Bret Harte, an American writer and poet, known for his short stories, Gamblers and other California Gold Rush figures have existed next to what was later Danville.

The Bryant Ranch connected Danville and its surrounding hills in the present day.

According to his story “A Legend of Mount Diablo,” Bret Harte is reported to have climbed to the top of Mount Diablo while in the area.

Bret Harte subsequently went on to write other popular short stories including “Luck of

In 1870 Roaring Camp and in 1892 “A First Family in the Tassajara Valley”. 

In 1931, the Women’s Farm Bureau formed a committee to honor Bret Harte ‘s contribution to the San Ramon Valley, establishing the “Bret Harte Memorial Park” at the junction of Diablo, Danville and Sycamore Roads and planting trees in the newly developed park. Bret Harte Park came under its authority when Danville was incorporated and has been extensively refurbished recently. The Bret Harte Park is a Contra Costa County cultural feature (park). It has an altitude of 116 metres. Bret Harte Park is located just south of Alamo Oaks, near the Vista Grande School.

This park is a charming, walkable suburban neighborhood in Marin County, near San Rafael’s southern border. The earliest dwellings date from the late 1930s. The area, with plentiful green space, tree-lined streets and the underground bootleg trail, is tucked into the hillside. It includes Bret Harte Park-the social center of the community-and a variety of families calling home to Bret Harte.

This is a beautiful park, located near the elementary school. It has extra parking, and a waiting area for pickup from school. It is an easy way to save time during school holidays and not fight for spots in the school lot. The park needs benches to sit on, since it is basically just a parking area, as it is. It’s tiny but it would be good to wait for parents to let their smaller kids play while waiting to get the others out of school. Definitely a nice park for children and parents!

Parks may consist of grassy areas, rocks, soil and trees but may also include buildings and other objects such as statues, fountains or playground structures. Most parks have playing fields like baseball and football, and paved areas for sports like basketball. Many parks have walking paths, bike trails, and other activities. Urban parks also have sitting benches which can have picnic tables which barbecue grills. 


By Jon ‘ShakataGaNai’ Davis, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3177569

This amazing park is located near the following amazing sites in Danville, California:

  • Greenbrook School Park
  • Danville South Park
  • Oak Hill Park
  • Osage Station Park
  • Sycamore Valley Park
  • Hap Magee Ranch Park
  • Diablo Vista Park
  • Red Willow Park

All of these wonderful parks are located just a short distance from our location located at 3600 Camino Tassajara! Stop by for a visit anytime!