Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve
July 08, 2012 by Bay Nature Staff
At this preserve you can hike the extensive trail network above ground, or learn about the historic coal and sand …
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Almaden Quicksilver County Park
July 08, 2012 by Bay Nature Staff
During early spring, the Almaden Quicksilver Park offers a spectacular wildflower display, and the remnants of the mercury mining era …
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Black Coal, Bright Flowers
April 01, 2008 by Horst Rademacher
The peaceful hills of Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve weren’t always so: One hundred twenty years ago, you’d have found bustling towns full of miners and their families and, nearby, the mine works and railroads that carried out tons of coal and sand, feeding the booming industries of Northern California. Today, the park offers grand vistas, abundant wildflowers, and a mine tour that gives an illuminating view of both the work of the miners and the geological history that brought them here and shaped the aboveground landscape.
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Shifting Sands
April 01, 2008 by Jules Evens
At the mouth of Tomales Bay, sand dunes and seasonal wetlands coexist uneasily with California’s largest coastal campground. The dunes at Lawson’s Landing, home to rare butterflies and plants like the dune tansy, are among the few left of a once-common coastal habitat that could be restored and maintained as a healthy, functioning ecosystem. But can that be accomplished without driving out the family-run camping operation at the dunes that, since 1957, has been an affordable summer getaway for thousands of visitors?
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The Fremont Peak Experience
April 01, 2008 by Doris Sloan
Discover rare rocks, distant stars, beautiful wildflowers, and a bit of California history all at one small state park south of San Juan Bautista.
Apperson Ridge Quarry
April 01, 2004 by Leah Messinger
In 1984, Alameda County approved Oliver de Silva, Inc.’s plans to build a hard rock quarry at Apperson Ridge, east …
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Legacy of the Red Ore
January 01, 2002 by John Dorrance
Numerous animals make their homes in burrows in the hills of this Santa Clara County park, but none dig as deep as the miners who hauled mercury-laden ore out of the ground for 125 years.
