Fuel Up and Explore: A Local's Guide to DoubleTime Locations and the Best Things to Do in Hayward, CA
Hayward sits in the flatlands and foothills of the East Bay, wedged between the San Francisco Bay shoreline and the Hayward hills. It rarely gets the attention paid to its bigger neighbors up and down Interstate 880.
That's part of the appeal. This is a city where a Saturday can start with fog rolling off nearly 1,800 acres of tidal marsh, move through a downtown built around a City Hall plaza and a weekly farmers market, and end in a Japanese garden that predates most of the state's better-known ones. If you're looking for things to do in Hayward, CA, there's more here than the freeway lets on.
DoubleTime is a familiar stop for Hayward drivers commuting along Hesperian Boulevard and Jackson Street. The stations are independently owned and operated, with fuel supply and branding support from Double AA Corporation, see the company's About page for background on how that relationship works.
This guide covers where to find DoubleTime in Hayward, plus the best nearby parks, history, and local spots worth the detour.
Hayward sits along the BART line and I-880, roughly midway between Oakland and Fremont, an easy stop whether you're passing through on a longer Bay Area trip or based locally and looking for a change of scenery for an afternoon. The city's flat western half runs down to the bay, while the eastern edge climbs into the Hayward hills, home to California State University, East Bay and a handful of regional parks. That layout shows up again in the list below, since most of what's worth seeing sits at one end of that stretch or the other.
Things to Do in Hayward, CA
Hayward's attractions cluster into a few distinct pockets of the city, a bayside stretch of marsh and trail, a compact civic downtown, a wildlife center tucked into the hills, and a broader network of independently owned local businesses. None of it requires much driving.
Shoreline and Gardens
Best for: walkers, birdwatchers, and a quiet afternoon outdoors
Hayward Regional Shoreline, roughly 1,800 acres of former salt ponds, tidal marsh, and seasonal wetlands managed by the East Bay Regional Park District, with flat trails connecting to the San Francisco Bay Trail. Cogswell Marsh, restored to tidal action in 1980, draws large numbers of shorebirds during spring and fall migration. There's little shade along the levees, so bring a hat. Closest DoubleTime: 28250 Hesperian Blvd. Plan a visit at ebparks.org.
The shoreline has multiple access points, Grant Avenue and West Winton Avenue are the two main staging areas, so it's worth picking whichever is closest to your starting DoubleTime rather than defaulting to the first entrance a map app suggests. Dogs aren't allowed south of the West Winton Avenue flood control channel, and picnicking is welcome, though there are no tables, bring a blanket.
The restored wetlands here are also a reminder of how much of the East Bay shoreline has shifted from industrial use toward habitat over the years, a shift echoed in Double AA Corporation's own sustainability initiatives, which include renewable fuel supply across parts of its distribution network.
Hayward Japanese Gardens, maintained by the Hayward Area Recreation and Park District on North Third Street next to the Hayward Senior Center. Dedicated in 1980 and often cited as the oldest traditional-style Japanese garden in California, the 3.5-acre site has a koi pond, a teahouse, and stonework built with no visible fasteners or wood stain. Admission is free; open daily 8:30am–4pm. Closest DoubleTime: 365 Jackson St or 210 W Jackson St. Details at haywardrec.org.
The garden was designed by landscape architect Kimio Kimura and uses California native stone and plantings alongside more than 70 traditional Japanese species, including black pine, mondo grass, and rhododendron. It doubles as a small wedding venue on weekend evenings, so it's worth checking ahead if you want a fully quiet visit.
Downtown History and Civic Hayward
Best for: a slower afternoon on foot
City Hall Plaza and the Hayward Farmers Market, the civic core of downtown Hayward on B Street, hosting a farmers market every Saturday year-round from 9am to 1pm, rain or shine. The current City Hall, built in 1998, sits a few blocks from both Jackson Street DoubleTime stations. Market hours at hayward-ca.gov.
Hayward Area Historical Society, maintains the McConaghy House, an 1886 Stick/Eastlake-style home run as a museum, and can point visitors toward downtown's Art Deco former City Hall on Mission Boulevard, vacant since the early 1990s due to structural concerns tied to the Hayward Fault but still one of downtown's most recognizable landmarks. History and hours at haywardareahistory.org.
The current City Hall was deliberately built to withstand a major earthquake, given its proximity to the Hayward Fault, a design decision that followed damage the previous city hall suffered in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Walking the few blocks between it, the old Art Deco building, and the Jackson Street stations is an easy way to see most of downtown in under an hour.
Wildlife and Family-Friendly Stops
Best for: kids and animal lovers
Sulphur Creek Nature Center, a free wildlife rehabilitation and education facility run by the Hayward Area Recreation and Park District in a wooded canyon on the city's eastern edge. Non-releasable owls, hawks, coyotes, and foxes live on site, and an indoor Discovery Center has reptiles and amphibians. Closed Mondays. Closest DoubleTime: 365 Jackson St or 210 W Jackson St. Hours at haywardrec.org.
The center treats several hundred injured and orphaned wild animals a year and doubles as an outdoor classroom for local schools. For those with more time to head up into the hills, the Hayward Area Recreation and Park District and East Bay Regional Park District jointly manage several nearby regional parks, Garin, Dry Creek Pioneer, and Don Castro among them with trails that climb out of the flatlands to open views back across the bay toward San Francisco and the Peninsula.
Local Business and Community
Best for: a sense of the city beyond the sights
Hayward Chamber of Commerce tracks local events and connects visitors to the independently owned restaurants, bakeries, and shops that line downtown and the Jackson Street corridor, a useful stop before deciding where to eat between attractions. More at hayward.org.
Make a Day of It
Start with a fill-up at DoubleTime on 28250 Hesperian Blvd, then head to Hayward Regional Shoreline for a walk along the bay while it's still cool. From there, drive into downtown for lunch and a stop at City Hall Plaza, time it around the Saturday farmers market if you can, before finishing the afternoon at the Hayward Japanese Gardens a few blocks away.
If you have more time, add the Hayward Area Historical Society and Sulphur Creek Nature Center to the route, saving Sulphur Creek for mid-afternoon since its hours run out earlier than most stops. Top off at 365 Jackson St or 210 W Jackson St before heading out of town, the whole loop stays within a few miles of downtown, with the shoreline as the one longer detour.
Traveling with kids or without a car changes the order more than the content: the Japanese Gardens, City Hall Plaza, and both Jackson Street stations are all within walking distance of each other and of the Hayward BART station, so it's entirely possible to cover the downtown half of this list on foot and treat the shoreline and Sulphur Creek as a separate, car-based trip on another day.
Final Thoughts
Hayward doesn't ask for a full weekend, most of what's covered here fits comfortably into a single day, with room to linger wherever something catches your interest. Between the shoreline, the gardens, and downtown's civic core, DoubleTime keeps you moving between all of it.
Visit your nearest DoubleTime location in Hayward, or reach out through Double AA Corporation's contact page with questions about a specific station or the wider network.
DoubleTime Locations in Hayward
DoubleTime is a familiar stop for Hayward drivers. Here's where to find us:
- 28250 Hesperian Blvd, Hayward, CA 94545 in the Glen Eden neighborhood of south Hayward, a short drive from Tennyson Road and Hayward Regional Shoreline.
- 365 Jackson St, Hayward, CA 94544 on the Jackson Street corridor near downtown Hayward and the Hayward Japanese Gardens, open 6am–10pm.
- 210 W Jackson St, Hayward, CA 94544 open 24 hours in central Hayward, close to Mission Boulevard and City Hall Plaza.
Find a DoubleTime near you in Hayward and fill up before you head out, check the current DoubleTime station locator for up-to-date hours, phone numbers, and directions.