Joaquin Miller, Redwood Regional Park, and more: where new East Bay bus service can take you
09 Aug 2025
After more than two years of planning and outreach, AC Transit is launching its Realign network on August 10th. At the same time, in the far East Bay, in a much less publicized change, Tri Delta Transit has fully redesigned its transit network from the ground up. Both networks are cost-neutral redesigns, but both recognize the importance of building connectivity as a core piece of a useful network.
With the new service, there’s several great new opportunities for getting outside without hopping behind the wheel of a car.
For suggested hikes in each park, visit the East Bay Hikes page »
Redwood Regional Park
Perched at the top of the ridge, Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park easily competes for most beautiful in the East Bay Regional Parks system. Stretching from the ridgeline at the top edge of Oakland and down into the neighboring valleys, the park is an easy escape from the bustle of the city, plunging almost immediately into the cool, damp redwoods. The newly-launched AC Transit 31 route will serve Redwood Regional Park via a stop at the Roberts Recreation Area and at the Chabot Space and Science Center located inside the park.
The highlight of Redwood Regional Park is the verdant Stream Trail running along Redwood Creek in the interior of the park. The recently-constructed bridge on the lower section of the Tres Sendas Trail, built from a 104-year old redwood tree that fell in a storm in 2017, is the fantastic work of the Park District’s talented new in-house trail crew, and is worth visiting on its own (read more about the creation of the bridge from Trail Crew Stories). And just a 5-minute walk from the bus stop at the Chabot Space and Science Center, don’t miss the Old-Growth Redwood Heritage Viewing Deck showing a remnant stump of a 18-foot diameter redwood at the intersection of the West Ridge and Roberts Ridge Trails.
AC Transit 31 runs to Redwood Regional Park half-hourly from 6am to 10pm weekends (7pm weekdays) »
Joaquin Miller Park
Oakland has two truly standout city parks: Lake Merritt, of course, is a popular urban gathering spot for cycling, birding, barbecues, and everything that makes urban life truly great. The other, in stark contrast but no less important, is Joaquin Miller Park. Running from Hwy 13 up to Redwood Regional Park, the park does an exemplary job providing a transition between the developed features of a city park and the wild-feeling forests of the regional park.
The more urban features face Joaquin Miller Road: the Woodminster Cascade and stage, murals, historical “abbey” home of poet Joaquin Miller, and artistic works like the Miller’s 1892 Pyramid to Moses and the more modern On Indigenous Land mural all are within a short walk of AC Transit 31 bus stops at Joaquin Miller Rd & Sanborn Dr. Also of note is Lookout Point, from which Mt Tamalpais, the San Francisco skyline, both the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges, and other notable sights can be seen on a clear day.
From that southernmost part of the park, heading up or in gives access to the redwood forest around Sausal Creek. From Joaquin Miller Park, it’s possible to walk all the way to the Dimond District entirely on trail save a short crossing under Hwy 13; uphill, trails connect across into Redwood Regional Park, allowing one to experience the transition from urban park all the way to century-plus old protected forestland.
AC Transit 31 runs to Redwood Regional Park half-hourly from 6am to 10pm weekends (7pm weekdays) »
Contra Loma Regional Park & Black Diamond Mines Regional Park
Antioch’s Worth Shaw Community Park and Contra Loma Regional Park form a developed entrance to the hills located just behind. Tri Delta’s newly redesigned service allows for much easier access into this side of the parkland, with redesigned service running more directly to BART along nearby Lone Tree Way, and an expansion of dial-a-ride service to the main parking lot to Worth Shaw Community Park.
Contra Loma Regional Park’s main feature is its massive 80-acre reservoir providing fishing and seasonal lagoon swimming. However, for hikers, the main feature is perhaps the trails running directly into Black Diamond Mines Preserve. This preserve is home to 65 miles of trail running through grassland, woodland, evergreen forest, chaparral – a veritable who’s-who of inland East Bay ecosystems.
It even features a public campground, providing potential backpacking opportunities, perhaps as part of a Black Diamond Mines through-hike.
