Overview
Little Farm is a free working farm inside Tilden Regional Park's Nature Area, home to cows, pigs, goats, sheep, and chickens that kids can get up close to along a short fenced loop. It's one of the genuinely good free things to do in the East Bay, and the surrounding Tilden Nature Area adds Jewel Lake, easy forest trails, and the Environmental Education Center as natural extensions. Note: as of early 2025, the long-standing tradition of public hand-feeding was suspended due to avian flu precautions — leave the celery at home for now, and check the park's website for whether staff-led feeding programs are available during your visit.
How to Do It
Little Farm sits within Tilden's Nature Area, which has a separate entrance and parking lot from the Steam Trains and Merry-Go-Round. From the Grizzly Peak Boulevard side of Tilden, follow signs for the Nature Area and Environmental Education Center — not the Steam Train entrance at Lomas Cantadas. The Nature Area parking lot is free. From the lot, the Little Farm loop is a flat 2–3 minute walk on a paved path; it's wheelchair accessible and manageable with a well-behaved stroller on firm ground, though the terrain around the farm itself gets uneven. The farm loop takes 20–30 minutes to walk at a kid pace, with animals viewable from both sides of the fence at each pen. The Environmental Education Center is directly adjacent and worth a quick walkthrough, especially for the 4–7 range. Jewel Lake is a short, flat trail from the same parking lot — it's a pleasant 30-minute add-on that works for toddlers. If you want to combine with the Steam Train and Merry-Go-Round, those are a 10-minute drive to the Lomas Cantadas entrance on the south end of the park.
Tips & Tricks
The feeding ban that started in spring 2025 removed the activity that made Little Farm distinctive from any other farm viewing. Before committing to this as a primary destination, check the park's current policy at ebparks.org or call the Tilden office at 510-544-2747 — staff-led feeding programs may be available on specific days, and the ban could be lifted as avian flu risk levels change. If feeding is back on, only lettuce and celery were historically permitted, so bring a head of romaine, not random produce.
Weekend mornings get crowded by 10:30am, particularly in summer. The Nature Area parking lot is smaller than the Steam Train lot and fills up. Arriving before 10am on weekends almost always guarantees a spot; after 11am on a sunny Saturday, you may end up parking on the road and walking in.
Combine Little Farm with Jewel Lake for a morning that has real movement in it. The lake loop is flat, about 0.75 miles, and preschoolers handle it easily. The trail passes through mixed forest with a good chance of seeing ducks, turtles, and songbirds. It adds maybe 40 minutes to the visit and gives kids who want to move more than a farm loop a chance to stretch.
The farm is open daily and free year-round, which makes it easy to fold into any Tilden day — before or after Lake Anza swimming in summer, or as a standalone morning in the off-season when the lake is closed. The Berkeley Hills location means it stays cool even in late summer; bring a light layer.
Planning
Free, no reservation required, open daily during park hours (5am–10pm). Parking is free in the Nature Area lot. No food or snacks available on-site — pack everything. No café nearby at the Nature Area entrance; the Steam Train area has a small concession. The Environmental Education Center adjacent to the farm is free and open Tuesday–Sunday; naturalist programs run on weekend mornings and are worth checking the schedule for. Steam Train at the Lomas Cantadas entrance runs year-round on weekends and holidays (11am–6pm), and daily in summer from mid-June through Labor Day ($4/ride or $16 for 5 rides). Merry-Go-Round is at the same end of the park and operates Thursday–Sunday. Works for all ages 1 and up; the 1–4 range gets the most from the animal viewing even without feeding, and older kids appreciate combining with the lake trail.
