Pleasanton's warm and sunny weather makes it ideal for outdoor exercise and recreation. Hacienda's location takes advantage of the benefits of the great outdoors and a climate that features an annual average of 300-plus days of sunshine. The development’s design makes it easy to enjoy the outdoors thanks to green space aplenty for employees, residents, and visitors.

That green space includes a total of four parks: Creekside Park, Linear Park, Owens Plaza Park, and Harding Park. The first three parks align with the regional Iron Horse Trail that passes through Hacienda. This multiuse trail between the cities of Concord and Pleasanton follows the Southern Pacific Railroad right-of-way established in 1891 and abandoned in 1977. The completed segments of the trail span an estimated 32 miles.

Creekside Park, which is accessible from West Las Positas Boulevard between Owens Drive and Stoneridge Drive, provides a 6.6-acre open lawn for soccer and softball, as well as basketball and volleyball courts, a picnic area, and a play area with swings. Linear Park, a 2.85-acre recreational area, is located north of Creekside Park. Owens Plaza Park, a 3-acre space adjacent to the Park Hacienda apartment complex, provides other play areas, picnic space, and a handsome pergola. Harding Park opened in 2018 at the intersection of Gibraltar Drive and Hacienda Drive. This neighborhood park features two playgrounds. One has equipment for younger children up to five; the other is designed for older children. The park also offers picnic tables, benches, and a small grass area landscaped with shade trees and hardy, native plants.

A 2.3-mile, 18-station outdoor parcourse was a key component of Hacienda when the development opened in 1982. Updated in 2020, the parcourse equipment includes a back extension machine, a double chest press machine that allows two users to exercise at the same time, an exercise bike, a hip twister installation, a double ski walker machine, strength and stretch bars, a leg press machine that supports three users, push-up bars, a rowing machine, and additional exercise options.

The first station of the parcourse loop is located just south of Stoneridge Drive on Hacienda Drive. Stations 2 through 5 following Hacienda to Gibraltar Drive South. Stations 6 and 7 are located to the west of Hacienda Drive, on West Las Positas Boulevard. Stations 8 through 11 are located north of West Las Positas Boulevard on Willow Road. Stations 12 through 14 are located north of Stoneridge Drive and south of Gibraltar Drive North, just west of the path between those two streets. Stations 15 and 16 are just east of Willow Road on Gibraltar Drive North, and Stations 17 and 18 complete the parcourse on Hacienda Drive south of Gibraltar.

Pleasanton Loves Parks

Including the parks in Hacienda, the City of Pleasanton offers 46 community and neighborhood parks, over 60 miles of trails, and more than 700 acres of undeveloped open space. The 2.7-acre Sutter Gate Neighborhood Park near Hacienda offers a children's play area and picnic tables. Also nearby is Woodthrush Neighborhood Park, a 3.5-acre space perfect for an afternoon walk or reading under a shade tree. The 14-acre Fairlands Neighborhood Park includes two tennis courts and a children's play area.

Other parks of note include the Alviso Adobe Community Park, an interpretive park that tells the story of California from its earliest human history. The park offers a special focus on the Amador Valley. The crown jewel of this 7-acre facility is the adobe home that was constructed in 1854 by Francisco Alviso; in continuous use until 1969. The structure, registered as a California Historical Landmark, is the centerpiece of a site that also offers dramatic views of the surrounding area.

Another nearby facility, Val Vista Community Park, accommodates a broad variety of activities. It is equipped with picnic tables and barbecue pits, soccer and baseball fields, and a children's play area as well as a well-tended community garden, with rentable plots available to Pleasanton residents. For skateboarders and inline skaters, one huge draw is the 25,000-square-foot sculpted concrete basin designed with input from the community. Helmets and knee pads are required to use the basin. A city-sponsored recreational roller hockey program for youth in first to ninth grade is also based in the park.

The 3.65-acre BMX Parkcontains several dirt mounds and berms for BMX riding at all riding levels. One track is reserved for beginners and young children and another for more experienced riders. It also includes a mountain bike area and challenging jumps. Both tracks are inspected and maintained by a former BMX pro. The park, which also includes a bike repair/work table, a viewing area and picnic tables, and parking and restrooms, is open during daylight hours year-round, weather permitting. Riders are required to wear helmets.

Pleasanton also has two dog parks for animal lovers and their four-legged friends. Cubby’s, a 1.5-acre dog park, is located at the staging area of the Marilyn Murphy Kane Walking Trail. It includes a fenced dog play area, drinking fountains, shade structures, and agility structures. Dogs can also enjoy a good run at the linear dog park in Muirwood Community Park. Two designated animal areas keep larger and smaller species separated.

Open Spaces Galore

You can get a new perspective on Amador Valley from two parks on Pleasanton's western edge. The City of Pleasanton’s Augustin Bernal Park is a 237-acre wilderness area on the Pleasanton Ridge. It provides spectacular views of Amador Valley and the opportunity to hike through a vast array of native plants. Before you visit, check at the City Community Services Department or, on weekends, at Alviso Adobe Community Park to see if you need an access pass.

The adjacent Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park is part of the East Bay Regional Park District, which is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. Easy access to the East Bay Regional Park District is one of the benefits Hacienda offers. The Park District serves Alameda and Contra Costa counties with more than 125,000 acres of public land that encompass 73 parks, 1,330 miles of trails, and 55 miles of shoreline. One of those parks is Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park, which is adjacent to Augustin Bernal Park. It sprawls over 5,271 acres and surges up to elevations of 1,600 feet. The main staging area on Foothill Road leads to a multipurpose trail system that accommodates hikers, equestrians, bicyclists, and visitors who use electric wheelchairs.

The Park District includes a vast array of open spaces and appealing parks, including Shadow Cliffs Regional Recreation Area, Del Valle Regional Park, and the Sunol Regional Wilderness. Shadow Cliffs is a former gravel quarry that was donated to the Park District by Kaiser Industries and opened as a park in 1971. From that humble beginning, the Park District developed a 266-acre park that includes an 80-acre lake and ample parking and picnic grounds, as well as facilities for persons with disabilities. In addition to the main lake, Shadow Cliffs has an arroyo with a chain of smaller lakes and ponds. No swimming or boating is allowed here, making its shady areas near quiet waters a peaceful retreat on hot summer days.

Del Valle Regional Park, in Livermore, features a five-mile-long lake surrounded by 4,395 acres that offers a rich variety of potential activities, including hiking, horseback riding, and nature study. While no swimming is currently allowed because of toxic algae, the park offers many interpretive programs on natural history and lake ecology as well as hiking, horseback riding, and nature study. Del Valle also features a 150-site campground.

The nearly 7,000 acres of the Sunol Regional Wilderness in Sunol offers picnic sites, barbecue pits, equestrian trails, overnight camping, and ample opportunities for hiking. Park staff provide additional opportunities to enjoy the park by leading nature hikes and coordinating special events. Visitors are advised that there is no drinking water in the park.

As these examples show, the beautiful greenery at Hacienda and beyond is an invitation to hikers, cyclists, and pedestrians of all abilities to explore the development, the City of Pleasanton, and the region more closely. The area’s trails, parks, greenbelts, and recreational opportunities offer something for every outdoor enthusiast.

For more information about Hacienda’s parks, please visit www.hacienda.org/index.php/amenities/employees-residents/recreation.

For more information about parks and trails in the City of Pleasanton, please visit www.cityofpleasantonca.gov/your-community/parks-trails.

For more information about parks and trails in the East Bay area, please visit www.ebparks.org.