Callippe Preserve Trail in Pleasanton

The Callippe Preserve Trail is a trail maintained by the City of Pleasanton that circles around the Callippe Preserve Golf Course. My daughter and I had an unusual hike here this morning before the heat set in. Click "read more" to see maps and photos and to read about our hike.

The following is a blurb from the official map of the preserve:

Callippe Preserve Trail is a 3.75-mile long trail which loops around the Callippe Preserve Municipal Golf Course in the City of Pleasanton. Surrounding the golf course are 280 acres of permanent open space which includes 173 acres retained under City ownership, and 107 acres of the Koopmann Ranch through a conservation easement. Public access through the City-owned open space is provided by the Callippe Preserve Trail [.]

My daughter and I did not make the full 3.75-mile loop. I mistakenly thought that the route would be paved, simply because it went around a golf course. The path is not paved, and (to the contrarily) it is a bit on the rough side. I brought her stroller today and it just became evident that we needed to get off of the narrow, hilly, and uneven dirt path and move onto the paved path for the golf course as we were rounding towards the bench (marked on the map above as a black rectangle).

Once we got on the paved path, we were fine; although, I am pretty sure that we were not supposed to do that. Luckily all the golfers were very friendly, and they didn't seem to care. One of them even suggested that I was trying to "start her young" or teach her to appreciate the sport. I've never been "hiking" on a golf course before, so that was a very new experience. It was ok; it was very beautiful, but I was so nervous the whole time that we would get hit by a ball. We even had one relatively close call.

It was very exposed today, and a little on the hot side. I think that this trail--the actual trail and not the route that we did--is probably really lovely to hike when the hills are green and it's a little cooler. Also, it was in a part of Pleasanton that I had never visited before. It was really cool to see this hidden valley tucked away from the main part of town! Just the drive to get here was a pleasure. The clubhouse was serving food for the golfers to carry away and eat away from the main dining area, so that could be another thing for me (or my family) to explore, possible when this virus is behind us.  This preserve is one to file away to return to in the winter or the early spring, probably when I am by myself. Although older kids could do this, I don't think that my little one will be ready for it until a few years have passed.