Fernandez Ranch - April '24

return to index

Around 1880, Bernardo & Carlotta Fernandez bought 7,000 acres of hilly farmland near Pinole, Ca., and started a small cattle ranch, which was successful & still survives as a family business. 

In 2005, the owners sold some land for urban development & also sold 700 acres to the John Muir Land Trust, for eventual public usage. By 2008, $3.5M in donations had been raised and general habitat restoration followed, with Fernandez Ranch opening to the public in 2010. It is the largest holding of the conservation Trust, which manages 13 properties in the East Bay hills or local marshlands on the east side of San Pablo Bay.  

On the first Tuesday in April, seven of us drove from Davis to Pinole and then east a few miles on hwy 4 to the Fernandez Ranch turnoff. None had ever been here before, and the scenery on the 'Loop plus Vista Point' (AllTrails) walk was good from the start.

Once the sights & sounds of hwy 24 are in your rear view mirror, there's a surprising sense of remoteness here, with  sweeping vistas, like in the 5th photo below, of Rick.  

note - you can enlarge any part of a picture by left-clicking in and then out again (not on smartphones)  

	at the trailhead bridge		(l2r) Rick, Donna, Marcia, me, Jean, Kathy & Frank		starting out
				Rick & scenery
	we were often in the woods		miner's lettuce, see note 1		vista point in the distance
				giant Oak at lunch spot

note 1 - Miner's lettuce, also known as Indian Lettuce or winter purslane, is edible and especially tasty in the spring. (I didn't try any). Gold miners in this area, 175 years ago, used it as a known source of vitamin C, to prevent scurvy.   

Just before the vista point side trail we encountered a locked gate, so all of us had to climb over.  

Shortly thereafter, the group reached a different high point & stopped to have lunch, three sitting on an exposed hillside bench, while the rest went 200 ft. away and sat under a big Oak, with huge limbs providing partial shade. Both places had the same downhill view (to the south), with poppies and Oak woods.   

	Oak tree		lunch view
		in the Oaks
	some Oaks have yellowish spring foliage		Rick		Marcia & Kathy
				Marcia

The Fernandez Ranch loop walk was 6.5 miles, with at least 900 ft. of gain. The newness and remoteness aspects were appealing & everyone seemed pleased with the scenery & workout.

Once back at the cars, we got back to Sacto. at a decent time, a good day out..  

return to index

Postscript - Park use note - there is no fee here & dogs are welcome, but AllTrails hikers say dogs may get a lot of ticks in summer, and there is foxtail & poison oak.

In April those seasonal hazards seem almost non-existent, but we did see poison oak emerging. 

return to index