2024 marks the East Bay Regional Park District’s 90th anniversary. After 90 years, the Park District has grown to be the largest regional park district of its kind in the nation, with 73 regional parks available for hiking, biking, swimming, horseback riding, boating, fishing, picnicking, camping and nature discovery. The Park District manages over 125,000 acres of parklands, 55 miles of shoreline and more than 1,300 miles of trails in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Wherever you live in the East Bay, there is a beautiful regional park close to you.
“Join us in celebrating the Park District’s 90 years of milestones and history of environmental conservation and positive experiences in nature,” said Park District General Manager Sabrina Landreth. “We invite the public to enjoy their regional parks and shorelines and celebrate with us throughout the year at events and programs commemorating our 90 years of service to the community.”
(Left to Right) W.A. Moore, CA Automobile Association, members of the first District Board of Directors August Vollmer and Dr. Aurelia Reinhardt, and first Park District General Manager Elbert Vail
The East Bay Regional Park District’s story began in the late 1920s when thousands of acres of watershed land in the East Bay Hills suddenly became available for development. Civic leaders came together with a vision: preserve the land forever and balance environmental conservation with public enjoyment.
To aid the cause, they enlisted renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. and National Park Service’s Chief Naturalist Ansel Hall to survey the watershed lands for potential park use. The resulting 1930 Olmsted-Hall report titled “Report on Proposed Park Reservations for East Bay Cities” brought national credibility to the effort and is largely considered the founding document of the East Bay Regional Park District.
Board Member Robert Sibley with General Manager Richard Walpole (1954)
Four years later, in the heart of the Great Depression, civic leaders placed a measure on the ballot to establish the Park District and tax themselves for land preservation. The measure passed on November 6, 1934, by a resounding 71 percent – even during trying times and economic instability. On June 4, 1936, the District purchased land from the East Bay Municipal Utility District to create its first three parks – Upper Wildcat Canyon (Tilden), Temescal and Roundtop (Sibley).
For 90 years, the East Bay Regional Park District has preserved and protected open space and provided safe and welcoming parks for recreation and nature viewing.
Events and programs celebrating the Park District’s 90th Anniversary include a community birthday celebration on May 11 and monthly naturalist-led “Explore Your Parks” adventure programs, among others. Additional events and programs will be announced throughout the year.
For more information about the Park District’s 90th Anniversary, including events and activities, visit www.ebparks.org/celebrating-90-years.