CA-84 Niles Canyon & Sunol
Posted by Twesha Jul 17, 2020 (with some additions)
The drive along
Niles Canyon, Alameda Creek, and Sunol Regional Wilderness is breathtaking.
Begin at
Fremont’s historic Niles District and drive east to Sunol
This was an
early ‘Hollywood’ for silent films.
Shinn
Historical Park & Arboretum
Koomei George Kato’s Japanese garden
As you drive through the Niles
Canyon road the first stop is the Old Niles Canyon Park which marks the
beginning of Niles Canyon drive from Fremont. This is a nice little park
(also a staging area) from where you can start your hike or Bike to the
Alameda Creek Trail. This place is very beautiful with a view of a
picturesque clean stream surrounded by hills. This place is so quiet that
you can hear the water flowing peacefully over the rocky pebbles. A very
relaxing getaway from the hustle and bustle. There are very few parking
spaces, maybe about a dozen with a couple of accessible parking. There are
wheelchair accessible restrooms available at this site. Just grab a picnic,
sit, and enjoy the view away from the city.
Niles Canyon Drive
After a quick stopover at
Niles Canyon Park, we drove towards the historic little town of Sunol. The
drive from Fremont to the little town of Sunol is very scenic with breathtaking
views. The route cuts through the hills with a stream running alongside. In
springtime, the hills are lush green covered with different types of spring
flowers giving the valley a completely new look. There are multiple pullover
spots to park and enjoy the breathtaking views all along the way.
The Niles
Canyon Railway follows the same route down the canyon from Niles to Sunol.
The sleepy little town of Sunol is
nestled between Fremont and Pleasanton. This charming Historic town has a post
office, Railway station, Garden, and a few elegant cafes and Bistro. Once you
enter the town you will come across Sunol Glen Unified School. A pre-K-8 school
that has a very cozy neighborhood feel. If you keep following the signs
for Main street there is a three-way intersection where Sunol’s Historic
Post Office is located. Just outside the post office, there is a bronze
statue of a black dog, in memory of one of the former mayor’s pet, Bosco.
Opposite the post office on Main Street, there is a restaurant called Bosco’s
Bones and Brews which was formed in the memory of Bosco. Niles Canyon
Railway Station is near the intersection of Kilkare and Foothill Roads.
The railway office is also a museum. Just across the railway station is Sunot
depot Gardens which is only for the passengers of the Niles Canyon train.
At the center of the main street, the village has a beautifully decorated
friendly Italian bistro with a mouth-watering menu and a gorgeous patio.
This is a good place to stop for a quick bite after a bike ride, hike and even
after a long drive.
Little Brown Church Elliston Mansion (now Elliston Vineyards)
After our stop at the Downtown
Sunol, we continued our drive on Main street and turned right on Foothill Road.
This drive on Foothill road is a memorable one through the woods overlooking
the Vineyards on your right and an equestrian ranch on your left. Pullover and
park your car at a suitable spot to click pictures.
This road will take you to the
Foothill staging area where you can start your hike or bike to the trails of
Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park for more Canyon Views. The foothill staging area
has a few picnic tables and a lot of parking places. Continue the drive on
foothill road and you will come across beautiful houses scattered on both
sides. Some of them have a private Vineyard too. It gives the place a different
charm and character. You can keep driving on Foothill road towards Pleasanton
or turn on Castlewood drive towards the Golf Course and over the little stream
and follow I-680 to return back to Fremont. You can also continue
your journey across I-680 and continue on Calaveras Blvd to Sunol Regional
Wilderness and drive the longer loop enjoying the breathtaking views of
Calaveras Reservoir. The drive through the hills is very scenic and the lake is
very pretty. Motorcyclists and bikers also enjoy this drive. Be very careful
while driving as parts of the road are very narrow.
If you ‘must’
drive to the end of CA-84, it will lead north toward Livermore and…
Lawrence
Livermore National Laboratory
