Outdoors
Day-use and picnic areas near Richmond on public land, from quick drives to full-day outings.
Good to know: Group picnic sites can often be reserved; fire rules change with the season, so check before bringing a grill.
Kirby Cove is located just north of the Golden Gate Bridge at historic Battery Kirby. Visitors are awarded breathtaking views of San Francisco, its famous Golden Gate Bridge, and the rugged Pacific Coast of northern California.
The Bay Model was built in 1957 as a research tool to test the impact of proposed changes to San Francisco Bay and its related waterways.
Experience a park so rich it supports 19 distinct ecosystems with over 2,000 plant and animal species.
Contra Loma Dam and reservoir are part of the Central Valley Project - Delta Division and offers recreational opportunities for the East Bay area near San Francisco.
From its thunderous ocean breakers crashing against rocky headlands and expansive sand beaches to its open grasslands, brushy hillsides, and forested ridges, Point Reyes offers visitors over 1500 species of plants and animals to discover.
Nestled between Blue Ridge and Cedar Roughs, east of the Napa Valley, Lake Berryessa offers year-round recreation opportunities.
Lake Solano Park, Solano Project , is located at the base of coastal foothills at the western edge of the Sacramento Valley and offers an array of recreational opportunities.
Nestled between Blue Ridge and Cedar Roughs east of Napa Valley, Lake Berryessa provides ample public recreation opportunities.
Warm Springs Recreation Area is a day-use park located at Lake Sonoma, which is just a 45 minute drive north of Santa Rosa and a 2 hour trip from San Francisco.
Distances are straight-line miles from downtown Richmond. Listings come from Recreation.gov’s federal recreation database; check each official page for hours, fees, fire restrictions and closures before you go.
Kirby Cove Campground (National Park Service), about 10 miles southwest of Richmond as the crow flies. Next are S F Bay Model Regional Visitor Center (10 mi) and Golden Gate National Recreation Area (15 mi).
Based on Richmond’s average highs, February–November. Conditions at higher elevations can be much cooler.
Federal agencies including Bureau of Reclamation, National Park Service, US Army Corps of Engineers. Each listing links to its official page for hours, fees, closures and current conditions.