It is located in unincorporated land in Alameda County, just north of Livermore, California, and is named after Brushy Peak.

The park is named for Brushy Peak (elevation 1,702 feet (519 m)), a mountain in the Diablo Range, that has had historical significance dating back to Native Americans who lived in the region before the arrival of European settlers.

"[1] Today, access to the top of the mountain is closed to the public to protect grounds that were sacred to ancient Native American tribes.

[2] The first European to make an expedition into this part of California was Pedro Fages, who passed through the Livermore Valley in 1772, on his return from Monterey.

[1] On April 3, 2014, two conservation groups, Center for Biological Diversity and the Alameda Creek Alliance, announced the acquisition of a 79 acres (32 ha) land parcel known as "Eddie's Flat", adjacent to the western boundary of Brushy Peak Regional Preserve.