Contra Loma's 780 acres include an 80-acre reservoir for year-round fishing and a lifeguarded swim lagoon for summertime swimming. Enjoy these attractions along with year-round hiking, biking, and nature study at this Contra Costa County oasis.

Birds: water birds, snipes, bitterns, flickers, merlin, white pelicans.

Hiking Difficulty: 2

Directions:

• From Walnut Creek take 680 fwy north
• Go east on hwy 242
• Go east on hwy 4
• (Ignore sign for Contra Loma Next Exit.)
• Exit on Lone Tree Way
• Stay in right lane for approx. 1 mile
• Go right on Golf Course Rd for approx. 1 mile
• Go right on Fredrickson Rd for approx. 2 miles
• Follow signs to Contra Loma Regional Park
• Entry fee is $5.

Notes:

Almost immediately on Golf Course Rd, the Antioch Municipal Reservoir appears on the right: there is some good birding there; plus you can see water birds through the fence.

Driving into the Lone Tree Golf Club area before you get to Fredrickson Rd produces good sightings of water birds and others along the road.

Hiking Difficulty codes:
1=Easy, very few hills to climb
2=Moderately Easy, some small hills to climb
3=Challenging, flat land ranging to gentle to some steep slopes
4=Difficult, some very steep hills to climb