Briones Regional Park, near Orinda, Contra Costa County, California
Briones Regional Park preserves an area of ranchland in the hills north of Orinda. It isn't just former ranchland — it is still grazed by beef cattle, the way it has been since the eighteenth century, when it was part of the Spanish land grant Rancho Acalanes. The vaqueros are gone, and the grizzly bears and Indians, but the cows persist.
This is an undeveloped park, with just a few picnic tables near the entrance. It is primarily for hikers, and to preserve open space. The old ranch roads, including this one that once connected San Pablo Creek and Richmond on the west with the Ygnacio Valley to the east, have been converted to trails for hiking, horseback riding, and mountain biking.
Next: John Muir's House