Tucked away in a beautiful 10-acre canyon, Sulphur Creek Nature Center in Hayward is an animal welfare oasis perfect for little kids to get up close with animals. The mission of the Center is to care for and rehabilitate wild animals, while also doubling as an educational center for the public (fun fact: the site was a wellness retreat before 1970). Pack a lunch and enjoy a late morning of gazing at birds of prey, foxes, coyotes, and slithery snakes. It’s peaceful, low-stress, and oh, and the best part? It’s free!
Sulphur Creek Nature Center for Little Kids
In the outdoor space at Sulphur Creek, animals are on display — ducks, chickens, rabbits, foxes, coyotes, ravens, hawks, owls, and eagles — each with a placard that teaches guests about the species. You can get pretty close to the enclosures and watch the animals go about their day, sometimes even catching them enjoying a snack (sometimes small dead animals so be ready for that conversation) or playing around.
There are several friendly Naturalists at Sulphur Creek to greet young guests and chat about the animals. Scheduled thematic educational events a few times a month for kids ages 4-12 are listed on the website. Check the Activity Registration page for more details >
Pro tip: Bring a lunch – we grabbed sandwiches at Luccas Italian Deli – for this half-day trip as there are ample lunch tables, trees to provide shade, and space to run around (beware of hiking the path up the hill like we did as there is poison oak).
After seeing all the outdoor animals, head into the Discovery Center, where you’ll meet more animals — snakes, a newt, frogs — and learn about different animal nests, compare skulls, and much more. Although Sulphur Creek Nature Center isn’t big, it’ll keep kids busy as there’s a cute little reading nook with toys, as well as child-level viewing windows to see the animals. As more staff are hired, the hope is to have docents available to bring animals out for show and tell and petting.
Find lots more places for kids to get close to animals >
Plan your visit to Sulphur Creek Nature Center:
Address: 1801 D Street, Hayward, CA
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday 10 am to 4 pm; Closed Monday
Parking and Admission: FREE
Food: Bring snacks/lunch. Plenty of tables to enjoy a meal.
Bathrooms: Yes, and really very clean, with a changing table.
Shade: Yes, plenty, including by the lunch tables
Stroller Friendly: There are quite a few stairs down from the parking lot, but once you’re in the Center it’s flat and stroller-friendly.
Dogs: Not allowed
Playground: No, but this incredible playground is only about a 10-minute drive away
Birthday Parties at Sulphur Creek
One of my first thoughts on our visit was how perfect the place was for a preschool birthday party. Luckily, Sulphur Creek is available for “Wild Things Birthday Parties” by request, too. The parties are two and a half hours with a one-hour expert-led activity for your group.
Party Fee: $235 residents/$295 non-residents.
The Bottom Line on Sulphur Creek Nature Center
Sulphur Creek Nature Center is a sweet, low-key, accessible, and engaging place for little kids. You can wander around on a self-guided tour, or chat with a Naturalist to learn a bit more. You might only spend 20 minutes there since it’s small, or maybe your toddler will fall in love with the wily foxes and the reading nook and you’ll find several hours have passed. Either way, it’s free, so you’ll feel great no matter what. Add on a trip to a playground or a swim in the summer for a full-day trip.
1 thought on “Half-day Trip: Sulphur Creek Nature Center in Hayward”
We love sulfur creek. It’s also a great place for a hike. There is a small loop on the big hill that the kids love. Its all fenced in and the kids and you can’t get lost. It’s a great first beginner hike that take about 10 minutes. Then the kids like to do it on their own. Watch out for poison oak off the trail.