 
Pleasanton is a family-oriented community with numerous parks and recreation facilities and programs. In addition to all the opportunities for sports that the region’s countryside provides, there are many sporting clubs and facilities in Pleasanton. There are excellent public swimming pools with infant pools and programs for kids. There are numerous tennis courts throughout the region, including the Pleasanton Tennis Complex.
Try out a 21-mile, cross-country bike ride from Dublin to Martinez, or traverse up a mountain like Augustin Bernal Park in Pleasanton, standing at 1,600 feet. If you like a challenge, try Mount Diablo (“Devil’s Mountain”), gazing down from 3,849 feet. You will be well rewarded at the top with an outstanding view of the surrounding East Bay Area.
Naturalists will love to explore the local fauna and flora, including the endangered red-legged frog, eagles, hawks, coyotes, rattlesnakes, and occasionally the elusive mountain lion. Rangers are happy to answer any questions and there are always great classes for kids
The East Bay Regional Park system, spanning 96,000 acres across Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, provides over 65 parks and 29 regional inter-park trails. Boating, swimming, windsurfing and fishing are a stone’s throw away at Shadow Cliffs Park in Pleasanton. Facilities include BBQ sites, boat launches, fishing license purchase and roped-off swimming areas. There are excellent hiking, horse riding and off-road cycling opportunities, from a gentle stroll through Sycamore Grove in Livermore, to a hike through the wilderness at Sunol Regional Park.
Downtown Pleasanton is the heart of the community -- the setting for festivals, street parties, parades, weekly summer concerts, Saturday farmer's market and other special events. Downtown also offers some of the finest dining and shopping in the Tri-Valley. Pleasanton is also home to the Alameda County Fairgrounds which hosts statewide and regional events, as well as the annual Alameda County Fair.
The schools have taken the lead in offering many new ethnic and cultural classes along with other progressive programs which have resulted in the State of California naming both of its comprehensive high schools, all three of its middle schools, and seven out of its nine elementary schools to the elite list of "California Distinguished Schools". Several Pleasanton schools have also been named as National Blue Ribbon Schools, and one school was named a National School of Character, one of only 10 in the nation.
|