Dinosaur Hill is most beautiful at sunset, in late fall. The park boasts an amazing view over the East Bay and Mount Diablo. 

Residents familiar with Dinosaur Hill may remember when half of Dinosaur Hill’s 13 acres was charred to a crisp by fire in the 1980’s. Today, hillside vegetation management is a standard to mitigate fires.

How did the Dinosaur Hill Park get that name?

Some people suggest that dinosaur bones were found here. Some say that the hillside resembles a sleeping Apatosaurus. Well, if we were to break down the word dinosaur, it comes from two Greek words: deinos- which means terrible, powerful, and wondrous. And “-sauros” means lizard. 

The park is certainly has lots of dinosaur-like rock formations and a powerful and wondrous indeed with sweeping views of Pleasant Hill so not surprising. Yet is still has a bit of a mysteriousness and grand lore associated with it.

But, the reality of its name is a bit more mundane. The park received its name as part of a Citywide contest in 1964. A Pleasant Hill student was inspired by a tree trunk that lay in the form of a large reptile and submitted the winning name of Dinosaur Hill. 

Dinosaur Hill Park is owned and managed by Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District