For millennia, Brushy Peak and its surrounding landscape drew people from across the region. Ancient trade routes linked the Ohlone of the San Francisco Bay Area, the Bay Miwoks of the Delta and Mt. Diablo, and the Northern Valley Yokuts, who journeyed to Brushy Peak as a sacred place for its abundant bird life, scenic views, and economic, social, and ceremonial gatherings. Indigenous peoples of the region consider Brushy Peak central to their traditional stories, cultures, and religion. After the Spanish arrived in 1772, livestock grazing spread here from nearby Rancho de Los Vaqueros. Later, the area was rumored to serve as a hideout for outlaws, including Joaquin Murietta. Homesteader Samuel Laughlin and his descendants lived in this valley until the East Bay Regional Park District purchased it in 1997 to preserve its cultural, geologic, and wildlife values.