Walnut Creek Outdoor Recreation For Family Adventures

Here are our local Walnut Creek outdoor recreation suggestions to get your family outdoors and excited about adventure camp this summer!

Our mission is to inspire kids to lead active lifestyles, which means staying active even when camp season is not in session.  We encourage a year-round engagement with the outdoors, so we’ve provided a list of great Walnut Creek local outdoor recreation spots below to get your family started.

Shell Ridge Open Space

Dive into adventure at Shell Ridge Open Space, as you discover fossils from this once ocean dominated land. With 31 miles of trails, 1,420 acres, and an abundance of outdoor recreation opportunities; it’s no wonder why citizens voted to buy the land in 1974 for Open Space. Enjoy the ridge tops, creek ways, and hillsides that make this land a natural masterpiece.

Best Beginner Hiking Trail: Fossil Hill Loop

Adventure through this fossil covered land, on an easy 1 mile hike, that starts at the Sutherland Drive Entrance. We recommend taking this loop clockwise, and going right at each trail junction. Along the way find grassland and riparian habitats, while exploring the hillsides and even some quarried land. The array of colorful wildflowers and bird species help paint this land with beauty, not to mention all the critters and watering holes!

Best Beginner/Intermediate Hiking Trail: Twin Ponds Loop

Discover even more natural California beauty on this moderate 3 mile singletrack loop. Easily jump on this loop at the Rock Spring Place trailhead or the Whitecliff Way Trailhead. You’ll soon find that Shell Ridge has many accessible trailheads, which make this local spot even more exciting to explore. We recommend jumping on the loop going clockwise and taking a right at each trail junction to stay on the trail. Twisted oaks, hidden ponds, turkey vultures, and red tailed hawks are sure to surprise hikers along this lovely loop!

Best Beginner Biking Trail: Corral Spring trail to Upper Buck Loop Trail

Access this ride from either the Marshall Dr. Trailhead or the La Casa Via Trailhead. Starting on the Corral Spring Trail, bikers gently climb up Shell Ridge. The expanding views and rolling hills will surely take your breath away, long before the ride does! Take a left at the Upper Buck Loop for a nice smooth double track ride. This relatively flat 1 mile loop provides views and shade, as you circle around Deer Hill. For some added adventure, jump onto the Lower Buck Loop for 0.5 miles, before rejoining the Upper Buck Loop. Take a moment here to admire the beauty and prepare for a smooth 1 mile downhill cruise on the Corral Spring trail.

Avid’s core values – like Live Fun! – encourage a year-round engagement with the outdoors. The values that your kid learns while camping will last them a lifetime, but encouraging a year-round engagement with the outdoors, especially with the whole family, is vital. Luckily the California coast has some of the most exhilarating hikes, trails, and routes in the U.S.!

We couldn’t be more excited to see your kids at camp for even more adventures, and we would love for you to share your photos and stories with us on any of the social media platforms that you find on the bottom of our webpage.

Tagged: biking with kids, California Family Adventures, getting kids outside, hiking with kids, kids and nature, outdoor skill building