El Sobrante is a small, unincorporated community of 12,000 residents in the Sobrante Valley, surrounded by Richmond, San Pablo, Pinole and public parklands. Architecture styles include new developments along with ranch style homes, some with horse properties. Early in the last century, ranchers settled along a single road running through the valley floor alongside San Pablo Creek. Over time, ranches were subdivided into smaller farms and ranches and lots for home-building, resulting in a semi-rural environment. When developers began to urbanize the remaining ranches with small, city-sized lots, residents fought back to block or scale back developments. Today, El Sobrante still retains its unique semi-rural culture.

El Sobrante has easy access to regional parks, including the popular Clark Trail, which passes by the largest Sargent Cypress tree in California and takes hikers, bicyclists and horseback riders into Wildcat Canyon Park. Each May, the community hosts a story-telling festival. Residents and visitors may also notice the Gurdwara Sahib Temple, a Sikh temple with large golden domes in the hills above San Pablo Dam Road.

Learn more in local newspapers: Contra Costa Times.