Golden Hours in Coyote Hills

Coyote Hills Regional Park is a compelling landscape of contrasting ecosystems. It faces west towards the San Francisco Bay, northeast of Fremont and Newark, overlooking what once were evaporation ponds for industrial salt production. The high hills and lack of development give uninterrupted views of the park's varied features, rolling grassy hills dotted with rocky outcroppings and oaks, and miles of marshland. The ponds still fill with water annually and evaporate, leaving a surreal landscape, the ground encrusted with salt and minerals. Much of the park is now wildlife refuge, a biannual stopping place for millions of migratory birds.  

We visited the park earlier in 2015 when it was still green and came back to explore and document as the terrain had changed so much after just a few more months of drought.

We brought with us a stash of our Spring clothing samples, a cooler of snacks and libations and some of our favorite friends.

As the golden hour started to flash, we felt in awe of our bountiful and beautiful coastline, thankful for our friendships, and very very hopeful for rain.

Thank you to our amazing crew of ladies who rallied and made it all the way out to this surreal park in the South Bay for this magical day.

And thank you to the amazing Terri Loewenthal who took the photos.

We needed rain

We wished for drops

We danced for water

We sang for rain

We searched for clouds

We called out for quenching

We waited for the rain to come

 - Amber Leigh