Rockville Hills Regional Park — Attraction in California

I know you see all these 5 star ratings on this. The reason I give it 2 stars is simply due to the fact that you must pay to hike and that they went in and modified it heavily from it's natural state. I mean, it looks like a man-made nature place now (wood walkways at the pond, metal gates everywhere, paved trails...). There is also housing butted against the back (or front depending on which direction you're coming from). This makes no sense to me as I just moved here from Colorado a few months ago and never had to pay any where just to hike. I used to come here years and years ago and simply went in, did my hiking, and left. Now you have to pay? The people I talk to about this say, "Well someone has to pay for the clean up and upkeep etc." I personally think that is exactly what taxes are for... The greed level in California, a blue state, astounds me to no end. You have to pay for every single thing here. Bridge tolls that amount to millions/day for "upkeep" One of the highest gas prices in the US Ridiculously high housing Extra money at gas stations just to use your card Pay just to enjoy nature and walk around I could keep going all day...

Wonderful mix of trails at Rockville. There are easy fireroads to black diamond rocky trails. Most of the trails are clearly labeled with the name and difficulty level. As a mountain biker, Rockville will really test your skills going up and down. Overall, it is a small park but the trails intertwine and you can easily get lost or turned around. Once you know your way around, it is very easy to navigate the park. There are wonderful vistas to view the surrounding area and a small lake in the park. The trails are well maintained by the park rangers and volunteers. You will run into the occasional cow patty on the trails due to the free range cows. There is one very small parking lot as well as street parking. There is a fee to enter the park and 6 month passes are also available. Please buy a pass, it pays our rangers to take care of this wonderful park. Also, the rangers do random checks. You may find them in the middle of the trails and you don't want to get caught without a pass! If you haven't been to this park yet,...

This is a great park. Parking is limited but even if the lot is spilling onto the main road, there is plenty of space inside to hike and bike around. It's one of the few places in the bay area that is mountain bike friendly and doesn't get too muddy. Ranchers have cows eat most of the vegetation during the spring/summer months. Cows are usually friendly and don't bother you or your kids just give them space.

A few things that will keep this place open year round is to make sure you pack out whatever you bring in. There are a few garbage cans at the entrance. Don't leag dog poop bags on the trails or other garbage. Most of the trails are fairly rocky so be prepared that these aren't easy rated trails. The main trail up gains lots of elevation so be prepared. There are a few benches here and there throughout the park so plenty of places to picnic.

Keep dogs on a leash as there are plenty of squirrels to chase.

Some of the trails leading downhill will not lead you back to the lake or parking lot so be aware to...