5 Parks, Nature Areas To Enjoy Near Union City This Summer

UNION CITY, CA — The East Bay area is lush with places to get a breath of fresh air and reap the benefits of nature with its swaths of green parks, beaches, trails, lagoons, farms and lakes.

Whether you love swimming, hiking, horseback riding or setting up a picnic — there’s a place for it in this eco-friendly corner of Northern California. In and around Union City, there are a handful of dog and family-friendly parks that are just a short drive away. Some offer areas for boating, camping and even archery.

The East Bay Regional Park district helps maintain dozens of historic and storied parks across the region.

Visit this page to find resources to travel to these parks by public transit.

According to research from the University of Tokyo published this month, the connection between human well-being and nature is much stronger than the academic community previously thought.

"Aside from clean water, food and useful raw materials, nature provides many other benefits that we might overlook or find it hard to grasp and quantify," according to a news release from the university.

The research, published Friday, demonstrates that spending time in nature can be vital to a person's mental and physical health.

Here are 5 parks and beaches to soak up all that nature has to offer in and around Union City this summer.

1. Quarry Lakes Regional Recreation Area

This beautiful area includes the shining waters of Horseshoe Lake and Rainbow Lake, which offer beaches, swimming and picnic areas.
There are also trails open to bicycles, hikers and dog walkers.

2. Vargas Plateau Regional Park

This 1,249-acre park offers panoramic views of the Fremont Hills at a plateau of 1,000 feet above the streets below. The perch overlooks Niles Canyon, Fremont, Union City, Newark and the rest of the San Francisco Bay.

The plateau is also a bustling wildlife habitat for golden eagles, hawks, deer, bobcats, frogs and snakes.
The park offers grasslands, ponds and steep wooded canyons that make it a great place for biking, hiking and horseback riding.

3. Ardenwood Historic Farm

This historic farm offers a glimpse into life on a family farm between 1890 and 1930, according to the East Bay Park District.

It was once the vast estate of George and Clara Patterson, whose family farmed the land for more than 100 years.

Ardenwood is still a working farm today, but daily activities are offered to those who visit. The farm is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays.

4. Dumbarton Quarry Campground on the Bay

Nestled within the Coyote Hills Regional Park and beside the eastern shore of Fremont, this park is the area's first full-service campground. The area has 63 campsites, an amphitheater, a playground and picnic areas.

5. Mission Peak Regional Preserve

These peaks are the backdrop for the city of Fremont and offer areas for hiking, camping, horseback riding and more.
The park attracts hunderds of visitors each week attempting the three mile hike to Mission Peak. It takes about five hours to reach the summit and return.

Find more parks to visit through the East Bay Park District's search here.