Brushy Peak Regional Preserve

Brushy Peak rises to 1,702 feet where the Bay Area, the Delta, and the Central Valley meet. For generations of native Californians it was a sacred place at the center of trade routes linking Ohlone, Bay Miwok, and Northern Valley Yokuts peoples, and the Ssaoam tribelet hosted trade feasts nearby. Later its rock outcrops sheltered Gold Rush–era bandits, ranch families held picnics and dances among the rocks, and the Livermore Area Recreation and Park District began acquiring the land in the 1990s before teaming up with the East Bay Regional Park District.

The trails are used for hiking, biking, running, and dog walking, and dogs must stay on leash at all times to protect the preserve's fragile habitat. Grassland dominates, and ground squirrel burrows shelter burrowing owls, badgers, and San Joaquin kit foxes while red-tailed hawks and golden eagles hunt overhead. Old ranch ponds support California red-legged frogs and California tiger salamanders, and spring brings buttercups, lupine, and blue-eyed grass.

There is no drinking water, so bring your own. The summit and the northern section are open only on guided tours arranged through LARPD. The Laughlin Ranch staging area, at the end of Laughlin Road (from I-580 take Vasco Road north, then Northfront Road), has wheelchair-accessible parking and a restroom.