SUNDAY DRIVE

What you see:

Coyote Hills provides panoramic views across south San Francisco Bay, whether from a shoreline trail or a hilltop. In an interior wetland, a boardwalk is routed through a marsh that receives a procession of migratory shorebirds. A paved bike trail leads to the Alameda Creek Regional Trail for the chance of a 30-mile trip. All the while, there are reminders of the region’s ancient Ohlone past.

Location:

Coyote Hills is along the eastern shore of the South Bay, just north of the foot of the Dumbarton Bridge.

Bay View Trail:

For most on a first visit, the best walk or bike ride is on the Bay View Trail. The 3.5-mile paved trail features more than a mile of waterfront. Take the cutoff through the North Marsh, where a wood boardwalk provides a route through the tidal wetlands.

Bike link:

For cyclists, the Bay View Trail links to a junction with the Alameda Creek Regional Trail, a paved bike trail on the south side of Alameda Creek. You can then continue another 12 miles to Niles Community Park (and back).

The Ohlone past:

Coyote Hills, with its visitor center and historical sites, is one of the best parks in the Bay Area to learn about the area’s Ohlone past. An excellent visitor center, with interpretive walks most weekends, is available. You can walk along the bay and amid four shellmounds (piles of ancient debris). Tours of a 2,000-year-old village site with re-created structures are available by reservation at the visitor center at 510-5443220.

Cost:

$5 parking, $4 per trailered vehicle, $2 per dog.

Dogs:

Leashed dogs are permitted on most trails. Dogs are not permitted in the marsh, including on the Willows, Dust and Chochenyo trails and part of Muskrat Trail. Well-signed.

Map/brochure:

Available at visitor center, most trailheads; PDF at www.ebparks.org.

Contacts:

Coyote Hills Regional Park, 888-327-2757, option 3, ext. 4519; www.ebparks.org.

Hikers walk along a trail on privately owned land soon to be a part of Coyote Hills Regional Park in Fremont, an area with reminders of the region’s ancient Ohlone past.