Union City
Click the buttons below to explore recommended routes for this park
Description: Garin and Dry Creek Pioneer Regional Parks form one continuous open space where 95% of the trails are dirt roads greater than 6 feet wide (fire road), 95% of those trails are completely sun exposed, and 95% of those same trails are very steep. The sun exposure makes Garin and Dry Creek Pioneer less desirable in the warmer months, the extreme steepness makes it a challenge for nearly every rider any time. In addition, cattle are grazed on the park lands, which leaves sizable hoof size holes that make the trails very rough at times. In the middle of all this is the Newt Pond Trail, a single track that forces most riders to wade across a shallow creek before climbing a canyon wall via steep switchbacks that are so infrequently used the trail intermittently disappears. This one is a must do for the advanced rider but be warned it is an extremely difficult challenge. Separate from the main park is a detached unit of Garin that runs along a more eastern ridge. This unit is really only accessible by riding in through the Five Canyons Open Space. See the separate entry for Five Canyons/Chabot to Garin Regional Trail for this part of the park. Restrooms are at the main parking lot in each park, on Garin Rd. and May Rd.
In the wet season: Call East Bay Regional Park district for trail status. Many trails become impassable after a rain.
Directions: Two Entrances on May and Garin roads off Mission Blvd in Union City. Whipple Rd. exit from I-880. East 2 miles to Mission Blvd. North on Mission to May or Garin Rd. Right on May or Garin to end. A link to the parking location in Google Maps is here.