Take a long walk or a strenuous hike in this East Bay nature preserve that most people don’t know about. Sunol Wilderness Regional Preserve is located northeast of San Jose and has so many beautiful trails. The 6,850 acre preserve was established in 1962 and is open year round. This beautiful preserve is an underrated county park!

Located in Alameda County, this preserve is in the inner California Coastal Ranges.
Adel Murza/AllTrails
There are nearly 40 different trails in the preserve, ranging from a couple miles to the strenuous 17-mile Rose Peak From Sunol hike.
Take an easy 2-mile walk on the Little Yosemite trail. View the flora and fauna of this region from this wide trail that meanders through foothills and open grasslands.
Thomas Kuo/Google Images
The terrain in this preserve varies from open spaces to wooded areas to creeks and streams. Some of the land is leased to ranchers, so you might see some grazing cattle on your walk.
Visitors to the preserve can go hiking, camping, picnicking, horseback riding, and back-packing.
Marco Paganini/Google Images
If you want to camp in the preserve, you’ll need to make a reservation in advance. And every visitor must bring drinkable water since there is no potable water in the preserve. Even for easy hikes, it is always wise to be prepared!

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On your way into the preserve, stop into the Sunol Visitor Center where the naturalist staff can tell you about recent animal sightings and let you know if any trails are closed.
Jim Doerr/Google Images
The visitor center is also home to several animals including a rattlesnake, a western toad, and a tarantula.
If you want to see animals in the wild, the mornings are the best time to visit. Birds are lively in the mornings and it’s not uncommon to see as many as 40 bird species in the mornings.
Ilya Katsnelson/Google Images
Nature-lovers might also love to know that this land was once an ancient seabed. On your walk, keep your eyes peeled for rocky outcroppings that feature ancient fossils.
The park opens daily at 8 a.m. and closes between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. depending on the time of year.
Jack Liu/Google Images
Due to wildfire risk the preserve will sometimes be closed or have restrictions from June to October. It is also closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Be prepared to pay $5 for parking on weekends and holidays, plus $2 per dog.
Jack Liu/Google Images
For their calendar of events, check the preserve’s events page.

Especially if you live somewhere in the Bay Area, you must take a trip to this nearby underrated preserve! Take advantage of living in this beautiful state and explore your area.

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Featured Addresses
Sunol Regional Wilderness, 1895 Geary Rd, Sunol, CA 94586, USA