Shell Ridge Open Space
Managed by Walnut Creek Open Space Foundation
1,386 acres28.7 mi of trail
Ridge Top TrailBriones to Mt. Diablo Regional TrailTwin Ponds Loop TrailCostanoan Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Utilizer · CC BY-SA 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Walnut Creek
Walnut Creek has 81 miles of mapped trails, 4.1 for every square mile of land
24% of Walnut Creek’s land is conserved, about 3,043 acres. 2,947 acres are parks and preserves, 42 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Shell Ridge Open Space (28.7 mi), Lime Ridge Open Space (17.5 mi), Acalanes Ridge Open Space (6.1 mi).
Ahead of 96% of U.S. towns · #94 of 847 in California. What drives it
Conserved land
24%
3,043 acres · of 19.8 sq mi of land
Trails
81 mi
4.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,947 ac
42 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
83%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
36 mi
19 mi lanes · 14 mi paths
Highest peak
774 ft
Old Man's Hill
Lakes & rivers
12
What kind of outdoors town is Walnut Creek?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Walnut Creek have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Walnut Creek is ahead of 96% of U.S. towns, #94 of 847 in California. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Walnut Creek’s overall grade.
Conserved land24% of the land · typical CA town 4% · U.S. 4%ATrails4.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (81 mi) · CA 0.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land42 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,947 acres) · CA 5 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home83% of residents within a half mile of a park · CA 91% · U.S. 72%B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 96%
LessMore
California towns of 2,500+ (847)Ahead of 89%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Shell Ridge Open Space, with 28.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Lime Ridge Open Space
Managed by Walnut Creek Open Space Foundation
971 acres17.5 mi of trail
Ohlone TrailParaiso TrailBlue Oak TrailSavannah Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Acalanes Ridge Open Space
Managed by Walnut Creek Open Space Foundation
189 acres6.1 mi of trail
Briones to Mt. Diablo Regional TrailCamino VerdeAcalanes West TrailRidge Top Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Sugarloaf Open Space
Managed by Walnut Creek Open Space Foundation
186 acres3.3 mi of trail
Bottom Spring TrailRidge Top TrailOrchard TrailCenter Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Lar Rieu Park
Managed by City of Walnut Creek
10 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Tice Valley Park
Park
6 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 24 parks & preserves
Shell Ridge Open Space1,386 acres · 28.7 mi of trail · Walnut Creek Open Space Foundation
DirectionsLime Ridge Open Space971 acres · 17.5 mi of trail · Walnut Creek Open Space Foundation
DirectionsAcalanes Ridge Open Space189 acres · 6.1 mi of trail · Walnut Creek Open Space Foundation
Sugarloaf Open Space186 acres · 3.3 mi of trail · Walnut Creek Open Space Foundation
DirectionsHeather Farm Park98 acres · 1.8 mi of trail
DirectionsLar Rieu Park10 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · City of Walnut Creek
Civic Park20 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsTice Valley Park6 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Alma Park2 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsWalden Park7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsHowe Homestead Park7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsPine Creek Park & Greenway6 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Arbolado Park27 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsLarkey Park14 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Walnut Creek
DirectionsNorthgate Park7 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsRudgear Park18 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsOld Oak Park16 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Walnut Creek
Castle Rock Youth Sports Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsDiablo Shadows Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsYgnacio Heights Park8 acres
San Miguel Park4 acres
DirectionsLand Bank3 acres · East Bay Regional Park District
El Divisadero Park2 acres
DirectionsDiablo Foothills Regional Park1 acres · East Bay Regional Parks District
Who protects it
3,043 conserved acres
24% of Walnut Creek’s land. Who manages Walnut Creek’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city3,032 ac
Regional agency10 ac
Local Recreation Area · 2,829 acLocal Park · 133 acLocal Other or Unknown · 76 acLocal Resource Management Area · 4 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shell Ridge Open Space Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 1,356 | Open |
| Lime Ridge Open Space Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 952 | Open |
| Acalanes Ridge Open Space Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 177 | Open |
| Sugarloaf Recreation Area Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 174 | Open |
| Boundary Oak Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 158 | Restricted |
| Heather Farms Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 76 | Open |
| Arbolado Park Local Park | Town or city | 27 | Open |
| Rudgear Park Local Park | Town or city | 16 | Open |
| Civic Park Local Park | Town or city | 16 | Open |
| Old Oak Park Local Park | Town or city | 15 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
61 places to go in Walnut Creek
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Walnut Creek
50 meter poolIn Heather Farm Park
DirectionsDiving wellIn Heather Farm Park
DirectionsWading poolIn Heather Farm Park
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Walnut Creek
All-Abilities PlaygroundIn Heather Farm Park
DirectionsPlus 28 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Walnut Creek
Wag World Dog Park - Large DogsIn Heather Farm Park
DirectionsWag World Dog Park - Small DogsIn Heather Farm Park
DirectionsWaterfalls in Walnut Creek
1 waterfall without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Walnut Creek
1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Peaks in Walnut Creek
Old Man's Hill774 ft elevation · In Shell Ridge Open Space
DirectionsSugarloaf Hill518 ft elevation · In Sugarloaf Open Space
DirectionsSugarloaf Hill Benchmark486 ft elevation · In Sugarloaf Open Space
DirectionsFossil HillIn Shell Ridge Open Space
DirectionsHaystack HillIn Shell Ridge Open Space
DirectionsPicnic areas in Walnut Creek
19 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Disc golf in Walnut Creek
1 disc golf course without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 12 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 34.3 miHorses · 35.5 miUnpaved · 52.4 mi
Ridge Top Trail4.1 mi
Briones to Mt. Diablo Regional Trail4.0 mi
Twin Ponds Loop Trail2.6 mi
Ohlone Trail2.4 mi
Costanoan Trail2.3 mi
East Ridge Trail2.2 mi
Sugarloaf-Shell Ridge Trail2.0 mi
Paraiso Trail1.8 mi
Bottom Spring Trail1.7 mi
Indian Creek Trail1.5 mi
15 more trails
Valley View Trail
1.3 miBlue Oak Trail
1.3 miLower Buck Trail
1.3 miSumner's Trail
1.2 miHanna Grove Trail
1.1 miSavannah Trail
1.0 miLime Ridge Trail
1.0 miCorral Spring Trail
1.0 miFranco Ridge Loop Trail
1.0 miMiddle Trail
0.9 miCamino Verde
0.9 miClyde Wood Trail
0.8 miFossil Hill Trail
0.8 miBuckeye Trail
0.8 miCottonwood Trail
0.7 miBiking & sports
36 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
19 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
14 mi
off-road bike paths
2.4 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
70Tennis
23Baseball
23Basketball
7Soccer
5Pickleball
4Football
4Tracks
3Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →3 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 3 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Walnut Creek: April to June
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.8 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 13.1 | 14.2 | 14.8 | 14.5 | 13.6 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.1 | 9.5 |
| High (°F) | 56 | 61 | 65 | 70 | 76 | 83 | 87 | 87 | 84 | 77 | 65 | 56 |
| Rain (in) | 4.2 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 4.1 |
July is the driest month (under 0.1 in) and the warmest (highs of 87 °F). 4.2 inches fall in January, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 87 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Walnut Creek →
Next door
Walnut Creek and its neighbors
Walnut Creek has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Walnut Creek81 miConcord65 miLafayette28 miPleasant Hill12 miAlamo11 miReliez Valley4.7 miContra Costa Centre1.0 miNorth Gate0.9 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walnut Creek | 24% | 4.1 | 42 | 83% | A+ |
| Contra Costa Centre | under 1% | 1.6 | under 1 | 99%+ | B− |
| North Gate | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Alamo | 5% | 1.1 | 20 | 80% | A− |
| Pleasant Hill | 4% | 1.8 | 6 | 95% | B+ |
| Reliez Valley | 13% | 2.0 | 62 | 89% | A+ |
| Concord | 18% | 2.1 | 8 | 95% | A |
| Lafayette | 16% | 1.8 | 60 | 88% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Walnut Creek
Where can I hike in Walnut Creek?
The longest trail networks: Shell Ridge Open Space, 28.7 miles; Lime Ridge Open Space, 17.5 miles; Acalanes Ridge Open Space, 6.1 miles; Sugarloaf Open Space, 3.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Walnut Creek is conserved land?
24% of its land, against a typical 4% for a California town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Walnut Creek’s trails?
Shell Ridge Open Space and Lime Ridge Open Space don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Walnut Creek?
36 miles of bike routes are on the map: 19 of painted or protected lanes, 14 of off-road paths and 2.4 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Walnut Creek?
65,827 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Walnut Creek or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,947 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Walnut Creek have?
Ahead of 96% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #94 of 847 in California. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Walnut Creek neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →