Refugio Valley Park
Rate this placeNearby: Foxboro Park Fernandez Park
Last Updated: December 5, 2025
Refugio Valley Park is located in Hercules, California, and is a popular destination for both locals and tourists.
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Summary
The park covers an area of 27 acres and offers a wide range of recreational activities, such as hiking, picnicking, bird watching, and nature trails.
One of the main attractions of Refugio Valley Park is its scenic beauty, with its rolling hills, lush greenery, and stunning views of San Pablo Bay. Visitors can also enjoy the park's various facilities, including a playground, basketball court, picnic areas, and a dog park.
Other points of interest in the park include the historic Pinole Shores Trail, which was once used by Native Americans to travel between the Bay Area and Sacramento, as well as the Butterfly Habitat and Garden, which is home to a variety of native butterfly species.
Interesting facts about Refugio Valley Park include its role as a habitat for a number of endangered species, such as the California red-legged frog and the salt marsh harvest mouse. The park also features a solar-powered irrigation system that helps conserve water and reduce energy consumption.
The best time of year to visit Refugio Valley Park is during the spring and summer months, when the weather is mild and the park is at its most beautiful. However, visitors can enjoy the park year-round, as it offers a variety of activities and attractions for all seasons.
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Park & Land Designation Reference
Large protected natural areas managed by the federal government to preserve significant landscapes, ecosystems, and cultural resources; recreation is allowed but conservation is the priority.
State Park
Public natural or recreational areas managed by a state government, typically smaller than national parks and focused on regional natural features, recreation, and education.
Local Park
Community-level parks managed by cities or counties, emphasizing recreation, playgrounds, sports, and green space close to populated areas.
Wilderness Area
The highest level of land protection in the U.S.; designated areas where nature is left essentially untouched, with no roads, structures, or motorized access permitted.
National Recreation Area
Areas set aside primarily for outdoor recreation (boating, hiking, fishing), often around reservoirs, rivers, or scenic landscapes; may allow more development.
National Conservation Area (BLM)
BLM-managed areas with special ecological, cultural, or scientific value; more protection than typical BLM land but less strict than Wilderness Areas.
State Forest
State-managed forests focused on habitat, watershed, recreation, and sustainable timber harvest.
National Forest
Federally managed lands focused on multiple use—recreation, wildlife habitat, watershed protection, and resource extraction (like timber)—unlike the stricter protections of national parks.
Wilderness
A protected area set aside to conserve specific resources—such as wildlife, habitats, or scientific features—with regulations varying widely depending on the managing agency and purpose.
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Land
Vast federal lands managed for mixed use—recreation, grazing, mining, conservation—with fewer restrictions than national parks or forests.
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