creek Trail - Coyote Hills to I880
Go to the Alameda Creek Trail - Southside from I-880 to Niles Canyon
Go to the Alameda Creek Trail - Northside From Niles Canyon to I-880
Go to the Alameda Creek Trail - Northside I-880 to SF Bay
Go to the Hayward Regional Shoreline
Go to the Dumbarton Bridge
Return to Bay Trail Guided Photo Tours page

Introduction

Coyote Hills Regional Park, which encompasses most of the Coyote Hills, is at the northwest corner of Fremont, south of Hayward and Union City and north of Newark, right at the edge of San Francisco Bay. It is just north of Hwy 84 leading to the Dumbarton Bridge. The park, part of the East Bay Regional Park District, consists of 976 acres of rolling rocky hills, meadows, freshwater marshes, salt ponds, and Indian shell mounds and village sites. It got its name in the 1880's for the coyotes that howled when they heard the whistles from the trains that ran by here. You won't find many coyotes here anymore, but there's still a tremendous variety of birds and plants to be found among the hills, meadows, and wetlands. Alameda Creek runs along its northern boundary, flowing into San Francisco Bay. The Alameda Creek Regional Trail follows along the creek banks east to the historic town of Niles. Trails lead south from Coyote Hills to the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, which also has trails through the hills and along levees near the Bay. The combined network of trails makes for many miles of bike riding and hiking along mostly flat (if not always paved) paths, away from automobile traffic. If you like hill-climbing with a mountain bike, there are some challenging hill trails here too.

The guided photo tour below runs from the southern end of the park at the Quarry Trail entrance, crosses Hwy 84, follows the unpaved Apay Way Trail to the paved Bayview Trail, and then to the paved Alameda Creek Trail to San Francisco Bay.

The official Bay Trail route runs along the Apay Way Trail to the Baylands Trail and on both sides of Alameda Creek from Union City Blvd./Ardenwood Blvd. to San Francisco Bay. The Dumbarton Bridge and Marshlands Road are Bay Trail routes from the West, which lead to the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife headquarters in Newark. East of Coyote Hills, along Ardenwood Blvd. is Ardenwood Regional Preserve, an historic farm. Together these parks and trails make this area one of the jewels of the Bay Trail. Unfortunately, it is an isolated jewel. So far, there are no completed Bay Trails segments along the Bay or any body of water for several miles north of Alameda Creek or south of the refuge headquarters..

Park History

The human history of the Coyote Hills goes back to its first inhabitants, the Ohlone Indians. No one knows how long the Ohlone were in the Bay Area. The oldest known villages were over 9,000 years old. The oldest village in the park is over 2400 years old. With the coming of the Spanish in the 1700's, the Indian populations began their rapid decline. Much of the lands in this area belonged to the Spanish missions. In 1833,  Mexico closed the missions. The mission lands were divided up. In 1844, Augustin Alviso and Tomas Pacheco were granted Rancho Potrero de los Cerritos, which means "pasture of the little hills." The10,000-acre  land grant included the Coyote Hills.

After the Americanization of California in 1848, the rancho lands were sold to American ranchers. One of these ranchers was George Patterson. Patterson came to California as a 49'er looking for gold. Failing to strike it rich, he settled in the Bay Area as a tenant farmer, working for famers near Mission San Jose. Eventually, he bought 6,000 acres of land and became a wealthy and respected farmer and landowner. The Patterson family ranchhouse is preserved today and open to the public in Ardenwood Historic Farm. Patterson acquired tidelands around the Coyote Hills to build a dock to ship goods to market. Levees, dams, and channels redirected Alameda Creek floodwaters onto the Patterson property.

An American investor, Reverand Briggs, bought and leased the Coyote Hills to tenants. One of them was Louis Zwissig in 1906, who owned the Denver Dairy. Briggs also leased the area above the park's current visitors center to F. M. "Borax" Smith for a duckhunting lodge in 1883. Smith developed the marsh below the lodge to attract ducks. in 1916, the Pattersons exanded the duck pond and built their own lodge.

Salt production began in the the Bay in 1856. The California Salt Company built salt ponds outside the Coyote Hills in 1901. By 1917, the system of salt ponds reached 6,000 acres. The salt ponds around the Bay were bought out by the Leslie Salt Company, which in turn was bought by the Cargill Company. The salt ponds around the Coyote Hills and to the south were sold to the federal government to become part of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, under the supervision of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The headquarters for the refuge is in the hills south of the Coyote Hills. The Cargill Company retained salt production rights to the ponds. Some of the salt pond levees are open to the public as trails. Others are closed to protect nesting birds or because they are too rough for safe travel.

In the 1950's, the U.S. Army built 3 Nike missile silos in the hills. It was part of the network of Nike air defense installations around the Bay Area installed during the Cold War years. The current park visitors center was a barracks building for the missile crew. The army abandoned the system in 1959, and the land reverted back to the Pattersons. In 1963, Stanford Research Institute leased the barracks for a biological sonar lab, studying echo-location by seals and other marine mammals.

In the 1960's, plans were drawn up for developing the Coyote Hills into a major recreation area. In 1967, the East Bay Regional Parks District acquired 1064 acres around the Coyote Hills. The park opened with limited facilities in 1968.

The Alameda Flood Control and Water Conservation District owns 482 acres of the park. These are lowland ponding areas that are flooded when rains over-fill the adjacent Alameda Creek Flood Control Channel. The water is later released into the Bay. In the 1980's, the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) built the DUST (Demonstration Urban Stormwater Treatment) Marsh in the northeast corner of the park. It is now maintained by the county flood control district. The DUST Marsh is an experiment in treating urban storm drain runoff by using natural processes to break down pollutants. Water from a 4.6 square mile area of Fremont drains into Crandal Creek, then enters a series of basins, where the sun, plants, soils, and bacteria break down the pollutants. The stormwater is rendered  non-toxic and is drained into North Marsh and then into Alameda Creek, which flows into the Bay.

Access Information

Coyote Hills can also be reached from the Alameda Creek Regional Trail at the north end of the park. The park, in turn, provides a convenient access point for the Alameda Creek Trail. This route is decribed in the tour on the Alameda Creek Trail From Coyote Hills to I-880.

Coyote Hills can also be reached by trail from the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge to the south. This is the Bay Trail route and will be described below. To get here requires starting at the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Headquarters in Newark. This is just south of the Hwy 84 tollgate. To reach it, take the Thornton Avenue/Paseo Padre exit off Hwy 84. Take Thornton Avenue south and turn right at Marshlands Road. This is the entry to the refuge. Take Marshlands Road to the large parking lot below the refuge headquarters. The headquarters building, which is perched halfway up a hill, has rangers, maps, interpretive exhibits, water, a small bookstore, a viewing platform, restrooms, and classrooms. Across Marshlands Road from the parking lot is the entry to the Quarry Trail to Coyote Hills.

Marshlands Road can also be taken east from the end of the Dumbarton Bridge. It has bike lanes along the side and is closed to automobile traffic during the summer from the refuge headquarters to the Dumbarton Pier. The bicycle/pedestrian path across the Dumbarton Bridge runs from Menlo Park and East Palo Alto. It is thus possible to travel on the Bay Trail continuously from Menlo Park's Bayfront Park to the Coyote Hills and beyond.

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Trail Description and Views

This tour starts at the Quarry Trail entry point across Marshlands Road from the main parking lot for the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge headquarters.

The path is a narrow gravel path that winds up the side of a small hill and turns north..

At 0.2 miles, the trail reaches a concrete bridge over Hwy 84. This bridge is actually the roof of the toll plaza on Hwy 84.

Just past the other end of the bridge at 0.3 miles is the southern boundary of Coyote Hills Regional Park. The trail here is the Apay Way Trail. Ahead, the trail T's at the edge of a huge quarry pit. An informal path leads up a hill to the right to provide a better view of the area. The main trail turns left and follows along the edge of the quarry pit. The pit is so deep that the bottom can't be seen from the trail.  It seems to go way below sea level, as it looks much deeper than the surface of the bay, which is on the south side of the trail. The steep, bare, colorful rock walls of the quarry are in sharp contrast to the surrounding grass-covered hills. The quarry is on private property. A small hill to the left blocks the view to the west and south. The wide trail surface is hard-packed dirt and gravel, smooth enough for road bikes.

At 0.4 miles, the trail emerges from behind the small hill to the left, revealing views of Hwy 84, the refuge headquarters, the Dumbarton Bridge, and salt ponds.The salt ponds are part of the refuge, but the Cargill Salt Company retained salt evaporation rights when they sold the ponds, so these are active salt ponds.

The trail turns right and makes a quick drop down, then back up in a curve to the left, as it rises up along a steep hillside. The land to the right is private property and fenced off. Just before the top of the hill, the fence ends, indicating the start of regional park property.
 

At 0.7 miles, the trail turns right around the edge of the hill. The trail ahead can be seen along the steep-sided hills. More of the salt ponds are revealed, including the levees that divide them into separate ponds. The waters of the Bay can be seen beyond the farthest salt pond levees. The San Mateo Bridge can be seen to the north. The trail takes a moderate drop.

Ahead is a small cove in the salt pond. A peninsula juts into the salt pond. It has a small hill topped with an observation point.

Some huge rock formations are on the hills above.

At 1.0 miles, a footpath leads up the hill on the peninsula to the left. On top of this hill is a bench. The hill on the peninsula provides great views of the shoreline ahead.

A steep unofficial path leads up the hill to the right. A transmitter installation, not on park property, tops this hill.

The trail drops some more. It runs around another cove in the salt pond. A stand of pampas grass is on the edge of this cove. Beyond it is another peninsula, with a hill on top, smaller than the first one.

At 1.2 miles, a path leads left up this small hill on the peninsula. This hill has some rock outcroppings and provdes some good views of the trail and hills ahead.

Beyond this peninsula, a long narrow arm of the salt pond parallels the shore. A broken pipeline, supported on small wooden piers, runs through this pond. The trail drops to just a few feet above the salt pond level.The trail begins to ascend and turn inland. The end of the salt pond and the start of the No Name Trail can be seen ahead.

  On top of the hills are antennas and other facilities. These can be seen from the top of the Meadowlark Trail.

At 1.7 miles, the unpaved Apay Way Trail meets several other trails. An unpaved path on the far right leads to the paved Meadowlark Trail. On the immediate left, a gravel path drops down to the No Name Trail. A steep informal path runs up the hill to the left. Finally, running along the hillside, emerging from a low pass between the northern and southern hills is the paved Bayview Trail. The Bayview Trail makes a loop around the northern hills of the park. Through the pass to the right, the reedy South Marsh can be seen. Take the Bayview Trail to the left. It rises up along the hill.

At 1.8 miles, straight ahead and below, the No Name Trail, which runs on top of a salt pond levee, can be seen heading straight towards the Bay. A pump station sits at the beginning of the trail, pumping water from one salt pond to another. The Bayview Trail begins to round the hill and turn to the right.

At 1.9 miles, the trail reaches its high point. Ahead, the view reveals more of the Coyote Hills and the surrounding salt ponds. The far boundary of the salt ponds just beyond the Coyote Hills can be seen. This is Alameda Creek and the Alameda Creek Regional Trail. On clear days, the San Mateo Bridge, Mt. San Bruno, and the skyline of San Francisco can be seen across the Bay. The trail gradually drops down, winding along the contours of the hills and above small coves on the shore of the salt pond below. High up on the hill, gliders may be seen soaring on the updrafts created by the hills.

At 2.3 miles, the trail rounds another hill. The northern end of the Coyote Hills can be seen. The Alameda Creek Trail route can be seen more clearly. North of Alameda Creek, surrounded by salt ponds, is rocky Turk Island.

Up on the hills to the right of the trail are more large rock outcroppings.

The trail gently rises uphill again. Near its highpoint at 2.4 miles, the gravel Soaproot Trail drops down from the hill on the right. The Soaproot Trail goes up to Glider Hill. A bench is perched on the edge of a hill.

  This is a view of the Bayview Trail and hills from the Soaproot Trail.

This is a view of the hills above the Bayview Trail from the Soaproot Trail.

At 2.5 miles, 2 large rock outcropping can be seen near the top of the hills.

At 2.8 miles, a bench along the right side of the trail marks the junction with the unpaved Nike Trail. The short Nike Trail heads east through a saddle between the hills, crossing the Red Hill Trail, which runs along the ridge of the hills. The Nike Trail eventually drops down to the Bayview Trail on the east side of the hills, north of the visitor center. Meanwhile, continue north on the Bayview Trail.

At 3.1 miles is the last cove before the end of the Coyote Hills. The northeast corner of the salt pond can be seen ahead.

At 3.3 miles is a viewing platform with bike racks. A path drops down from the platform to run on top of a levee. This is the Pelican Trail. This trail curves to the right, following the path of Patterson Creek. It ends up at the Alameda Creek Trail and will be seen again later in the tour.

The Bayview Trail turns right around the end of the hill. The Alameda Creek Trail can be seen along Alameda Creek. To the east are the East Bay foothills and the cities of Fremont and Union City.

At 3.4 miles, the Bayview Trail reaches a junction. A short connector trail drops down to the left to join the Alameda Creek Trail. The Bayview Trail continues to round the hill and head south. A steep dirt footpath, the northern end of the Red Hill Trail, heads up along the spine of the hills. The Alameda Creek Trail can be seen heading straight towards the Bay to the left. Take the connector trail down and turn left on the Alameda Creek Trail.

Begin heading down the ruler-straight Alameda Creek Trail. The pickleweed-lined banks of Alameda Creek, a tidal estuary, are on the right.

To the left is a small marsh, which may be dry in the summer. The Pelican Trail runs on a levee at the far side of the marsh. The channel near the levee is what's left of Patterson Creek.

At 4.1 miles, Turk Island is to the right of the trail. Power lines cross the trail, powering the pumping stations. Brine is pumped from the salt ponds to the north of Alameda Creek to the ponds south of Alameda Creek. On the right of the trail is a pump station.

On the left of the trail is an outlet station, where brine enters the salt pond here.

The Pelican Trail ends here. It runs on a levee that forms one border of the huge salt pond on the left.

At 4.7 miles, the trail begins to curve to the left. In the salt pond on the left are the remains of a pipeline.

At 4.9 miles, San Francisco Bay can be seen as a sliver of water beyond the marshes to the right of the trail, north of Alameda Creek.

On the left side of the trail is a small dock and levee. These are closed.

Ahead, the end of the salt pond and the edge of San Francisco Bay can be seen.

At 5.5 miles, the paved trail ends. A pair of benches marks the end of the Alameda Creek Trail at its mouth on San Francisco Bay.

To the right is the mouth of Alameda Creek.

The end of the northside of the Alameda Creek Trail can be seen across the creek. The northside trail dead ends on the Bay.

There is an interpretive sign here.

To the left is the Shoreline Trail, which runs along the edge of the Bay to the Dumbarton Bridge. It is currently closed. It has recently been undergoing maintenance Maintenance on the levees in this area began in September of 1999 and was scheduled to continue for 14 months. The levees are subject to erosion and need to be restored periodically. The last time they were restored was in 1985.

Mud is dredged from the bottom of the salt ponds and deposited on top of the levees. It takes a couple of years for the mud to drain and dry. Until the mud has dried and levee tops have been smoothed out, it is hazardous and nearly impossible to travel on the levees. Views of the Shoreline Trail before the closure can be seen in Coyote Hills - Part 2.

Until the Shoreline Trail re-opens, which may take a couple of years, the only choice is to double back on the Alameda Creek Trail.

The Pelican Trail may be taken as a side trip. It starts out as a double-track on top of a salt pond levee, but turns into a single-track that may be overgrown with weeds farther on.. It passes other levees, all closed, on its way back to the Baylands Trail. The slough on the left side of the levee is Patterson Creek.

The Alameda Creek Trail can be taken east all the way to Niles Canyon, then back west on the north side all the way to San Francisco Bay again, a round trip of about 24 miles. The trail can also be taken in smaller segments.

Back at the junction with the Bayview Trail at the north end of the Coyote Hills, the eastern leg of the Bayview Trail runs south to the visitor center. It then runs past the Quarry picnic area, the Dairy Glen day camp, passes the Meadowlark Trail, and reaches the end of the Apay Way Trail. This can be taken back south to the refuge parking lot.

There are many other trails in Coyote Hills Regional Park. Some of these will be described in Coyote Hills - Part 2 - Hills, Marshes, and Trails and the Alameda Creek Trail - Coyote Hills to I880.