Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve
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Oakland, CA 94611
Sibley Volcanic Preserve Photos
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Description
Who knew that East Bay residents have an extinct volcano in their backyard at Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve? Originally called Round Top Park, Sibley is one of the East Bay Regional Park District's original parks.
Round Top, one of the area's highest peaks at 1763 ft above sea level, is made up of lava and volcanic debris left over from a 10-million-year-old volcano. Quarrying in the north half of the preserve has revealed cross sections of the bedrock geology, providing an unsurpassed outdoor laboratory for studying volcanism in the Central Coast Ranges.
There are several trails throughout the preserve. The 31-mile East Bay Skyline National Recreation Trail, part of the Bay Area Ridge Trail system, crosses the preserve. Round Top Road goes from the Sibley visitor center to the top of Round Top. Volcanic Trail, once a quarry haul road, contains most of the stops on the self-guided volcanic tour. A fascinating find for us were the two labyrinths in the park that are easily accessible from the trails.
Most trails are hiking and equestrian only. A few trails are multi-use. Dogs are permitted at Sibley, but are not allowed on adjacent Huckleberry trails. The unstaffed visitor center at the staging area has self-guided tour brochures so park visitors can stroll the park and learn of its historic significance at their own leisure.