Quarry Lakes Regional Recreation Area

Quarry Lakes Regional Recreation Area

Alert FIRE - Very High Fire Danger - Level 1 Restriction in W, NC, SE, and SW Region

  • No open fires or barbecues of any type. Gas-fueled stoves are permitted in all areas.
  • No off-road driving. Drive only on designated roadways. Do not drive or park on dry grass; heat from vehicle's undercarriage can start a fire.
  • No use of gasoline powered equipment outside of irrigated areas, designated campgrounds or developed recreational areas.
  • Maintenance of irrigated areas and road grading are permitted.
  • Secure all tow chains – dragging tow chains can spark fires.
  • Parks in West, North East, North Central and South East Region || See more info: Fire Danger Levels & Restrictions

Cashless Fee Collection Pilot Program

The Park District is implementing a cashless fee collection pilot program at Quarry Lakes aimed at reducing visitor wait times and improving operational efficiency. Beginning October 7, Quarry Lakes will only accept credit cards as payment for parking, dogs, fishing, and boating fees. The cashless pilot program will run from October 7, 2024, to April 4, 2025. If you have any questions or comments, please contact the Park District through the Contact Us Form.

Hours

Gate Hours:
Jan-Feb: 7am-5pm
Mar: 6am-6pm
Apr-May: 6am-7pm
Memorial Day-Labor Day: 6am-8pm
Day after Labor Day - Oct: 6am-7pm
Nov-Dec: 7am-5pm

Kiosk Hours:
Jan-Feb: 7am-4pm
Mar: 6am-6pm
Apr.-Memorial Day: 6am-6pm
Memorial Day-Labor Day: 6am-7pm
Day after Labor Day-Oct: 6am-6pm
Nov-Dec: 7am-4pm

Park Curfew: 10pm- 5am

Fees

Parking: 
$5 per vehicle, $4 per trailered vehicle, 
Bus: $25
Dogs: $2 per dog. Guide/service dogs free
Boating: More Info on fee

Beach Access (Swimming is restricted to within the swim ropes only):
$3.00 age 16-61
$2.00 age 1-15
$2.00 seniors 62+ or disabled
FREE under 1 year

Address

2100 Isherwood Way Fremont, CA 94536

Phone

Toll Free: 888-EBPARKS (888-327-2757), option 3, extension 4552

Internet & Cellular Access

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WiFi

Check AT&T, T-Mobile & Verizon Coverage
Select 'Map Layers' and switch on 'No Data Coverage Areas'

Horseshoe Lake / Niles Swim Beach Water Quality Conditions

Shinn Pond at Alameda County Trails Water Quality Conditions

Lago Los Osos at Quarry Lakes Park Water Quality Conditions

Watercraft Owners - Please Help Keep Invasive Mussels Out of Our Water.
Find out about mandatory watercraft inspections.

Fish Planting Schedule
For the Quarry Lakes fish planting schedule, see Angler’s Edge Online.

The park is a beautiful water-oriented recreation area, which offers more intensive recreation such as picnicking, boating, swimming and fishing, but also has room for hiking and wildlife viewing.

    To Reach The Park

    Park Accessibility

    A beach wheelchair, intended to provide a means for wheelchair users to travel across the beach, is available free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis at the swim complex. They require an assistant to push and are not intended to enter the water. To arrange for use of the beach wheelchair contact the Lifeguards at (510) 690-6629 or the Park Rangers at (510) 544-3133. Arrangements will be made to bring the chair out to the beach. It takes approximately 15 minutes to prepare the chair. Staff will give a brief orientation to the chair and arrange a time for the chair to be returned.

    There is a wheelchair accessible fishing pier at Horseshoe Lake. All the facilities at the Niles beach area, the Ensenada Pavilion area, and the Orchard picnic area are wheelchair accessible. The Rock picnic area has wheelchair accessible bathrooms and a drinking fountain but no parking.

    History

    History is everywhere in the area of Quarry Lakes Regional Recreation Area in Fremont. Native Americans inhabited the region for millennia before the arrival of Europeans, notably in the sites that are now preserved at Coyote Hills Regional Park west of Quarry Lakes.

    Quarry Lakes incorporates the historic boundaries of two Mexican ranchos and the former Mission San Jose lands. Alameda Creek was the original boundary between Contra Costa and Santa Clara Counties. Alameda County was carved out of these two counties in 1853 and was named after the creek that drains it.

    The quarries for which Quarry Lakes Regional Recreation Area is named were established in the mid-19th century. Gravel taken from the banks of Alameda Creek was used in the construction of the transcontinental railroad's western section.

    After quarrying came to an end, the lakes began to be used for groundwater recharge by the Alameda County Water District, which diverts water from Alameda Creek into the pits.

    Quarry Lakes Regional Recreation Area is the culmination of many years of planning and partnership between the Water District and the East Bay Regional Park District. The property that now comprises the park was acquired by the two agencies between 1975 and 1992 through purchase, donation and inter-agency agreements. Of the park's 471 acres, some 350 acres are the lakes.

    The first phase of park construction began in 1997, when the Alameda County Water District used grading equipment to flatten the slopes of the quarry pit. This minimized erosion and sedimentation, while also creating land contours more suitable for parkland.

    Then in August of 2000 the Park District began creating the recreational facilities at Quarry Lakes. These include turfgrass lawns, picnic areas, shade pavilions, a swim beach, a boat launch ramp, and a trail network.

    Cost of the project's first phase was $5.8 million, of which $3.65 million was a grant from the City of Fremont Redevelopment Agency. The remainder came from Measure AA, the Park District's open space bond measure approved by voters in 1988.