Address – 7000 Del Valle Road, Livermore, CA 94550 https://www.ebparks.org/parks/del-valle
Disclaimer: The information that we share in this post is from our visit to the establishment over time the prices, hours or information could have changed since the time of our visit. It is highly suggested that your research the locations and check for current up to date information before your visit. Also, all opinions that are represented in this post are expressly our opinion and no one else. We do not receive compensation for our reviews of the places we visit.
Located in the hills 10 miles South of Livermore, CA is Del Valle Regional Park. The center of the park is a five-mile-long lake, offering a variety of water activities from fishing, windsurfing, boating and fishing. The lake is surrounded by 4,395 acres of beautiful land for hiking, horseback riding, and nature study. Del Valle is home to the eastern gateway of the popular Ohlone Wilderness Trail a 28-mile scenic back-county trial.
Current information at the time of our visit…
Hours
Park Curfew: 10pm – 5am
Park Gate Hours:
Jan and Feb: 7am-6pm
Mar: 6am-7pm
Apr: 6am-8pm
May-Labor Day: 6am-9pm
After Labor Day-Sep 30: 6am-8pm
Oct: 6am-7pm
Nov and Dec: 7am-6pm
The Del Valle Visitor Center is on the lake’s west side and contains exhibits and information about the natural history of Del Valle and surrounding wilderness.
Open September through May: Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and most holidays, 9:30am to 3pm.
Open Memorial Day through Labor Day, Fridays: 2pm-4:30pm, Saturday and Sunday: 9am-4:30pm
Closed all other days including Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
Fees – day use
Parking: $6 per vehicle. $4 per trailered vehicle. $25 per bus.
No parking fee at Arroyo staging. No drop-offs of any kind.
Dogs: $2 per dog. Guide/service dogs free.
Del Valle offers two swimming beaches with lifeguards on duty during posted periods. There is an abundance of landscaped picnic grounds, some with groups of picnic tables that can be reserved for large groups.
Lake Del Valle is known for excellent fishing. The lake is stocked regularly with trout and catfish. There are also large- and smallmouth bass, striped bass, and panfish. Boat launch fees are $5 per day for a trailered boat, $3 per day for a car-top, and $3 per day per windsurf board and paddle boards. The boat speed limit is 10 miles per hour on the entire lake. Boat rentals are also available, You can rent motorboats, patio boats, pedal boats, and canoes at the East Beach marina area from Rocky Mountain Rec. Kayaks and paddleboards can be rented at the Kayak Center at the east beach from Outback Adventures.
Camping at Del Valle, you will want to make a reservation as the location is very popular and fills quickly. All campers with watercraft must go through a boat inspection prior to checking into the campground. The Del Valle Family Campground has 150 sites (two accessible), 21 of them with water and sewage, and electrical hook-ups (120 volt, 50 and 30 amp). The sites are served by centrally located toilets and shower facilities. There are several group campsites for groups of 11 people or more available as well. The Little Chaparral horse camp area has 4 small paddocks. The reservation of one paddock includes space for 1-2 horses, 4 people maximum, and parking for one trailer and rig only.
Current pricing for camping:
CAMPING (vehicle/site/night) …$35
WITH HOOKUPS (sewer/water/electric 50/30/20 amp) …$50
THIRD VEHICLE …$8
TRAILER (per day)…$4
RESERVATION FEE (per site) …$8
DOG FEE (each per day; service animal free)…$2
DAILY FISHING PERMIT (age 16 and older) ..$5
DUMP STATION FEE (per use, non-campers)…$20
Campsites have room for two vehicles to park, any over that will have to park in the overflow parking. You can have up to 8 people per campsite, and only have two campsites per reservation name. There is no generators allowed, and quiet time is from 10:00pm to 7:00am. The camp store is small, but provided last minute items such as canned and boxed goods, first aid kits, ice, firewood, etc. Beware, they are ridiculously pricey. There are pay phones at camp site since no cell signals there.
Overall, this is a nice close location if you are just looking for a weekend getaway but don’t want to travel very far. With ample things to do or just sit and relax at your camp site. It is also conveniently located with a short drive you wanted to venture into Livermore and explore the wineries and breweries or have a nice dinner out.