Shadow Cliffs Regional Park is a regional park on the border of Pleasanton, California, and Livermore, California that is part of the East Bay Regional Parks system on Stanley Blvd. The lake was once a gravel pit, but now includes a sandy beach with swimming, waterslides and it supports fishing and recreational boating. The park is also a popular picnic ground.

A haven for swimming and fishing can be found at Shadow Cliffs, only a mile from downtown Pleasanton on Stanley Boulevard. Shadow Cliffs, formerly a gravel quarry, was donated to the Park District by Kaiser Industries and opened as a park in 1971. Its assessed value of $250,000 was used to obtain a matching grant for development of the park from the U.S. Bureau of Outdoor Recreation. With this start, the Park District has developed a 266-acre park including an 80-acre lake and ample parking and picnic grounds. There are facilities for persons with disabilities. Besides the main lake, Shadow Cliffs has an arroyo with a chain of smaller lakes and ponds. No swimming or boating is allowed here; the shady areas and quiet waters make for a peaceful retreat on hot summer days.

Photos Courtesy Biju Joseph