Contra Loma Regional Park

Like Don Castro and Cull Canyon, Contra Loma is an EBRPD park that focuses on a swimming lagoon. Unlike the other two, the water of the swimming lagoon is clearly chlorinated and filtered, so it seems more like a pool and less like a secondary reservoir. This made for an interesting swimming experience! The pool has actual sand in its 0-depth area, but no sand in its deeper sections. My toddler loved this feature! We first hiked the perimeter of the reservoir and then we swam in the pool to cool off afterwards.

Detail of the EBRPD map

We took the route in red on the map in a clockwise direction starting from the parking area. The trail is wide and made of compacted gravel. Although I took my carrier back pack, I could have used the stroller if I had wanted to. Although there is some shade, quite a bit of the route is exposed, so I recommend that you bring a hat and wear sunscreen.

Along our 2-mile hike we saw fish, turtles, and shorebirds in and near the lake.

It was a relatively cool day in Antioch for the summer, but it was still warm (in the upper 80s). Luckily, there was a steady breeze to keep things pleasant. There were picnic tables on the East Shore Trail in the shade of some tall trees, and we had a lovely picnic there before heading back to the swim area. With the breeze and the shade, this was really pleasant, and I could imagine my mother painting in this area when she comes back for her next visit. It was really lovely to see the mountains around the reservoir--the contrast of colors was spectacular. This would be a prime place to paint if the temperature is comparable.

After our picnic we headed to the swim lagoon, and cooled off with some great splashes and an ice cream from the concession stand. I don't think we could have planned a better day!