Springtime is the Perfect Time To Enjoy Pleasanton's Parks

By Hacienda Network Staff Writer

There's an unmistakable sensation: spring is in the air, and that means it's a great time to reacquaint ourselves with the outdoors. Fortunately, Hacienda and Pleasanton offer a number of wonderful options for outdoor activities, whether you're looking for somewhere to enjoy a picnic lunch, a softball game, a nice jog, or a trail to hike.

Hacienda Parks

A number of recreational areas are found right in Hacienda. The park has six primary outdoor areas for use by all tenants and residents within the development:

Hacienda's largest outdoor area is Creekside Park. Dominated by a large, 6.6-acre open lawn space, there are also courts for basketball and sand volleyball, and a play area with swings. The park has a parking lot off of West Las Positas Boulevard between Owens and Stoneridge drives and can also be accessed from the Linear Park, described below, via a footbridge over Tassajara Creek.

Owens Plaza Park, which abuts the center portion of the Linear Park, spans over three acres. In addition to a large lawn area, this park features picnic tables, benches and a tot lot and is accessible through a tree-lined entry, which also serves as an access for the Archstone Hacienda apartments, off of Owens Drive.

A private greenbelt, the Hacienda Linear Park, is available exclusively for park tenants and residents. The park covers several acres and offers a basketball court, tennis court, picnic area, tot lot, and open lawn area. Located adjacent to Owens Plaza and Creekside parks, the Linear Park is best accessed through the Owens Plaza Park entrance at Rosewood Drive and Owens Drive.

Hacienda also features an 18-station outdoor parcourse for walkers or joggers. The parcourse provides equipment for different modes of exercise designed to enhance the fitness of runners or walkers. The course covers a 2.3-mile stretch within Hacienda. Maps of the parcourse route are available from the Hacienda web site at www.hacienda.org/pdf/parcourse.pdf.

Hart Middle School has a number of sporting facilities, including soccer fields, basketball courts, a full quarter mile track, and a gymnasium. Public use of the facilities is coordinated through Pleasanton's Parks and Recreation Department.

Hacienda has several hiking trails available to tenants and residents, with more to come in the future. The Iron Horse Trail extends 25 miles from Solano Way in Concord to the Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station bisecting the communities of Concord, Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek, Alamo, Danville, San Ramon, and Dublin. This popular trail provides direct links to three other regional trails, including the Contra Costa Canal Trail, the Briones to Mt. Diablo Trail, and the Las Trampas to Mt. Diablo Trail, and is proposed to continue southeast along Owens Drive to Shadow Cliffs Regional Recreation Area and Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park (described below). The Arroyo Mocho Trail runs from the Alamo Canal to the Chabot Canal. At Hopyard Road, the trail crosses over Arroyo Mocho to a path along Chabot Canal to West Las Positas Boulevard. The Arroyo Mocho Trail will eventually link North Pleasanton and south Dublin under the I-580 freeway.

Neighborhood Parks

Pleasanton is also home to a number of parks that are designed to serve the city's various neighborhoods. Dozens of neighborhood parks are located throughout the city for use by its residents and visitors. Near Hacienda, you'll find Sutter Gate Neighborhood Park at 4801 Sutter Gate Road, which offers a children's play area and picnic tables. Also nearby is Woodthrush Neighborhood Park, at 5051 Woodthrush Road, a good place for an afternoon walk or reading beneath a shade tree. Fairlands Neighborhood Park, at 4100 Churchill Drive, is a 14-acre park featuring two tennis courts and a children's play area.

Sports and Recreation Parks

Pleasanton offers a wide variety of sports and recreation-oriented facilities. The 103-acre Pleasanton Sports Park has nearly 20 softball diamonds for business and municipal leagues, soccer fields, and even a track for rollerblading around the park's perimeter. The Sports Park is located at 5800 Parkside Drive, just off Hopyard Road and only steps from Hacienda. Call (925) 931-5348 for league sports information.

Also nearby is one of Pleasanton's newest parks, Val Vista Community Park. A 24-acre park located west of Hacienda at 7350 Johnson Drive, Val Vista offers group picnic areas, picnic tables, barbecue pits, soccer and baseball fields, an in-line skate park, a roller hockey rink, and play areas for children.

If water figures prominently in your sports activities, Dolores Bengtson Aquatic Center at 4455 Black Avenue offers four heated pools including a large, shallow pool; a diving pool with both one and three meter springboards; a 25-meter, eight-lane racing pool; and a 50-meter by 25-yard competitive pool. Open swim times are available, as are organized water exercise programs and aqua aerobics. Call (925) 931-3420 for information.

The Tennis and Community Park at Hopyard Road and Valley Avenue offers 10 lighted courts, all open to the public. The courts are open from 9:00 am each day, weather permitting, and are frequently open on a drop-in basis. Reservations are suggested, however. Call (925) 931-3446 for information.

Golfers are thrilled with another of Pleasanton's new facilities, the Callippe Preserve Golf Course. Named recently by Golf Week Magazine as one of the top public courses in California, Callippe Preserve is a modern 18-hole course set among the foothills of southeast Pleasanton. The course, named after the callippe silverspot butterfly, features a 7,400 square foot clubhouse, two practice putting greens, a driving range with 30 hitting areas, and a course restaurant with seating for nearly 200 people and views of the valley. Tee times can be reserved online at playcallippe.com.

Pleasanton also offers a special facility for BMX riders at 3320 Stanley Boulevard. There's also a skateboard park adjacent to the Pleasanton Sports Park.

Regional Parks

For those seeking an opportunity to commune with nature, the 237 acre Augustin Bernal Park, located in the southwest corner of the city near Castlewood Country Club, offers many miles of hiking trails, some with spectacular views of the Tri-Valley Area. Immediately adjacent to Bernal Park is the Pleasanton Ridge Park, an East Bay Regional Park District property. Pleasanton Ridge consists of 3,163 acres of multi-purpose trails for hikers, horses, and mountain bikes. The park provides canyon views, ridgetop vistas, and access to remote, deep-canyon streams. Pleasanton Ridge can be entered via Foothill Road.

Also nearby is Lake Del Valle, located on Del Valle Road just a few miles south of Interstate 580 in Livermore. Lake Del Valle comprises 4,000 acres of park and 750 acres of lake and is a popular spot for picnicking, horseback riding, boating, fishing, and swimming.

Another option is Shadow Cliffs, just a mile from downtown Pleasanton on Stanley Boulevard. Once a gravel quarry, the East Bay Regional Parks District has developed the site into a 296-acre park including an 80-acre lake and a four-flume waterslide. Fishing is a popular activity at the park and bait and tackle are available. In addition, visitors can rent rowboats, electric motorboats, and paddle boats.

More Information Available

The Hacienda Owners Association has a variety of maps and other resources regarding local parks that are available at their office and on the Hacienda web site at www.hacienda.org. Contact the Association by phone at (925) 734-6500 or drop by their offices at 4473 Willow Road, Suite 105 for a complete recreation package.

Photo: Owens Plaza Park, off Owens Drive in Hacienda, features a large lawn, a children's play area and a handsome gazebo.

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