Beautiful trail that follows the shoreline of Bay Farm Island…read more Fabulous views of San Francisco. Normally great weather if it's hot inland. I believe it's about six miles if you do the complete trail. We normally park in Veterans Ct, just across the Bay Farm Island bridge.

Great wide walking/ bike path with occasional benches. If…read moreyou love airplanes (I do) this is a fantastic spot as the takeoffs from OAK go right overhead!!

Love this as a short hike! It starts in Lot E of Merritt College. Pretty tucked away (this is the…read moreback parking lot). Parking is $2 for the whole day if you don't have a student pass. Dogs are allowed off leash. +1 just for that! My dog loves this trail! It's not extremely long and does have some fairly steep inclines. The middle of the trail is covered by trees, so on a sunny day you have some protection. There's also a stream that runs along part of the trail that I've seen some dogs splashing around it. Not a crowded trail. Good if you want some peace and quiet and a nice view.

Great hidden trail that is part of the East Bay Parks system. I take my dog here, sans leash This…read moreis a great alternative to the crowded scene at nearby Redwood Park where hikers, dog walkers and bike riders sometimes fight it out for trail supremacy. Perhaps this place is a hidden gem because it's a little hard to find. Take Keller up the hill heading east, pass Skyline Pizza and a little shopping center off to your right then make the first left on Campus Drive. Make your first right into Shadow Woods condo complex and head left or all the way to the back of the condo complex and you will find the trail parking lot. It's about 2 miles of moderate up hill and connects to the Merritt College campus. A creek runs along the trail the whole way. Dogs love it because they can run around and take cooling dips when they want. Even on weekend it does not get that crowded.

A sweet experience that's more of a nature walk than an actual hike, though it starts with steps…read morefrom the Monterey Boulevard side of things. It took about an hour and was mostly flat with a few slight uphills here and there. Plenty of off-leash dogs, if that kind of thing bothers you. It doesn't bother me as long as they're friendly, and they were.

Perfect trail for city folk or children. If your a real outdoors person or have needs for longer…read moretrails for physical fitness - there are better places. The trail is peppered with numerous trolls. Kids and young at heart adults would love this sort of thing. The trolls are made of all different materials and so have varied personalities. There were countless trolls but I took a few photos of my favorites. City folk would love this place. If you are cooped up in a tiny two bedroom apartment with no back yard and no privacy this is just the place to go. Even though I've got a massive private backyard diligently maintained with lush landscaping I still enjoy this place. Came around sunset and the way light filtered through the branches of soaring redwoods was majestic. Lots of shady paths but they were a bit muddy - so don't wear your favorite Dunks. The entrance is hard to find and parking is mostly street. People walking here were friendly and many took their dogs. Kids seemed to enjoy the swing area toward the back best. Rocky's market area would be a perfect place to park. Then walk up the hill and look for the public hidden staircases. Elderly might have trouble with stairs. Wheelchair people I didn't see here. Moms with strollers - I'm not so sure - there are lots of roots and hills and parking might be a little ways away. If your blind be sure and bring a person who can tell you how beautiful things are. If a person was blind from birth I wouldn't know what to say. I once met a person as such and had a hard time describing anything as there is no point of reference ever. If you want to recreate this kind of feeling in your own backyard do as I do: Plant narrow evergreens around the entire perimeter of your yard. Then add some bird of paradise and palm trees. Presto! every time you enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning in your yard you have privacy and even in the winter it is green and beautiful.

I have always enjoyed running on the Shoreline Trail in Alameda!!…read more One would think that this 1.5 mile trail that goes from Westline Drive to Broadway is flat since it runs right along Alameda Beach. Well, it's straight, but not exactly flat. There's a few restrooms and water fountains along this trail. Sand does blow up on the trail, and I have seen some parts get flooded with heavy rainfall. Also, some days it can get crazy windy here. The big parking lot on Westline Drive is free, but only depending on when you come. I've been coming here for a long time and when/if they charge for parking seems to change like the wind. But this trail is good for walkers and runners, I am glad they added a bike lane on the street, because they used to really sneak up on you on this trail quick!!

I have a confession to make…read more I didn't know the pathway between Westline Dr and Broadway is called the Shoreline Trail. I just thought it was the pathway along the Alameda beach. No, it's not perfect. Sand blows up onto the path and then onto the street. But the cool thing about this path is that there's no crossings. You will not have to cross the street, or worry about vehicle traffic when you stay on this walkway. In the old days, before they reconfigured Shoreline Drive, you had to share the pathway (trail) with bikes. Now, bikes have their own bike lane, and only walkers and joggers use the sidewalk. FYI- for anyone new to Alameda....Shoreline Drive used to be four lanes wide. That's why there's anti-cruising laws in place. Not a safe situation for bicyclists, that's why they rode their bikes on the sidewalk with pedestrians. But, that was the old days. Today, bikes have a bike lane, and pedestrians use the sidewalk (or trail). Ok, where does this trail go? At Westline Drive it continues on as a wide gravel trail into Crown Memorial Beach. At Broadway, you have the option of walking on the sidewalk or walking on a narrow trail behind homes along a marsh or bird sanctuary. You will enjoy great views of the Bay and the San Francisco skyline. Also, when walking on the Shoreline Trail, you will always have the option to go walk on the beach. Yes, Alameda's man-made beach! Anyone have any weird experiences when walking on Shoreline Trail? Did anyone else see the "old man in the suit and bow tie" out walking at night? It was about 10-12 yrs ago, I was out walking at 930pm across from the McDonalds. A figure was walking towards me. He stepped into the light, and it was an elderly man in a suit and bow tie, his face was pale white, and he said "good evening Sir." I turned and he disappeared into the darkness. That Halloween I told the story on social media. Three people said they also saw this old man walking at night along Shoreline Drive. They all said they never saw him again. Better enjoy that walk in the daytime!

I used to live within walking distance to this park and this was one of my basketball playing spots…read moreback in the day. I like how they dedicated the basketball court to Sarunas Marciulionis here. For those of you who don't know who Sarunas Marciulionis is, he's a Golden State Warriors player from the Run-TMC era Warriors who was from Lithuania, was one of the greatest international players of all time, and was one of the first Europeans to become a regular in the NBA!! But, back to the park. It covers one big block, has tennis courts, which honestly, are in pretty bad shape. Has a huge Football/Soccer field made from turf which is very nice. I do like how they made this on the hill, but the field is totally flat. I also used to come here because they used to have the Malcolm X Festival here once a year. I went with 4 stars because I have a lot of good memories here!!

This is a cute little community park and I like coming to events here. I've been coming here for…read morequite awhile usually to the event that eventually became the Malcom X Jazz Fest. It was fun. It's smaller than I remember. But there's a nice set up and there is a shady (under the trees) area and an open sunnier area. There are also courts where people can play with balls and that's a nice touch. One I don't remember from years ago. The playground looks new too and that's a nice touch. I don't live in the area, otherwise, I'm sure I'd visit a lot more often.

Found this place from a good neighbor, and lo and behold, it did not disappoint. It is an off…read moreleash dog park where you can let your dogs run free on top of Oakland Hills. The cool part is there are several hills that goes up and down. Great workout both for the dogs and humans. It's not huge, but if you go around twice you can get a good cardio workout and you'll start sweating. I know I did. Be aware though that there are quite a few poop off the side of the trails so just be mindful. Try to look where you're stepping into. Bring your dog poop bags as there are non available. There is one trash can that's towards Sunkist Dr/McCormick entrance. There are no official parking, but plenty of neighborhood street parking in the area about half or a block away. I met a few neighbors while I was up there and they shared there were two other spots of entry. I am not sure exactly as I am still fairly new to the area, but I'd give it a try for your dogs if you live nearby. Cheers!

Exciting place to walk yourself or to walk your dog and feel like you're on top of Oakland. The…read moreviews are great! I'm glad I learned about this space.

"No Trout, but Ducks and Turtles Floating Around Might be Mistaken for Trout"…read more This is a rustic urban park, good for fishermen as well as families with small children. The day that I visited, several fishermen were using the casting ponds to improve their angler skills. The casting ponds have circular objects--I guess that's what you aim for. The whole thing reminds me of golfing, except instead of hitting a little ball you swing hooks at the water. The beauty of this method is that you have fishing line connected to the hook, so it's easy to get the hook back. Just think if they did that for golf how much easier it would be. Next time I'm bringing a fishing line to give it a try. They have signs reminding you to not jump in and swim around. Good idea. Of course the ponds are about 2 feet deep, so it wouldn't be much of a swim, even if there weren't fishing hooks flying overhead. I suppose if they wanted to, they could have designated swimming areas, where the fishermen don't aim the hooks at you. I'm pretty sure that would work okay. The park is reasonably well maintained, but the facility is obviously old. I saw a sign that proudly proclaimed, "Trout Fishing." Even though I'm sort of a chump, I didn't fall for that. Another visitor confirmed there really aren't any trout here. But there is a cute family of ducks and ducklings, and nearby a bunch of turtles. Maybe the sign maker confused ducks with trout. Easy to see how that could happen. Beside the casting ponds, the other ponds are pretty, and young children will certainly find the ducks a good attraction. One visitor pointed out a family of turtles close by. The turtles didn't seem to be doing too much today--just sort of floating in the water. They have several decent picnic tables as well. This would be a pleasant place to bring your family for a picnic. I did not see any restrooms or drinking faucets, but they might be hidden somewhere. So overall, a good place to visit with your young children. I can't imagine staying here more than an hour or so but it's a decent place for a quick visit. Plus, it's 100% free, with close parking as well. Just don't expect to bring home any trout for dinner.

A park right by the freeway, you say? This is a quaint…read morelittle park where you can do things like have a picnic, practice your fly casting techniques, or yes, use the public restroom. This park has been here for ages, and back in the day, the city and the Oakland PAL use to stock the deep pools with trout for inner city youth to fish during the summer. No allocation of funds for that nowadays. Boo. If you hike to the back of the park, a path will take you to the freeway overpass leading to a really nice (and long) hike through Leona Lodge ending up at Merritt College. Nice way to spend a warm afternoon. But still, it's a great place to relax, get back to nature, then make your fast getaway on the freeway.

Shady trail, water streams and a cool tunnel midway through. Some areas are overgrown and some…read moresections require being able to reach 2-3ft cement blocks to continue. Some pathways can become muddy so be mindful if walking in cold or post rainy weather. Other walkers were nice and answered questions when my party and I got turned around. Friendly dogs with owners (some poop on the trails).

I think I got confused about what I was reviewing here. Initially I thought it was the well-trodden…read moreBridgeview Trail which appears favored by dogs and their passive-aggressive owners and apparently DIY gnomes. Then I realized I've also been exploring all the less taken trails hidden in the foliage within Dimond Canyon, but I didn't see an entry for the canyon. I saw this one for Sausal Creek, which has basically shaped the canyon and runs through it in theory. And so here I am writing about it. I would be dismissive in calling this area Oakland's hidden gem because I presume everyone in the Dimond district already knows about this gem. Besides, the omnipresence of graffiti-saturated concrete and partially blocked switchbacks prevented me from going completely gaga over the canyon. However, many pleasures abound with the redwood grove at the northern end of the Bridgeview Trail where it just sorta stops because Highway 13 is in the way. There are random swings along the way and a distant view of a much-used driving range below. Steep switchbacks from Bridgeview lead you down to the creek, and the absence of others makes the area feel like an unused movie set. That movie is either "Swamp Thing" or "The Wizard of Oz" depending on what time of day you're here and what the weather is like. The trails go southward and lead you back to suburban civilization on El Centro Avenue. Immediately south is Dimond Park, which appears focused on the kiddies. I usually leave that area alone lest a micromanaging parent taps 911 on their iPhone. RELATED - Up for a hike? Here's a collection of trails I've walked and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2OrC8nU