Tilden Regional Park

Tilden Regional Park, also known as Tilden Park or Tilden, is a 2,079-acre (841-ha) regional park in East Bay, part of the San Francisco Bay Area in California. It’s between the Berkeley Hills and the Ridge of San Pablo. Its main entrance is in the vicinity of Kensington, Berkeley and Richmond. The park is adjacent to the Regional Park of Wildcat Canyon.

The park is managed by the East Bay Regional Park District, created from the first land purchased by the District in 1936. Tilden Regional Park was named in honor of Charles Lee Tilden, a Bay Area lawyer and businessman who served on the first Board of Directors of the East Bay Regional Park District.

Tilden Park is largely located within the unincorporated areas of Contra Costa County, while parts of the park lie within the cities of Oakland and Berkeley. Its steep valleys and dense wooden stands offer a rare wilderness experience so close to the city. Its high ridges and peaks give wide views over the Bay of San Francisco and across the other preserved land to Mount Diablo.

The eastern boundary of the park is approximately on the crest of the San Pablo Ridge. The western boundary almost follows the crest of the Berkeley Hills. Parts of the park ‘s land had previously been cleared for agricultural use. Exotic trees such as eucalyptus have been planted in many places. There are also some relatively recently planted giant sequoia stands. However, current conservation efforts are aimed at restoring native vegetation as much as possible, and significant parts of the park are covered by native coastal scrub. The East Bay Regional Parks District uses grazing as a means of reducing vegetation[2], with a herd of goats grazing every summer in Tilden.

Tilden’s Herschell-Spillman Merry-Go-Round is a gorgeous antique menagerie carousel with hand-carved and beautifully painted wooden carousel animals to ride, and calliope-style music to make every child’s heart sing. The facility offers a wheelchair-accessible snack stand, drinking water, toilet and parking. See the Tilden Attractions schedule above for information.

The Regional Parks Botanic Garden contains the world’s most complete collection of native California plants, including rare and endangered species. The visitor center (wheelchair accessible) offers tours and lectures throughout the year.

Tilden Park’s Lake Anza is a favorite getaway just over the hill from Berkeley. Its sandy beach is open to the sun and sheltered from the wind, with lifeguards stationed during the swimming season. Accessible wheelchair features include drinking water and ample parking (restrooms are not wheelchair accessible). Picnic grounds are located in the vicinity. There is a beach entrance fee to the swimming area, which has changing rooms.