America's Best Camping, Right in Our Back Yard

If you live in Pleasanton, Dublin, San Ramon & the Tri-Valley, you don’t have to drive far to enjoy some of the best family camping in the country. According to ReserveAmerica’s Camping Club, three of the top 100 family campsites in the Unites States are nearby; Sunol Regional Wilderness in Sunol, Del Valle Regional Park in Livermore and Anthony Chabot Regional Park in Castro Valley. Eleven of the country’s best family camps are in California, and we have three of them within a 30 minute drive!

Sunol Regional Wilderness

Located in Sunol, just a short drive from anywhere in the East Bay, this park is truly the gem of the East Bay Regional Park District. This 6,859 acre wilderness has it all, including camping, picnicking, hiking, backpacking, waterfalls and equestrian trail rides. You can take hikes of any length, from short hikes around the visitor’s center, to a couple of miles to Little Yosemite or multi-day backpacking excursions.

According to the East Bay Park District web site “The Sunol naturalist staff provides additional opportunities to enjoy the park by leading nature hikes and coordinating special events. They also teach about natural and cultural history to children that meet current State Science and Social Science Curriculum Standards during the school year.” The Sunol Regional Wilderness is one of my favorite places to go hiking and camping.

Del Valle Regional Park

“Located in the oak covered hills just six miles south of Livermore, the park surrounds a five-mile-long lake which offers boating, fishing, swimming, hiking, biking, and nature observation opportunities year round. Del Valle is also the eastern entry for backpacking in the Ohlone Regional Wilderness.” You can hike the Ohlone Trail all the way to the Sunol Regional Wilderness and on to Mission Peak, or visa versa. Del Valle is another great place to go to enjoy the natural wonders of the East Bay. There are so many activities to enjoy around the lake, but don’t forget to explore the rest of the park. I had the thrill of seeing a mountain lion on one particular hiking trip a few years back. And of course Lake Del Valle was famous a few years ago for being the home of a nesting pair of Bald Eagles.

Anthony Chabot Regional Park

“The park is located in the hills, four miles north of Castro Valley and six miles east of Oakland on Redwood Road. Year-round camping is available in a eucalyptus grove overlooking Lake Chabot. Its beautiful year-round public campground, a marksmanship range, and miles of hiking and riding trails make Chabot one of the District’s most varied parklands.” Like Sunol and Del Valle, you can spend many days at Lake Chabot and not experience all there is to enjoy.

The parks were selected based on amenities requested by families, including scenery, education, showers, trails, children’s events and more.

It’s amazing to think that we have, right in our back yard, three of California’s 11 best family camping areas and three of the top 100 in the entire country. What a fantastic place to live! These parks offer a diversity of wildlife and scenery that never ceases to amaze and you can always find peace and quiet there. Take your family, take your closest friends or just go alone to these incredible parks. During the summer, weekend campsites fill early but there are usually spaces available during the week. In the late fall, winter and early spring, it is easier to make reservations. To make reservations, go to the East Bay Regional Park web site.

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