West of I-680, the oak-covered ridge above Pleasanton is one of the East Bay's biggest parks.
How it was saved
In 1980, a developer proposed a golf course and new homes on top of Pleasanton Ridge, according to Wikipedia. Many residents opposed it and defeated it in a 1983 referendum. In 1988, the park district bought 1,700 acres to start the park. In 2012, it bought 1,367 acres of Robertson Ranch, including Sunol Peak, at 2,163 feet. Wikipedia says the district counted the Tyler Ranch purchase along Sunol Ridge as the moment it passed 100,000 acres acquired since its founding in 1934.
The park today
The district describes a 9,090-acre park, planned as the core of a future Ridgelands Regional Park, where development has been kept limited to preserve the pastoral setting. Elevations exceed 1,600 feet. The Tyler Ranch Staging Area, at 12565 Foothill Road in Sunol, opened in December 2023 and gives access to the Tyler Ranch and Sunol Ridge trails and the Robertson property, adding 2,844 acres and about 18 miles of trails.
Visiting
Parking is free. Hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. in October and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in November and December. As of Oct. 28, the district warns that a large tree is down across part of the Courdet Trail.