Iron Horse Regional Trail

This multi-use, whole-access trail between the cities of Concord and Pleasanton follows the Southern Pacific Railroad right-of-way established in 1891 and abandoned in 1978. The completed Iron Horse Regional Trail, as of 2014, spans a distance of 32 miles. The latest segment of the Trail, which closed a gap of 1.8 miles from the Pleasanton/Dublin BART station to Santa Rita Road in Pleasanton, opened to the public on August 19th, 2014, after almost 30 years of planning and funding efforts. Representing interagency cooperation and a community-wide effort by individuals and groups, this trail creates an important recreational and commute component for the communities it serves. The trail connects residential and commercial areas, business parks, schools, public transportation (BART, County Connection), open space and parks, regional trails, and community facilities.

The developed Iron Horse Trail begins in Concord near Highway 4. It runs south through Walnut Creek and crosses eastward under I-680 at Rudgear Road near a Park & Ride. From there the trail passes through a rural/residential area to connect with downtown Alamo and the Alamo Square shopping center. Continuing south, the trail follows a greenbelt through residential areas and into downtown Danville. It takes a jog across Danville Boulevard, passes back under I-680, and continues south past Pine Valley Road to the county line in San Ramon extending to the Dublin/Pleasanton BART and further on to Shadow Cliffs Regional Recreation Area. Eventually, the Iron Horse Regional Trail will continue extending to cover a distance of about 55 miles, connecting 12 cities from Livermore in Alameda County to Suisun Bay in Contra Costa County.