Kennedy Grove Regional Recreation Area (KGRRA), also known simply as Kennedy Grove, is located in West

Contra Costa County, California ) of the San Francisco Bay , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1 = State , subdivision_name1 = California , subdivision_type2 ...

at the base of San Pablo Dam. The nearest city is El Sobrante, California. Created in 1967, it contains a three-mile hiking trail with an elevation of . The Grove features many large eucalyptus trees, picnic areas, volleyball nets, playgrounds, and horseshoe pits. Bird watching is popular here because hawks are almost always spotted. Some hikers have reported seeing

golden Golden means made of, or relating to gold. Golden may also refer to: Places United Kingdom *Golden, in the parish of Probus, Cornwall * Golden Cap, Dorset *Golden Square, Soho, London *Golden Valley, a valley on the River Frome in Gloucestershi ...

and bald eagles around the reservoir. There is no camping allowed. Parking is $5 with an extra $2 fee for a dog. Dogs have to be on the leash around the lawn but they are allowed off the leash in remote parts of the park. The park is open from 8 a.m. to dusk.

History

Before this park became a protected area, it was home to wheat fields, the site of Ranchos and railroad stations for a railroad that ran from Oakland to Orinda through Berkeley and Richmond via El Sobrante. It was originally part of the 17,754-acre Rancho San Pablo. Francisco Castro acquired the rancho in 1823, and the grove later became the Clancy Ranch. By 1886 the railroad had scheduled stops from the

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

and Nevada railroad at Laurel Glen and Frenchman's Curve. The picnic areas around the park are named after some of the former railroad stops. The

eucalyptus tree ''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of over seven hundred species of Flowering plant, flowering trees, shrubs or Mallee (habit), mallees in the Myrtaceae, myrtle Family (biology), family, Myrtaceae. Along with several other genera in the Tribe (biology) ...

s were planted in 1910. This park was named in honor of

President John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until assassination of Joh ...

and opened on October 22, 1967. It is now owned/operated by the

East Bay Regional Park District The East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) is a special district operating in Alameda County and Contra Costa County, California, within the East Bay area of the San Francisco Bay Area. It maintains and operates a system of regional parks which ...

(EBRPD).

Trail locations

There are several trails located within the recreation area ranging from very easy to somewhat difficult. All trails lead out from the eucalyptus grove located near the base of the San Pablo Dam, adjacent to the parking area. Several trails will guide visitors through changing landscapes of native Oak chaparrals and fern laden Bay laurel woodlands. A segment of the Bay Area Ridge Trail begins at Kennedy Grove and runs along the western shore of San Pablo Reservoir. Eventually the trail crosses San Pablo Dam Road and then climbs up the San Pablo Ridge. *NOTE* An

EBMUD East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD), colloquially referred to as "East Bay Mud", is a public utility district which provides water and sewage treatment services for an area of approximately in the eastern side of the San Francisco Bay.S ...

permit is required for this hike.

Wildlife

Seen from the Kennedy Grove area is the San Pablo Reservoir where fishing is popular. The reservoir has

trout Trout are species of freshwater fish belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', '' Salmo'' and '' Salvelinus'', all of the subfamily Salmoninae of the family Salmonidae. The word ''trout'' is also used as part of the name of some non-salm ...

and

catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the three largest species alive ...

and is recognized as the one of the finest fisheries in the

East Bay The East Bay is the eastern region of the San Francisco Bay Area and includes cities along the eastern shores of the San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay. The region has grown to include inland communities in Alameda and Contra Costa counties ...

. However a

fishing license A fishing license ( US), fishing licence ( UK), or fishing permit is an administrative or legal mechanism employed by local governments to regulate fishing. Licensing is one mechanism of fisheries management commonly used in Western countries ...

and

fishing permit is required. You can see flocks of ducks, shorebirds,

geese A goose ( : geese) is a bird of any of several waterfowl species in the family Anatidae. This group comprises the genera '' Anser'' (the grey geese and white geese) and ''Branta'' (the black geese). Some other birds, mostly related to the she ...

, and white pelicans from the trails. Sometimes

deer Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the re ...

bobcats The bobcat (''Lynx rufus''), also known as the red lynx, is a medium-sized cat native to North America. It ranges from southern Canada through most of the contiguous United States to Oaxaca in Mexico. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUC ...

foxes Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

and

coyotes The coyote (''Canis latrans'') is a species of canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely related eastern wolf and red wolf. It fills much of the same ecological nich ...

can be sighted. There are also species like

quail Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally placed in the order Galliformes. The collective noun for a group of quail is a flock, covey, or bevy. Old World quail are placed in the family Phasianidae, and New ...

dove Columbidae () is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primarily ...

, and

wild turkeys The wild turkey (''Meleagris gallopavo'') is an upland ground bird native to North America, one of two extant species of turkey and the heaviest member of the order Galliformes. It is the ancestor to the domestic turkey, which was originally de ...

. Some birds of prey that are known to take the skies above Kennedy Grove are

eagle Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, j ...

s, owls, hawks, and ospreys.

Weather

The area surrounding San Pablo Dam is fairly temperate. The East Bay is warmer than the Peninsula. Summer temperatures tend to vary from 60 to 100 degrees. Fog is very common. Rainfall occurs mostly during the months of October through March. The temperatures can dip below 32 degrees in the winter.

Activities

Popular activities include hiking, day camps, bird watching, walking around the lawn asphalt path and special events such as cross-country meets. The eucalyptus grove is frequently used as a desirable setting for company picnics, family reunions and other group events. Fern Cottage is an indoor/outdoor facility designed for a capacity of 60 guests (seated) or 120 guests {standing). L-shaped, it has a kitchen and two separate rooms, with an enclosed private backyard and two decks.

Access

Kennedy Grove's main entrance is off of San Pablo Dam Road in El Sobrante. The park is open year-round, starting at 8:00 AM daily. Closing time depends on the month: November - February, 4:30 PM, March, 6:00 PM; April, 7:00 PM; May - August, 8:00 PM; September, 7:00 PM; October, 6:00 PM. Parking fees are charged on weekends and holidays from April 1 to October 31 and are $5.00 per car, $4.00 per trailered vehicle and $25.00 per bus. Visitors may bring dogs, and there is a dog fee of $2.00 each.

References

Parks in Contra Costa County, California {{East Bay Regional Parks