The Iron Horse Regional Trail is a railroad track for pedestrians, horse riders and motorcycles in the East Bay Section of California. This trail is located in the inland central Alameda and Contra Costa counties, largely following the Southern Pacific Railroad right of way established in 1891 and abandoned in 1977. The two counties bought the right of way at that time, hoping to use it as a transport corridor; the Iron Horse Trail was first established in 1986. In 2003, BART also proposed to use the DMU line right-of – way from Walnut Creek to Tracy via Pleasanton.
The trail runs through the cities of Pleasanton, Dublin, San Ramon, Danville, Alamo, Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill and Concord. When completed, the trail will extend from Livermore in central Alameda County to Suisun Bay on the northern edge of Contra Costa County, a distance of more than 40 miles (64 km) from two counties and nine towns. The trail also links directly to both Dublin / Pleasanton and Pleasant Hill BART stations.
This multi-purpose trail between the cities of Concord and Pleasanton follows the right-of – way of the Southern Pacific Railway, built in 1891 and abandoned in 1978. As of 2014, the completed Iron Horse Regional Trail covers a distance of 32 miles. The most recent portion of the Trail, which closed the 1.8-mile distance between the Pleasanton / Dublin BART station and Santa Rita Road in Pleasanton, opened to the public on 19 August 2014, after nearly 30 years of planning and funding. Representing interagency collaboration and community-wide initiative by individuals and organizations, this trail provides a significant leisure and travel aspect for the communities it serves. The trail links residential and industrial areas, business parks , schools, public transit (BART, County Connection), open space and parks, regional trails and community facilities.
The established Iron Horse Trail starts at Concord near Highway 4. It runs south through Walnut Creek and crosses east under I-680 at Rudgear Road near Park & Ride. From there, the trail passes through a rural / residential area to connect with downtown Alamo and the Alamo Square shopping centre. Continuing south, the trail follows a green belt through suburban areas and downtown Danville. It crosses Danville Boulevard, crosses I-680 and continues south past Pine Valley Road to San Ramon County Line, which stretches to Dublin / Pleasanton BART and to Shadow Cliffs Regional Recreation Area. Eventually, the Iron Horse Regional Trail will continue to span approximately 55 miles, linking 12 cities from Livermore in Alameda County to Suisun Bay in Contra Costa County.
The trail is managed by the Regional Park District of East Bay. It is a wheelchair accessible paved path along adjacent unpaved or soft trails in some areas.
The Iron Horse Regional Trail has multiple bridges over busy thoroughfares to help boost traffic flow; two notable bridges cross Ygnacio Valley Road in Walnut Creek and Treat Boulevard in Contra Costa Centre. Additional bridges are part of the planning process. Despite initial scepticism and even opposition, the trail is now a major transport and leisure path. One million trips are made each year along the way.
These must-see attractions are just few of the many you don’t want to miss in Dublin, California:
- K1 Speed – Indoor Go Karts
- Rockin’ Jump – The Ultimate Trampoline Park Fun & Games
- Dublin Ranch Golf Course
- Caps & Taps
- Dublin Farmers’ Market
- Exit2Escape
- Dublin Heritage Park & Museums
- Dublin Iceland
All of these wonderful attractions are located just a short distance from our location located at 6400 Village Pkwy #101 in Dublin, California! Stop by for a visit anytime!
