Behind the Cal State East Bay campus, the hills climb toward 1,500 feet. Garin and Dry Creek Pioneer regional parks sit up there, on what were two 19th-century ranches. The East Bay Regional Park District says the combined parks now cover more than 5,800 acres, with panoramic views of the bay.
The red barn and Jordan Pond
The Garin Red Barn Visitor Center shows artifacts from the Hayward area's ranching and farming past, including a blacksmith shop and a tool shop, with antique farm machinery outside. Jordan Pond has a pier built in 1987 and naturally reproducing largemouth bass, bluegill and sunfish. Anglers 16 and older need a state fishing license. The park also has a small orchard of heirloom apples, according to Wikipedia.
Trails
More than 20 miles of trails cross the two parks. They are unpaved, but many are suitable for bikes. Wikipedia notes that the Hayward Area Athletic League uses the park as a high school cross-country course, and the hilly route is known for slow times. Dogs can be off leash under voice control on the trails but must be leashed in parking lots, picnic areas and lawns. Keep dogs close around the grazing cattle.
Ukraina
Inside Garin is Ukraina, a California Historical Landmark at the former homestead of Agapius Honcharenko, a Ukrainian political émigré, and his wife, Albina. Honcharenko lived on the 40-acre property for 43 years, until his death in 1916. In 1902 a group of Ukrainian Canadians briefly turned it into a commune. The park district acquired the property in 1991, and it was dedicated as a landmark on May 15, 1999. What remains is the couple's grave site, a chicken coop foundation, olive trees Honcharenko planted, and a small grotto carved into a sandstone cliff with paintings on its walls.
Visiting
The Garin entrance is at the end of Garin Avenue in Hayward. Dry Creek Garden, reached from the end of May Road in Union City, is open Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Parking is $5 per vehicle when the kiosk is staffed. From Nov. 1 the park is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.