Visited the Little Farm and Jewel Lake a few months ago, and after a positive experience with all…read moreof the adorable animals (especially the rabbits), I made it my goal to return to explore the entire park. Well, not the whole park, it's quite massive with far too much to see and do in one day. But I did make my way back here this past Saturday to do a little picnicking in the park, go for a hike at Lake Anza, take in the views at Inspiration Point, and appreciate the plethora of trees, plants, and flowers at the Regional Parks Botanic Garden. The garden was my fave, a pleasant surprise during my time here this past weekend. I also made a stop at the farm again to see the cute bunnies, of course. It's amazing that most attractions and activities at this beautiful park have no entry fee and offer free parking lots for convenience too. Beware that wifi and internet access is limited.

Very nice park with lots of things to do with your little ones…read more We recently went on the Train ride, that was super cute and fun The carousel ride is so much fun also Feeding the animals and was a great experience for the boys Parking is free, you can bring your own snacks and drinks Lots of hiking trails to enjoy

Came here as a stop to enjoy our pastries and coffee while watching our grandson play. Love that…read morethere is a lot of shaded areas. Looks like there is a hiking/walk path nearby. Love the area and we relaxed and enjoyed the calmness.

Had an amazing day in the park yesterday watching taming of the shrew. The park is always so…read moregorgeous with such beautiful trees and well maintained. The event was well organized and everything went very smoothly. The actors were incredible and our family had such a great time being outdoors in the amphitheater watching a show.

Good park for both older and younger kids - as the grandma of 18-month old twins, I especially like…read morethat it's gated so they can't escape! We'll definitely be back!

This is a great playground! Found it based on other yelp reviews and so glad we checked it out…read more Really fun structure with a climbing wall and two big slides for bigger kiddos, and a smaller play area for the little kids. They have two sand boxes and a cool 4 way teeter-totter bouncy thing that my 4 year old loved. The park is dog friendly (on a leash) and they have a grassy area with picnic tables. It's a great park!

Albany Hill Park is aptly named, as it's just one big hill, or one big rock off of I-80!!…read more You can drive to the top and follow the trails or stairs back down. Or you can start at the bottom and work your way to the top. On the way up one trail, I saw a cross and a swing, and plenty of dog walkers. There are some good views at the top looking through the trees. When I was here, I felt like I was at a super small version of Golden Gate Park. Albany is a really small city, just driving through you can pass through it and you might not know it, but when you see this big rock, you'll know you're definitely in Albany!! Very nice park, seems like the highlight of this little city to me!!

Turkey sighting. I usually see them out around San Pablo Ave., near the Albany city services area…read more-- Police, Fire, City Hall. It was nice to see one out in nature and not doing the casual street stroll. Apple maps showed me two different routes to destinations of this name, depended on the day. One was up Taft, the other was to a path near Ranch 99. Well, the Ranch 99 route starts with a long walk that includes a long stair climb. On the bright side, there's your warm up. Downside really only if you have someone already there waiting for you. Live and learn. Enjoy the outdoors and a good walk.

When is a rock a park? Well, here's an answer to that question. It's less than a third of an acre,…read moreand most of it is a big immovable rock formation. Geologists might have a field day assessing the volcano-based outcropping, but the ignorant (not the igneous) might beg to differ as it is a quick walk around and then you move on. Zealots can climb on it for views, but I'm not that adventurous even though there are carved stairs. Let's just say I'd be the character telling people not to climb the upside-down Christmas tree in "The Poseidon Adventure" and die five minutes later. RELATED - Exploring Berkeley? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2CbVh8u

All of the three rhyolite exposures in the Berkeley Hills, this, Grotto Rock Park, is definitely…read morethe one with the easiest and best view of the bay. But it's also the least maintained, most run-down, and most overgrown of the three parks along Indian Rock Road (Mortar Rock, Grotto Rock, and Indian Rock).

Wish I knew about this garden when I was a student at CAL. This park is part of the landscaping…read moreprogram at CAL. Even the door was inconspicuous and at first glance, we were not sure if the entry was the secret staff entry or an actual entryway. It was my first time here and it was hidden in a quiet Kensington neighborhood. I accidentally found this park on Yelp and didn't think much about it but my hubby and I were surprised how charming this park is. It was like a little fairyland full of ethereal cottage flowers such as wispy cosmos moving with the breeze and happy bees everywhere. There were volunteers planting Benary zinnias and other flowers. There was a clean bathroom inside their office and plants offered for a donation. I saw mothers with their babies talking as if they come here all the time. There was a group of elderly women chatting and enjoying the peaceful garden. I was there for 30 minutes before lunch and only saw about 35 percent of the garden and I look forward to another trip to this secret garden in Kensington.

This garden is a bit off the beaten path, it's part of UC Berkeley but 3.5 miles north in the hills…read moreof Kensington. I was surprised because it was much bigger than I had imagined. At 10 acres it's a pretty decent size with a maze of little trails to explore and over 1,500 plant species. I wish they had more signage of what everything was, there were a few placards but for people that are really into botany it would have been more interesting. My favorite parts were the views of the bay and the redwood forest nestled near a creek. It's very calm here, probably because it's only open on the weekdays so it doesn't get too crowded. It's is ideal for a romantic stroll, or to take a meditative walk and it has many benches around to sit.

What a great park! As a new mom, I'm always on the hunt for great parks throughout the East…read moreBay...and Arlington Park has made the list. There's a few things I currently look for in a park before frequenting: is there easy/convenient parking, are there swings for not just the older kiddos, is there an open grass area for play or picnic, are there slides or safe infrastructure, and most importantly, is this a place I can make memories with my little or just unwind a bit. The answer to all of the above for Arlington Park is yes. I'm surprised how many parks don't have swings anymore, so grateful to those that do. Arlington Park has an incredibly large grass area to throw a blanket and bring a book to meet friends/take a break as well. Easy and free street parking, and did I mention there are ducks? Large enough to walk and spend some time, while also a great meeting spot. Would def recommend if looking for a new park or just a resting space and place. Well-kept grounds, perfect for keeping up the well being :)

Cute park with lake of ducks and turtles. Safe and pretty. Only issue is you have to go through…read morehoops to buy a key for the bathroom :-(

This park is just really cool. On afternoons and weekends it's usually packed full of people. It…read morecan be hard at times to find a parking spot but shouldn't be too difficult to park on a side street if needed. There are several parts to this park. One is a flat area with a play scape and a cement slide. There's actually a tunnel nearby that goes under the road and crosses over to the rose garden, which is really cool. The cement slide is a must see for anyone with kids and even if you're an adventurous adult. There are plenty of cardboard boxes around for you to try it out. When I first heard about the cement slide, I didn't think it would be very fun, (cement and sliding didn't go together in my mind) but it is great! Then just a little bit south, above that play scape area, there's a baseball field. So many different people come here to meet. Some people for picnics, some people play soccer, some people play softball, some people bring their dogs. And then inside the woods behind the park, there are a picnic benches. I have a friend who had her wedding reception there. You can reserve them with the city. And then behind the picnic area, there's a hike and if you're very adventurous, there is a waterfall hidden, but it's not easy to find if you don't know about it. I highly recommend this park. During the winter, the baseball field is blocked off with Fence to protect the grass but other parts of the park are accessible.

Nice park, good playground for toddlers, and for babies, nice large grassy area, sort of a mini…read morehike to walk around, some barbecue / camping table spots, right next to the rose garden, bathrooms.