Visit Sustainably in Concord
Travel sustainably and responsibly in Concord! The next wave of eco-tourism and green travel in the Bay Area.
Concord is a great place to act green, and save some green, too! From the types of adventures you have, to the way you have them, Concord can be the stop for conservation, education, and the natural world.
Eco-Infrastructure
Concord is a bike friendly city that's getting even friendlier. Not only are cycle-based adventures big here, but two wheels are a great option for getting around. With bike-based infrastructure, navigating the city can be a breeze.
The Concord Bike Plan was adopted back in 2016, and made it easier and safer for cyclists to explore and navigate the city. Green infrastructure throughout the city not only beautifies, but makes cycling and walking safer. According to the plan, “Green infrastructure such as bioswales and rain gardens helps manage stormwater while improving the aesthetic appearance of pedestrian and bicycle facilities.”
This infrastructure has seen reduced crashes in pedestrian cyclists, and offered a solution for capturing, treating, and infiltrating stormwater runoff.
Not only can you navigate Concord, but shared paths like the Iron Horse Trail, accessible at a number of spots in the city, run throughout the entire Diablo Valley region. In making Concord a home base-- visitors can explore in sustainable and innovative ways.
Visiting without a bike? No problem! With cycle shops and an emphasis on the outdoors, you can gear up and get out from here. REI in the Willows Shopping Center offers gear purchasing and rentals for most any activity from day trips like mountain biking and hiking to tent rentals and more for your overnight stays. Local cycle shops including The California Bike Factory and Clayton Bicycle center allow bike rentals and tune ups as well that will let you hit the mountain safely.
To tune up for free, visit the Concord Community Bike Shop on Salvio road. Bike Concord is a local non-profit which teaches locals and visitors how to be independent cyclists. They’ve worked hard to help the community come together and become a place where riding a bike is “easier, safer, inclusive, and fun!”
Not only does the non-profit teach cycle maintenance, but at events like the Concord-famous music and market series, they offer “Bike Valet Service.” According to the non-profit leader Smitty, “We watch your bike, we give you a ticket, and you enjoy the concert.” The team started this on a volunteer basis to make Concord events more enjoyable and sustainable for attendees.
Plus, there are some amazing spots to lock up your bike when out on the town. Check out this brand new art installation that doubles as a bike rack in front of Alpine Bakery.
Farm to Table
With a weekly farmers market, buying sustainably isn’t hard to do here. Fresh produce and more can be found at weekly open air farmers markets no matter what season we are in. It’s a great option for grocery shopping or picking up an easy snack.
With seasonal goodies and more, this safe and sustainable program allows Concord locals and visitors to enjoy the farm to table experience every week. The open air market can be found year round in a central location perfect for walking or biking to get groceries.
Eco tourism
Ecotourism is about uniting conservation, communities, and sustainable travel. Here in Concord, our state and local parks and trails are accessible and informative. With information on native species, visitors learn about the ecosystems and discover the truth about nature.
Explore the fragile, pristine, and relatively undisturbed natural areas throughout Concord and the Bay Area-- plus, do it as a low-impact and often small scale alternative to standard commercial mass tourism. Not only is it safe and healthy, it’s a great option for the planet.
Green hotel experience
Hilton Concord and Crowne Plaza Concord have been on the cutting edge of sustainability for years now-- inside and out, they strive to make every guest’s stay a green one.
Hilton Concord is the brand’s “sustainability flagship property”, in the interest of receiving local water and electric utility rebates alongside a previously-planned $10 million renovation of the building. The hotel integrated sustainability measures throughout the building and within daily operations to reduce energy consumption, lower water use and enhance recycling.
Every single lightbulb on the property has been replaced with energy efficient LED bulbs and motion detectors have been installed in 32 locations across the property. Laundry facilities were completely revamped for maximum energy efficiency – washing machines were replaced with washer-extractors, which spin fast enough that sheets come out of the machine dry and no longer need to be put in a dryer.
Every bathroom was outfitted with low flow toilets, which save an estimated 900,000 gallons of water each year. Hilton Concord’s food and beverage service installed a low temperature dishwasher to conserve water use and began using an organic waste decomposing system, which reclaims 6.5 tons of food waste per month to convert into water and send to a filtration plant for reuse. Plate and Vine, the hotel’s in-house restaurant, is well-known for serving locally-sourced and regionally-inspired cuisine.
Hilton Concord has been recognized as a leader in sustainable hospitality numerous times, including being the first hotel to be a Certified Green Business in Contra Costa County, Sustainable Contra Costa Green Building Award (2014), California Governor’s Environmental & Economic Leadership Award (2013), Platinum Member of Trip Advisor’s GreenLeaders Program and is a member of the California Green Lodging Program.
Just a mile away, the Crowne Plaza Concord has also joined the sustainability movement, led by way of the Green Engage System by InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG). This initiative is an online sustainability program available to all hotels operated by IHG. The program allows hotels to track, measure and report their utility consumption and better gauge their carbon footprint over time. This system also provides over 200 “green solutions” for hotels to adopt to their practices for greater sustainability.
Currently at level one of the Green Engage System, Crowne Plaza Concord has upgraded lights to LED bulbs throughout the hotel and has incorporated water saving devices and motion sensor HVAC units to decrease unnecessary electric and water usage. The hotel’s operations have also been overhauled to include new eco-friendly policies when serving guests and cleaning guest rooms. All monthly utility costs and updates on green initiatives that have been implemented at the Crowne Plaza Concord are tracked and reported online, then evaluated to see where further changes can be made.
Located in California's East Bay, the property is also home to many plants and animals native to the area. The Crowne Plaza Concord works to protect the natural biodiversity around the hotel by following recommendations and long term strategies for managing green spaces and keeping the disturbance of natural plants and animals to a minimum.