5 Bay Area Parks to Visit this Native American Heritage Month

November is National Native American Heritage Month, an ideal time to deepen your understanding of Indigenous communities close to home. There are endless opportunities to learn more, and any action that fosters a greater sense of respect, gratitude, and solidarity is worthwhile in our book. If indoorsy learning is your thing, you might delve into a reading list, webinar, or other educational content that illuminates Native cultures, experiences, and perspectives. But what if you’re interested in ​outdoor, experiential ​learning? For those seeking a more immersive option, respectfully exploring local natural spaces can be incredibly rewarding.

Many local parks and preserves offer​ visitors educational​ materials about the local tribes who have lived here for centuries. Spending time in these spaces can help you connect physically and spiritually with the environment, gaining a deeper, more nuanced understanding of the land we all share.

The land in POST’s working area has been home to many distinct communities of Native people since time immemorial. We work to conserve and care for these lands — the ancestral territory of at least four contemporary Indigenous communities: the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, Muwekma Ohlone, Ramaytush Ohlone, and Tamien Nation. These groups have survived centuries of oppression and displacement, and are the past, present and future caretakers of this land. Learn more here.

5 Bay Area Parks

1. Coyote Hills Regional Park

Fremont

Coyote Hills, known as Máyyan Šaatošikma, is the ancestral homeland of the ​​Tuibun Ohlone peoples. Throughout the park, trail markers include place names in the original Chochenyo language. At the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe’s request, the East Bay Park District updated these 35 trail markers in November 2022. The park grounds also preserve 2,000-year-old ​​shellmound sites, which are near the trails but closed to the public. Take time to reflect on their significance while exploring the hillside paths or walking along the boardwalk through the marshland.  

If you enjoy educational exhibits, peruse the ​Coyote Hills Visitor Center before or after your hike. The center features displays about the Ohlone way of life, the park’s natural history, and its wildlife. One highlight is a tule reed boat, which park staff and volunteers constructed using Native methods. 

Coyote Hills Trail Map

2. Sierra Azul Preserve

Los Gatos

Did you know that Umunhum means Place of the Hummingbird in the Mutsun language? The hummingbird is a central figure in the creation story in some Native belief systems. ​Mount Umunhum, one of the highest peaks in the Santa Cruz Mountains, is a sacred site where local Tribes have long held ceremonial circles. Before opening the summit to the public in 2017, our friends at Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District partnered with the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band to develop a ceremonial space and interpretive displays there.

There are multiple ways to experience the splendor of Mount Umunhum. There’s an audio tour you can follow at your own pace on site or in the comfort of home. You can drive to the summit and enjoy ADA-accessible pathways and 360-degree views. You can also hike to (or from) the peak on the multi-use Mount Umunhum Trail, which winds along mixed chaparral scrub, knobcone pine forests, and rocky cliffs.

Sierra Azul Kennedy-Limekiln Loop Trail

3. Chitactac-Adams Heritage County Park

Gilroy

Long before Spanish colonization, this stretch of valley was home to a Mutsun village. The abundant nearby foothills, creeks, grasslands, and marshes made it an ideal place to live. Ascension Solarsano, one of the last native speakers of the Mutsun language, identified the site as Chitactac, which translates to the big dance place. 

At this park, you can explore a short, scenic trail with signs in English and Spanish. You’ll read about village life, ​bedrock mortars, colonization’s impact, and the nearby Uvas Creek. At an interpretive shelter, learn about village social structures, trade networks, language, and traditional Indigenous uses for local plants. An authentic ​petroglyph dating back thousands of years is on display. Guided tours are available for schools and community groups by reservation. 

Chitactac-Adams Park Map

4. Bear Creek Redwoods

Los Gatos

Archeological evidence shows that Ohlone people spent ample time in Bear Creek Redwoods. With its redwood forest, oak woodland, and grassy foothills, this site may have been optimal for seasonal camps and hunting or gathering trips. In addition to bedrock mortars used for food processing, stone flakes remain from creating chiseled tools like arrowheads and spearheads.  

Here, you can explore a short, self-guided interpretive trail that circumnavigates Upper Lake near the parking lot. At the second stop, check out a display of boulders featuring mortars where Ohlone people prepared acorns, hard seeds, nuts, berries, meats, and fish using smaller stones. Over generations, these deep holes formed. The seven remaining stops on the tour highlight local species, natural and human history, and more.​ Get an even more comprehensive overview of Bear Creek Redwood’s cultural history with their interactive online experience!

Bear Creek Redwoods Alma Trail Map​

5. San Vicente Redwoods

Near Davenport

At POST-Protected San Vicente Redwoods, you can learn more about how local tribes used low-intensity fire to aid the forest system. This forest is in the ancestral homeland of the Awaswas, and today the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band are among the conservation partners collaborating to steward this landscape and survey its history. “It’s important to the Amah Mutsun to ensure the Awaswas ancestors are honored and never forgotten,” said Tribal Band Chair, Valentin Lopez, in a 2022 news article. For Tribal members, this work is not only good land stewardship, it’s a way of reconnecting with what indigenous communities have lost. Chairman Lopez says, “It is still our responsibility to protect and steward this forest.” 

To recognize the people who inhabited and stewarded these lands for millennia, the names of the five trails are in the Awaswas language. One trail is mȃ-rŭs (panther), for example, and another is hai-min’ (lizard).​ Please note that a trail pass is required to visit San Vicente Redwoods, so please plan ahead.​ 

San Vicente Redwoods Trail Map​

HOW TO VISIT SPACES RESPECTFULLY 

Here are some guidelines to follow when visiting spaces that are sacred or significant to local Native communities, which may include all of the Land. Remember, these sites may have ties to ceremony, violence, birth, death, or other events.

• Leave no trace, and appreciate from afar. Don’t touch or otherwise disturb mortars, petroglyphs, or other artifacts.  

• Pack out your trash and stay on the trail so that you do not destroy natural resources like plants or contribute to erosion. 

• Remember that each tribe has a unique culture and community with its own customs and codes of conduct. Make sure you understand the cultural history and spiritual significance of a site before you visit.  

• Give respectful distance to any ceremonies that you may encounter. Unless you are explicitly invited to participate in a ceremony, assume that the space is not for you. 

• Read signs and listen to guides to ensure you understand any rules for navigating the space.