| Big Break Regional Shoreline | |
|---|---|
 Interactive map of Big Break Regional Shoreline | |
| Location | Oakley, Contra Costa County, California. |
| Nearest city | Oakley, California |
| Coordinates | 38°00′34″N121°43′44″W / 38.00932°N 121.728981°W /38.00932; -121.728981 |
| Created | 2012 |
| Operated by | East Bay Regional Park District |
| Open | 5 AM - 10 PM. Visitor center open 10 AM - 4 PM Wednesday - Sunday. |
Big Break Regional Shoreline is a 1,648 acreregional park inOakley,Contra Costa County, northernCalifornia. It is a part of theEast Bay Regional Park District system and opened in 2005.[1]
The park features an $11 million, 5,000-square-footDelta Visitor Center, which operates as a natural history museum, science laboratory, and staging area for paddling and hiking trips along theSacramento–San Joaquin River Delta. The new visitor center opened in October 2012.
The center includes a 1,200 square feet (110 m2) interactive map of theSacramento–San Joaquin River Delta that shows visitors how water flows through the region. A 30-by-50 model of the delta is also located at the park, as well as restored wetlands.[2]
The park is named for a break in the levee system that flooded an asparagus farm between theSan Joaquin River and Dutch Slough in 1928.[3] The break formed a small bay along the river, near the area where fresh water from the river mixes with salt water fromSan Francisco Bay.[4]
According to the East Bay Regional Parks District, Big Break Regional Shoreline provides habitat for at least 70 species of birds and several species of mammals. They include:[4]
The park is open daily from sunrise to sunset. The Visitor Center is open Wednesday-Sunday, 10am to 4pm. The park is at 69 Big Break Road in Oakley. It can be reached by private vehicles from Main Street, and there is no fee for parking or admission. Tri Delta Transit #300 provides access to the park through Vintage Parkway and Big Break Road on weekdays.[1] The park is generally wheelchair accessible.
Dogs are permitted, except inmarsh andwetlandhabitats in the park.[4]
