Photo above: Iron Horse Regional Trail near San Ramon, California, May 2024. Mx. Granger, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Plenty, especially outdoors. San Ramon has 59 city parks, more than 4 miles of the paved Iron Horse Trail, ridge hikes with views of Mount Diablo, a working historic farm, and City Center Bishop Ranch for shopping, dinner and a movie (City of San Ramon, Parks and Trail Map pages, checked September 25, 2026).
Here is where to go, what’s on the calendar this fall, and what you won’t find here.
Where are the best parks in San Ramon?
Start with the big three. The city lists 59 parks, open dawn to dusk, with lighted fields and courts open until 10 p.m. when the lights are on (City of San Ramon, Parks page, checked September 25, 2026).
- Central Park, 12501 Alcosta Boulevard. A 40.8-acre community park with fields, a baseball and softball field, picnic areas you can reserve, and a play fountain. The San Ramon Community Center sits at the same address.
- Rancho San Ramon Community Park, 1998 Rancho Park Loop Road. 22.89 acres in Dougherty Valley with lighted fields and a splash pad.
- Memorial Park, Bollinger Canyon Road at San Ramon Valley Boulevard. 16.3 acres with a ball field and a fenced dog park with separate large and small dog areas. Its name honors the victims and heroes of the September 11 attacks.
Park details from each park’s City of San Ramon page, checked September 25, 2026. Call (925) 973-3333 to reserve a picnic spot.
Where can I walk, run or bike?
The Iron Horse Trail is the spine. It runs the length of San Ramon, 4.24 miles on the city’s Iron Horse Trail page and 4.5 miles on its trail map page, as part of East Bay Regional Park District’s regional trail from Pleasanton to Concord. It is flat, paved and wheelchair accessible (City of San Ramon, Trail Map and Information page, checked September 25, 2026). Since July 19, 2025, a bridge carries the trail over Bollinger Canyon Road (City of San Ramon news, July 2025).
Want hills instead? The Dougherty Valley Ridge Trail starts on Timbercreek Road, tops out around 850 feet of elevation along the Dougherty Hills and ends at Bollinger Canyon Road, 2.71 miles rated hard, with views across the valley to Mount Diablo (same city page). Shorter options include the Annabel Trail around Annabel Lake inside Bishop Ranch and the flat, paved Cross Valley Trail, which connects to the Iron Horse Trail.
One heads up: cattle graze the open space near the Tassajara Ridge and Dougherty Valley Ridge trails, and most calves are born August through November. The city asks hikers to keep distance and keep dogs leashed (City of San Ramon, Trails and Open Space page, checked September 25, 2026).
Where do people go for shopping, food and a movie?
City Center Bishop Ranch, at 6000 Bollinger Canyon Road. It has shops, restaurants and THE LOT cinema, and is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, with some venues open later (City Center Bishop Ranch, checked September 25, 2026).
On Saturdays the San Ramon Farmers Market sets up there with more than 70 growers, food makers and small businesses. It runs 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. year-round. The market started in 2006 at Forest Home Farms, moved to Bishop Ranch in 2011 and relaunched at City Center in 2019 (San Ramon Farmers Market, checked September 25, 2026).
What is Forest Home Farms?
A 16-acre historic park that preserves the San Ramon Valley’s farm history, including the Glass House Museum and a tractor museum. It is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed on federal holidays (City of San Ramon, Forest Home Farms Historic Park page, checked September 25, 2026).
Free “Fun on the Farm” crafts and activities run most Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (City of San Ramon, Forest Home Farms Events page, checked September 25, 2026). Farming here goes back a long way: the Bishop Ranch pear orchard, started in 1911, was known as the largest single orchard of Bartlett pears in the world (City of San Ramon, San Ramon Facts page, checked September 24, 2026).
What events are coming up in San Ramon?
Here is what’s on the calendar from October 10 through December 2026. Confirm times with the host before you go.
| Date | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, October 10 | Indigenous Peoples’ Day at the farm | Forest Home Farms |
| Thursday, October 15 | Third Thursday Arts and Eats, last one of the season (art, food trucks, outdoor evening) | Dougherty Station Community Arts Center, 17011 Bollinger Canyon Road |
| Thursday, October 22 | Personal Emergency Preparedness class, free, all welcome | San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District |
| Saturday, October 24 | Trick or Treat on the Farm, come in costume | Forest Home Farms |
| Saturday, December 5 | Bah Humbug 5K, costume run; roads near Bishop Ranch close 6:30 to 11 a.m. | Alcosta Boulevard, Camino Ramon and Executive Parkway area |
| Saturday, December 12 | Holiday on the Farm: Santa, ornament making, a puppet show | Forest Home Farms |
Sources: City of San Ramon News and Info Update, September 16, 2026; Forest Home Farms Events page; Fitness Races page (all checked September 25, 2026). If you live along the Bah Humbug route, the city lists every closed lane on its Fitness Races page.
Where can I see a show or take a class?
Two city venues cover most of it. The Dougherty Valley Performing Arts Center at 10550 Albion Road hosts touring and local shows, with tickets through the city’s box office at tickets.sanramon.ca.gov. The Dougherty Station Community Arts Center at 17011 Bollinger Canyon Road runs classes and the Third Thursday evenings (City of San Ramon News and Info Update, September 16, 2026).
For everything else, the city’s Fall 2026 Recreation Guide lists classes and camps, with registration at sanramonrecguide.com or in person at the San Ramon Community Center, 12501 Alcosta Boulevard (City of San Ramon, Recreation Guide: Fall 2026, checked September 25, 2026).
What won’t I find in San Ramon?
A historic downtown or a late-night scene. San Ramon’s main gathering spot is City Center, whose posted hours end at 7 p.m., though some venues stay open later. For an older main street, Pleasanton’s historic downtown is the nearest (City of Pleasanton, Historic Downtown Pleasanton page). San Ramon also has no BART station, so a night in San Francisco or Oakland starts with a drive or a bus to Walnut Creek or Dublin.
Questions people also ask
Does San Ramon have a downtown?
Not a historic one. San Ramon’s town center is City Center Bishop Ranch at 6000 Bollinger Canyon Road, with shops, restaurants and THE LOT cinema. It is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, per City Center Bishop Ranch, checked September 25, 2026. The Saturday farmers market is held there too.
How long is the Iron Horse Trail in San Ramon?
A little over 4 miles. The city’s Iron Horse Trail page says 4.24 miles and its Trail Map and Information page says 4.5 miles, both checked September 25, 2026. It is part of East Bay Regional Park District’s Iron Horse Regional Trail between Pleasanton and Concord. The trail is flat and paved, dog friendly, and crosses Bollinger Canyon Road on a bridge that opened July 19, 2025.
When is the San Ramon farmers market?
Every Saturday at City Center Bishop Ranch, 6000 Bollinger Canyon Road. The market has run since 2006 and brings more than 70 growers, food makers and small businesses, according to the San Ramon Farmers Market’s website, checked September 25, 2026. Hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., year-round.
Are there dog parks in San Ramon?
Yes. Memorial Park at Bollinger Canyon Road and San Ramon Valley Boulevard has a fenced dog area with separate spaces for large and small dogs, and Del Mar Dog Park at Del Mar Drive and Pine Valley Road is a 1.21-acre enclosed dog park, per City of San Ramon park pages checked September 25, 2026.
Your next step
Want to see which parks, trails and shops are closest to a home you like? Send us the address and we’ll map it for you. Talk to a San Ramon agent on our team or call (510) 949-5525.
More on San Ramon: Is San Ramon a good place to live? · San Ramon market update · Search San Ramon homes · What’s my home worth?
By Bill Davis, DRE #01880656, The Davis Team at eXp Realty, San Ramon, CA. Updated September 24, 2026.
Sources
- City of San Ramon, Parks page and individual park pages (Central Park, Rancho San Ramon Community Park, Memorial Park, Del Mar Dog Park): sanramon.ca.gov (checked September 25, 2026)
- City of San Ramon, Iron Horse Trail page, Trail Map and Information page and Trails and Open Space page: sanramon.ca.gov (checked September 25, 2026)
- City of San Ramon news, “Now Open: Iron Horse Trail Overcrossing at Bollinger Canyon Road,” July 2025: sanramon.ca.gov/news (checked September 25, 2026)
- City of San Ramon, News and Info Update, September 16, 2026, and Recreation Guide: Fall 2026: sanramon.ca.gov/news (checked September 25, 2026)
- City of San Ramon, Forest Home Farms Historic Park page, Forest Home Farms Events page and Fitness Races page: sanramon.ca.gov (checked September 25, 2026)
- City of San Ramon, San Ramon Facts page: sanramon.ca.gov (checked September 24, 2026)
- City Center Bishop Ranch: citycenterbishopranch.com (checked September 25, 2026)
- San Ramon Farmers Market: sanramonfarmersmarket.org (checked September 25, 2026)