The Long Way
Alameda County
A crowded beach with people swimming and playing in the sand by a lake.
Plate I. Swimmers and beachgoers at Shadow Cliffs Swim Beach. From ebparks.org
Several geese graze on a grassy park area with picnic tables in the background.
Plate II. Picnic area, Shadow Cliffs Regional Recreation Area. From visittrivalley.com
A view of a lake and hills under a blue sky.
Plate III. Lake view, Shadow Cliffs Swim Beach. Photograph by Mrfoogles, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A dirt path winds through grassy hills and low vegetation under a clear blue sky.
Plate IV. Trails and landscape at Shadow Cliffs. Photograph by Mx. Granger, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Shadow Cliffs Swim Beach

Pleasanton, Alameda County, California. Regional Recreation Area.

Details

Map. Pleasanton, Alameda County, California. Larger map
Where
2500 Stanley Boulevard, Pleasanton, CA 94566. Directions
When
November - February: 7am-5pm March - April: 6am-7pm May - Labor Day: 6am-9pm After Labor Day - October: 6am-7pm.
Season
Shadow Cliffs Swimming will reopen for the swim season in 2027.
Getting there
From I-580 in Pleasanton: take the Santa Rita Road/Tassajara Road Exit and turn south, towards Pleasanton.
Fees
Parking: $5 per vehicle $5 per trailered vehicle $25 per bus.
Access
There is a Caution Advisory posted for blue-green algae at Shadow Cliffs.
Walk-in or reserve
Once the swim facility capacity is reached, there will be no new entries allowed for the remainder of the day (or at the discretion of the Park Supervisor), for the safety of the public.
Phone
888-327-2757
Managed by
East Bay Regional Park District.
Established
1971.
Coordinates
37.66944, -121.83944.

A haven for swimming and fishing can be found at Shadow Cliffs, only a mile from downtown Pleasanton on Stanley Boulevard.

Notable Events

  1. 1968East Bay Regional Park District acquired the land that became Shadow Cliffs. pleasantonweekly.com
  2. 1971Shadow Cliffs opened as a Park District park. ebparks.org
  3. 2007The waterslide expansion project was officially abandoned after its investors withdrew and its financing dried up. pleasantonweekly.com
  4. 2017Solar panels, electric-car charging stations, a recycled water line, and native trees were installed at Shadow Cliffs. ebparks.org

People

  • Glenn Kierstead, owned and developed the Rapids Waterslide.

Sources

  1. ebparks.org/recreation/swimming/shadow-cliffs
  2. ebparks.org/recreation/swimming
  3. ebparks.org/parks/shadow-cliffs
  4. ebparks.org/natural-resources/water-quality/blue-green-algae
  5. ebparks.org/sites/default/files/stw_SC_Current_Cond30.pdf
  6. ebparks.org/parks/shadow-cliffs
  7. pleasantonweekly.com/news/2011/02/20/say-goodbye-to-the-water-slides-at-shadow-cliffs