At Don Castro Regional Park in Hayward, you don’t have to venture far for a dip. The swimming hole — it’s called the lagoon — is just steps from the parking lot, which was altogether empty on an early morning this week, save for a few fishers hoping to reel in a big catch before lunchtime.
I decided to put in some legwork on my visit before venturing to the manmade lagoon, which is pin pricked by umbrellas and picnic tables ideal for a Saturday afternoon barbecue and covered in a cozy layer of yellow sand.
The voyage started early for me — I wanted to get to the park using only public transit and my legs. It turned out to be a relaxing, pre-hike ordeal. I started at 24th Street BART in the Mission, caught the Richmond train to Oakland 12th Street Station and transferred to the Berryessa line, which dropped me off squarely in Hayward. From there, I caught the 95 bus line to Maud Avenue and Kelly Street, dropping me off just 15 minutes by foot from the park entrance. It’s about a 3-mile walk from the Hayward Station to the park, so I opted for the bus to rest my legs before my hike.
The whole trip took me just under two hours one way — not bad for a venture into altogether undisturbed nature. By car, it takes about 40 minutes from my house in San Francisco. Would I BART again? Probably not (I’m a car owner). But for people without access to a motor vehicle, getting to Don Castro on public transit is entirely doable — and perhaps even a peaceful start to a hot hiking day. I got to exercise my mind by reading my book on the train before digging my heels into the dusty path.
Don Castro Regional Park straddles 101 acres between Hayward and Castro Valley. The swimming hole was built in 1964, when the local water district dammed San Lorenzo Creek, which flows through the park.
After my early morning BART trip, I decided to take it easy on the trails. I opted for a 1.5-mile loop around the reservoir — a separate entity from the lagoon — which wound through the park and ascended only lightly.
For those looking for something more strenuous, there are multiple 5-mile treks and one 10-miler that offers sweeping views of the hills surrounding Hayward and the fishing-friendly Don Castro Lake, where I was lucky enough to spot an egret and a turkey vulture take flight. To complete my assimilation into the grassy habitat, a tiny brown rabbit even skittered past my feet in the short time I was there. I’m told lucky pole-wielders are known to catch bass, trout, catfish and bluegill.
Upon entering the park, you’re greeted by majestic live oaks, nonnative eucalyptus and glorious willows, which gently dip their shimmering boughs into the sometimes smelly reservoir. The algae stink wafting off the water didn’t bother me much — my olfactory senses were already overwhelmed by a subtly sweet, wheaty scent drifting off the many natural grasses blanketing the park, which seemed to shimmer in the breeze.
And for budding naturalists such as myself, there’s plenty of native (and not-so-native) flora to keep the eyes and mind abuzz. On my short walk, which wove gently around the reservoir, I spotted a bounty of poison hemlock — its tall, flowered stems reaching to the sky — purple-petaled wild radish and enough blackberry bushes to fill one’s coffers (though they’re not in season quite yet, as they typically ripen between late June and August).
But beware of where you stick your hands. I also spotted a massive growth of poison oak along the trail — we’re talking huge bushes, not scattered plants. I advise blackberry pickers to be especially cautious given the itchy plant’s ubiquity.
The real draw of Don Castro Regional Park isn’t necessarily the hiking, however. I’ll admit you can hear the rush of cars on the freeway from the trail I took, and fencing along the path was a bit of an eyesore.
What I would go out of my way for is the lagoon. It’s about the size of a small lake and deep enough for short laps and wading. Though I didn’t get to swim this time — the lifeguards weren’t on-duty yet — I have in years past taken a dip in the lagoon’s green, tree-lined waters. I remember the water being warm and gentle — especially for someone accustomed to the rough, freezing Pacific at Ocean Beach.
The lagoon area itself is family-friendly, with a roped-off section just for children. There’s also a lawn area for games and relaxation, as well as three reservable picnic tables for munching. A bathhouse on site has bathrooms and showers to rinse off sandy feet.
On weekends, the lagoon is known to get packed. To mitigate this issue, East Bay Regional Parks instituted a reservation system for weekends, which you can find on its website. There are even lifeguards on duty from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day during the summer.
There are some fees required for this trip. If you drive, you’ll have to pay $5 at the tollbooth to park — another plus for taking public transit! And swimming costs $3 for those age 16 to 61, and $2 for children one and up, as well as seniors (over 62) and disabled people. Children under one are free.
Since Don Castro is just a 40-minute drive from my house, I expect to visit again (though I’ll be taking my car next time). If I had been better prepared for this trip, I would have packed barbecue supplies and a swimsuit and spent the day laying on the sand people-watching between bites of hamburger. A warm swimming hole, no hike required? I’ll take it just about any day.