Coyote Hills contains some of the most significant Ohlone archaeological sites in the Bay Area. The shell mounds -- accumulations of discarded shells, bones, and cultural material built up over centuries of continuous habitation -- provide a physical record of indigenous life before European contact. The park includes interpretive exhibits that document Ohlone culture and the ecological knowledge that allowed communities to thrive in the bayshore environment for thousands of years.

The park encompasses a stretch of bayshore marsh habitat that supports diverse wildlife. The freshwater and salt marshes attract migrating shorebirds, resident raptors, and waterfowl in enormous numbers. The Bayview Trail and the Alameda Creek Trail connect the hills to the water's edge, passing through grasslands that bloom with wildflowers in spring. From the hilltops, views extend across the bay to the San Mateo Bridge and the Peninsula.

The 'coyote hills' themselves are low, rounded rises that stand above the surrounding flatlands and marshes. From the air, they appear as green bumps at the bay's eastern edge, distinct from the salt ponds and development that surround them. The park's position makes it a critical link in the chain of protected lands along the bay shoreline -- a refuge for both wildlife and the humans who come to watch them.