The East Bay Regional Park District is expanding its transition to a cashless system for on-site fee collection at five additional parks, with changes taking effect April 29, 2026, plus a 30-day grace period.
Under the cashless model, all major credit cards and tap-to-pay methods will be accepted for a range of park user fees where applicable, including parking, boating, and daily fishing permits. The change comes just ahead of the busier summer season, and visitors are encouraged to come prepared for cashless entry.
The parks transitioning to cashless operations are:
- Ardenwood Historic Farm, Fremont
- Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area, Castro Valley
- Don Castro Regional Recreation Area, Hayward
- Diablo Foothills Regional Park, Walnut Creek
- Temescal Regional Recreation Area, Oakland
These locations join Roberts Regional Recreation Area in Oakland, Crown Memorial State Beach in Alameda, and Quarry Lakes Regional Recreation Area in Fremont, which went cashless in recent years.
The shift to cashless fee collection is designed to improve operational efficiency. Over time, the Park District will become cashless at all facilities that have the infrastructure to do so. Visitors should review an individual park’s webpage before traveling to confirm the fee payment process at that park. Go to ebparks.org and choose from the drop-down menu at the top to select a park by name. (On mobile, tap the three horizontal lines in the top-right to open the drop-down park menu.)
Individuals who want to pay in cash can purchase an annual membership to the Regional Parks Foundation (510-544-2220, regionalparksfoundation.org). The regular membership benefits include free parking at all Regional Parks, among other perks.
Not all Regional Parks charge user fees. Of the 23 that do, they collectively generate $5.7 million annually, which is 2% of the Park District’s operating budget. User fees help offset the operational costs of maintaining safe public access to the parklands.
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The East Bay Regional Park District is the largest regional park system in the nation, comprising 73 parks, 55 miles of shoreline, and over 1,330 miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and environmental education. The Park District receives an estimated 30 million visits annually throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties in the San Francisco Bay Area.
