East Bay Regional Park District

Founded in 1934, the East Bay Regional Park District in Oakland, California has provided a place of outdoor recreation for visitors and local residents. The park began as a way to preserve watershed land for Oakland and Berkeley Hills. Despite the Great Depression the bill passed to create the park. Apparently, those in California at the time felt it was important to have a park district, despite all the troubles. It meant the East Bay Regional Park District could come to fruition.

There are 65 parks in the district, which creates 100,000 acres of land in two counties of parkland. These parks have a total of 1,150 miles of trails. The parks' main game is to preserve the land and natural beauty of the area, and also to make a place for rare and endangered wildlife to live. There are some economic benefits to the park, educational activities, and fishing opportunities. Recreation also includes hiking, picnicking, biking, golfing, nature programs, and other options. There are more than ten visitors' centers at the park based on access to the district. For instance, Oakland has one of the visitor centers, as does Alameda, Livermore, and Fremont, California.