Bishop Ranch shares a name with San Ramon's big office park, but the regional preserve is something else: a steep ridge of grassland on the city's western edge. The East Bay Regional Park District says it offers quiet and solitude on 806 acres just a short distance from San Ramon Valley subdivisions.
What to expect
- No facilities: The park district says there is nothing but a trailhead and trails. Bring water.
- Activities: Hiking, kite flying and blanket picnics. Wikipedia lists three trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding.
- Wildlife: Watch for deer, red-tailed hawks and turkey vultures.
- Steep: Trails are generally not suitable for wheelchair users.
Getting there
The park district's directions: exit I-680 at Bollinger Canyon Road and head west to San Ramon Valley Boulevard. Turn left, drive to Morgan Drive, then turn right. Park on Morgan Drive; the trailhead is on the left.
How the preserve grew
Wikipedia describes the original preserve as 444 acres. In August 2015, the park district announced it had bought a 362-acre tract along the Calaveras Ridge to add to it, connecting Bishop Ranch with Dublin Hills Regional Park. The $2 million purchase came from the Wiedemann family, who had raised cattle there since the 1860s. It includes Harlan Hill, a local landmark at 1,719 feet. Together the two pieces add up to the 806 acres the district lists today.
Wikipedia says the addition is part of a plan for a continuous trail from Sunol to Lafayette through six regional parks, and that the district must finish a land-use plan before opening the new land. For a bigger hike nearby, try Las Trampas Regional Wilderness off Bollinger Canyon Road.