Tilden Regional Park little farm — Photo Harmonywriter · CC BY-SA 3.0

Tilden Nature Area

Near Richmond, Contra Costa County, CA

ParkingNo parking fee

Source

DogsNot allowed

Source

HoursTue–Sun, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Source

Size: 710 acres Source
Managed by: East Bay Regional Park District

About Tilden Nature Area

The nature study area of Tilden Regional Park, with an environmental education center. Source

Tilden Nature Area is a 740-acre preserve located just North of Charles Lee Tilden Regional Park . With over 10 miles of hiking trails, the preserve contains a blend of native and introduced plant communities, including oak/bay woodlands, grasslands, eucalyptus forests, and streams. Hikes range from the leisurely, self-guided Jewel Lake Nature Trail to a vigorous climb up Wildcat Peak (elevation 1,211 ft.) for panoramic, San Francisco Bay views.

— Tilden Nature Area, official page (checked Oct 15, 2026)

Know before you go

Tilden Nature Area covers 710 acres near Richmond in Contra Costa County. 12 named trails add up to about 9 miles inside the park; the longest is Wildcat Peak Trail at 1.5 miles, and Wildcat Peak Trail has the most up and down (about 733 feet). Mapped trails range from 461 to 1,209 feet in elevation. OpenStreetMap shows 3 parking areas, plus 4 restrooms and 6 drinking fountains. The closest mapped bus stop is Tilden Park Environmental Center (routes 67), at the park edge.

Facilities

Camping
Drinking Water
Picnic Area
Playground
Restrooms

Facility details: OpenStreetMap

Tilden Nature Area at a glance

PParking · 3
WCRestrooms · 4
WDrinking water · 6
Named trails · 12

Trails

Trail	Mapped length	Elevation	Surface & uses
Wildcat Peak Trail	1.5 mi	733 ft up & down692–1,209 ft	No bikesNo horsesUnpaved
Laurel Canyon Trail	1.1 mi	377 ft up & down549–933 ft	UnpavedNo bikesNo horses
Wildcat Creek Trail	1 mi	83 ft up & down461–539 ft	No bikesUnpavedBikes
Loop Road	0.9 mi	187 ft up & down520–644 ft	UnpavedBikesHorses
Jewel Lake Trail	0.9 mi	131 ft up & down513–582 ft	UnpavedNo bikesNo horses
Laurel Canyon Road	0.7 mi	373 ft up & down609–995 ft	No bikesHorses
Sylvan Trail	0.6 mi	219 ft up & down548–692 ft	No bikesNo horses
Pine Tree Trail	0.6 mi	295 ft up & down633–840 ft	UnpavedNo bikesNo horses
Ye Olde School Trail	0.5 mi	102 ft up & down759–842 ft	UnpavedBikes
Upper Packrat Trail	0.4 mi	97 ft up & down520–627 ft	UnpavedNo bikesNo horses
Lower Packrat Trail	0.4 mi	82 ft up & down510–558 ft	UnpavedNo bikesNo horses
Memory Trail	0.4 mi	164 ft up & down533–697 ft	UnpavedNo bikesNo horses

How trail figures are measured

Getting to Tilden Nature Area by bus

Tilden Park Environmental Center · Routes 67 · at the park edge
Tilden Park Pony Rides · Routes 67 · 220 ft from the park
Purdue Avenue & Kenyon Avenue · Routes 67 · 470 ft from the park
Beloit Avenue & Grizzly Peak Boulevard · Routes 67 · 490 ft from the park

Stops within a quarter mile of Tilden Nature Area; confirm times with the transit agency.

Compared with nearby parks

Among the 19 other parks in this guide within 10 miles, Tilden Nature Area is number 10 of 20 by size at 710 acres. 6 nearby parks have more mapped trail mileage than its 9 miles.

Closest places for what Tilden Nature Area doesn't list: