East Bay Walls

East Bay Walls are stone structures found throughout the East Bay region that were built without mortar using locally gathered materials. They vary widely in length and in the size of stones used, ranging from small rocks to massive boulders.

The walls were built between 1850 and 1880 as American settlers began populating the region and preparing the land for farming and ranching. They were a practical result of the need to mark property boundaries and manage livestock.

The walls show how early settlers made use of the land and marked their presence in the region. Today visitors can see how these structures fit into the landscape and what role they played for the communities that built them.

The walls can be seen at several accessible locations, including Ed R. Levin County Park and Mission Peak Regional Preserve. The best way to explore them is by hiking through the hills where they appear at many points along the routes.

The walls extend across a large area and have been found in many different parts of northern California, showing that this building style was widespread among settlers. This broad distribution suggests that communities independently developed the same practical solutions for their needs.