Parks & Recreation
The City of Hayward does not administer its own parks. Luckily, we have exceptional partners who manage our extensive array of top-quality parks and open spaces: the Hayward Area Recreation and Park District and East Bay Regional Parks.
Hayward Area Recreation and Park District
The Hayward Area Recreation and Park District, known locally as “H.A.R.D.," is an independent special use district providing park and recreation services for more than 275,000 residents, making it the largest district of its kind in the state of California. The district serves not only Hayward, but also the unincorporated communities of Castro Valley, San Lorenzo, Ashland, Cherryland and Fairview.
H.A.R.D. provides residents with beautiful facilities and parks, many of which have received national and state recognition for their design, innovation and beauty, as well as hundreds of educational and recreational classes and programs.
The Hayward Area Recreation and Park District maintains over 30 parks and trails in Hayward, as well as playground areas and playing fields at local schools. The following HARD facilities are also in Hayward:
- Hayward Shoreline Interpretative Center
- Japanese Gardens
- Rowell Ranch
- Sulfur Creek Nature Center
- Mission Hills Golf Course
East Bay Regional Parks
manages 65 regional parks and 120,000 acres of space throughout the East Bay, including the pristine Hayward Regional Shoreline, Pioneer Dry Creek Regional Park and Garin Park, nestled in the Hayward Hills. Cull Canyon Regional Park and Don Castro Park are both within minutes of incorporated Hayward.
