Between Martinez, Lafayette, Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill, cattle still graze the hills of Briones.
History
The land was part of the 1842 Mexican land grant Rancho Boca de la Cañada del Pinole, granted to the widow of Felipe Briones, according to Wikipedia. The Briones family began ranching cattle there, and grazing continues today. In 1909 the Peoples' Water Company, a predecessor of EBMUD, bought the land for watershed. The park now covers 6,117 acres. Briones Peak, at 1,483 feet, has views of Mount Diablo, the Sacramento River, the Berkeley Hills and Mount Tamalpais.
The trail rules
The park district says the Briones Special Management Area is a 1,600-acre zone in the northeast part of the park. It limits some trails to hiking only, biking only, or hiking and biking, and sets the direction of travel. On weekends, trail use in the zone alternates between bikes and horses on even and odd calendar days. The rules come from a 20-month pilot that ran from April 2023 to December 2024 and included restoring illegally built "bootleg" trails.
Right now
As of Oct. 28, 2026, the district says there's no drinking water at Bear Creek, affecting the Oak Grove and Newt Hollow picnic sites. The Briones Crest Trail intersections with the Mott Peak and Lagoon trails are damaged but passable with care. Hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Nov. 6, then 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Parking is $5 when the kiosk is staffed, cash only.