Dry Creek Garden

This is Dry Creek and we bid you welcome… Famed in the early 1880s for the spirit of gaiety that reigned here in festival days, guests poured in from the rural districts of the whole county to greet their friends and make merry…
And so today, we pray you to maintain with us that holiday spirit; leave care and worry behind you; enjoy the beauties of nature here in your midst; and pause for a moment in your rush through life to give thanks to the great artist who painted this ever-changing picture of the hills and fields and streams.

—Edith Meyers, of the Meyers Ranch family

Dry Creek Cottage was a popular summer home of Edith, Mildred, and Jeanette Meyers, three sisters of Alameda who were very involved in local charities and fundraisers during the early and mid 1900s. The sisters also owned the 1,200-acre Dry Creek Ranch, which was donated to the Park District in 1979 and later opened as Dry Creek Regional Park. Upon the passing of the last surviving Meyers sister, the Dry Creek Cottage and its garden was also donated to the Park District. This beautifully restored garden and cottage sits at the end of May Road off Mission Boulevard in Hayward, and provide access to trails at the south end of Dry Creek Regional Park, which is adjacent to Garin Regional Park.

In addition to restoring the garden, pathways were rebuilt and footbridges were reconstructed over the creek, and a new parking area was built. The two-acre garden is home to nearly 200 native and exotic plants, with something in bloom just about every day of the year.

The Park District plans to eventually open the cottage for receptions, weddings, and similar events, and will also house a small visitor center inside.

The garden is open to the public every Thursday and the first Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The parking lot is open all week until dusk, offering easy access to the park's southern trails.