Coyote Hills is in some ways the quintessential East Bay park. It has some big brown hills (although they are a bit more manageable than some of the other parks’ hills), outstanding views of the bay, wetlands, tons of birds, and of course, that East Bay park favorite, random cattle. And apparently sometimes sheep. I like that it has some trails that allow dogs and some that don’t (I believe more wildlife sightings are possible if dogs aren’t allowed), and some trails that allow bikes and some that don’t (same comment about wildlife). I like that the trails are all pretty easy and even the hills aren’t hard to do while carrying a bunch of camera gear. I like that you can walk from this park to Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge on a special trail. (I love it when parks and refuges connect via trail.) The only thing I don’t particularly like is the entrance fee is charged electronically and therefore is collected all day, every day. (Most of the East Bay Regional parks that charge entrance fees only tend to do so on weekends when they feel like paying to man the entrance kiosk.) (And dog owners should be aware that dogs are charged separately than humans.) But Coyote Hills is one of those parks that seems to have a little something for everyone. It’s easy to see why it’s a local favorite. Thursday night I took a 5.5-mile stroll through the wetlands and then up over the hills. I timed it so I was atop a hill at sunset so I could watch the sun go down over the bay. There weren’t any clouds to create one of the really spectacular sunsets we get here, but the weather was nice and it was a really lovely end to the day nonetheless. Here are some of the pictures I took:
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