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    Middle Harbor Shoreline Park

    4.3 (99 reviews)
    Open 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

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    Montage of images from Middle Harbor Shoreline Park
    Ed U.

    Even though it's been around since 2004, I had no idea there was an actual park at the Port of Oakland. This is no small patch of greenery but 38 acres of recreational area with a huge canopied area full of picnic tables and separately a substantial observation deck standing amid the gigantic shipping cranes. I only discovered it when I was watching Doug McConnell's OpenRoad TV series and scratching my head trying to figure out where it was. I thought it was just a quick stroll from the Bay Bridge Trail... But no, there ain't nothing quick about navigating this heavily industrial, eerily desolate area filled with trucks, trucks, and more trucks. I would've never come here had I not known about this special destination. Once there, I was surprised how well maintained it was, starting with the panoramic views of the bay. There's a substantial concrete pier with several tower viewers. It leads to the narrow Port View Park on the right, and on the left is a rocky beach not fit for swimming but still quite relaxing. In fact, it's Oakland's only public beach. The nearby salt marshes attract a lot of birds, and the promontory jutting out to the water is anchored by the observation tower (photo). Surrounding the park are the monstrous cranes and stacks upon stacks of metal cranes, which have been getting a lot of news coverage lately due to anticipated delays in holiday deliveries. Don't be put off by the isolated location. Yes, it's still an urban space, so don't leave stuff visible in your vehicle. At the same time, the clean condition of this shoreline park is an indication that Oakland wants our love. RELATED - Exploring Oakland? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2ObVcpQ

    Landmark observation tower
    Lionel C.

    Great spot by the Bay Shore. Inviting picnic and bbq spots with grills. A wonderful, panoramic view of SF. I do admit that I heard that this is an alternative spot to watch the Blue Angels perform during Fleetweek. You do get to see the Blue Angels in flight, but honestly, the view isn't spectacular. I'll have to search for another spot on the E. Bay to see if I can score a better view next year. There's distant observation area, if you head left for a quarter of a mile once inside the entrance. A small structure is there at the end, that's a short landmark observation tower. Yeah, it's not the best spot if you're a Blue Angels fan. But if you're out to enjoy the sun and shore in a broad, open area, you'll like it here. Just a quick note, don't be daunted by the little parking area to the left, once you enter. There's a much bigger lot of spots to the right, but the entry way is easy to miss, if you're just focused on the small lot on the left.

    More space!
    Suzie A.

    What a hidden gem! One of my favorite things about living in the Bay Area is that although we have wonderful cosmopolitan cities, we're also smack dab in the middle of some breathtaking nature. This park perfectly captures that. Wide-open spaces, with trees, all kinds of wildlife, history, surrounded by the San Francisco Bay and the hustle and bustle of the Port of Oakland. This place is ideal for a peaceful walk (or run!), a picnic, fishing, or a lazy afternoon of birding or watching the activity at the port. There is so much to do, and you don't even have to leave Oakland! This park is usually devoid of crowds, and I kind of selfishly want to keep it that way, but that would have been wrong, right? So check out this beautiful urban nature space ... or don't (more for me!).

    Phil A.

    Great Park right in the Port of Oakland area!! This park is huge!! Great views of SF!! Probably the closest you can get to San Francisco while still being in Oakland. Getting here can be a little dicey sometimes, it really depends on when you go. Sometimes driving here is like a ghost town, there is zero traffic. Other times you're dealing with wall to wall trucks coming and going. Like I said, this Park is huge, so it does feel somewhat isolated. And it stays open late, until 10PM everyday. But I did see a security car driving around. But it's great place to be able to see the ships leave fully loaded, and they are massive. They are set up for huge parties, the picnic area here is a very large area with loads of tables and benches!! I like this place a lot, a great place to walk or run and catch some views while doing so!!

    Kimson D.

    Massive urban park with public shoreline and unobstructed, panoramic views of the SF skyline and beyond. It may feel a bit desolate and empty but it is a well maintained park with benches, trails, restroom, and an observation tower. There was a security car patrolling around, which made this urban area feel more safe to wander solo, but still recommend staying alert and leaving no trace of belongings in your parked vehicle. The views are amazing here! Truly a photographer's paradise. You can walk right up to the shoreline and watch the sunset. There's a lot of ducks, geese, and pelicans which I enjoyed bird watching before sunset :). It gets really windy here and some seating areas (picnic tables and benches) can be found tucked into little areas with wonderful views. You can watch the huge shipping containers being unloaded/ loaded on at the port of Oakland. Great spot to spend a few hours and admire the views.

    San Francisco, CA

    Nice place to walk, play a musical instrument, and bird watch. They have clean restrooms, BBQ area's, and fishing.

    Sunset at Middle Harbor
    Ron L.

    Middle Harbor Park is in a location you'd never think of going to. And it has a feel of "them", whoever them is, taking some vacant land on the water and making a park out of it. Whatever, it sounded like a good idea at the time, and turned out to be a good idea. It was developed as an industrial area, and has remained an industrial area ever since. This is the general vicinity of the auto ferry to and from San Francisco before the Bay Bridge was completed in 1936. Which means that it's remote enough that one can smoke pot, sell other drugs, vandalize a car, or rape his girlfriend, and there will be few witnesses and the police are extremely unlikely to be just passing by and stop it. It doesn't look like a crime-ridden park, but the potential is absolutely there to pull the job off easily. Especially seeing that you drive through a ghetto to arrive here. Be alert. So what do you have? An unusual view of San Francisco is the highlight. Shipping cranes to the right and behind you. Picnic tables, and a pavilion for groups. A large grassy area that gets watered only by the rain. Lots of wind from the bay. Canadian geese, oh poop. Signs warning you to not swim or wade because the mud is soft and deep. So you can eat dinner, go for a jog, the kids can throw a Frisbee, and add to your photo essay of Oakland. Overall, Middle Harbor Park feels like a 3.. The view takes it up by one, the potential for danger takes it back down by one.

    Carol C.

    Date: 8/13/2016 Time: 12:42 PM 70° Sunny My husband and I have never been to this park. It's our first time here through an invitation on Facebook from one of my sister's classmates (shout out to Oakland Tech CO '69) for a BBQ picnic. Actually let me do a shout out first to the alumnus of Oakland Tech - "Bulldogs in the house" at Middle Harbor Shoreline Park. Woot, woot...woof, woof..."bow wow wow yippee yo yippee yay...nothing but the dawg in me..." Party time with my Tech homies and peeps, even though they all graduated in the 80's and the 90's. LOL. This park has a spectacular and panoramic view of San Francisco, part of Alameda Point and the cranes of Port of Oakland. The location is in a secluded area and quite a way from any nearby businesses and residential neighbors. One cannot get to this park by public transportation (as in other park venues - Mosswood, Dimond, Washington in Alameda). Thus, the good thing is blast the music, party, get down on it cause ya ain't botherin' anybody or disturbin' the peace. However, alcohol consumption is not allowed, and no dogs are allowed at this park. There is also plenty of parking. The park is very spacious and has several picnic tables, BBQ pits and benches along the pathways. I am somewhat amazed that I did not see no smoking signs. Some of the grassy areas of the park is dry The park is okay during the day, but at night I would not be hanging around out here. My husband and I were driving in West Oakland at night a few months ago, took a wrong turn on 7th Street and ended in this area, which was not that well lit. We almost got lost at night. Thank goodness for GPS on my mobile phone we were able to get back on the right track. Then another reason I don't recommend this place at night is because of the number of black tire treads on the roadway leading in and out of the park to and from 7th Street. I can only speculate that sideshows are done here at night.

    Sharon L.

    A great place to see shorebirds after high tide. I visited the park on 8/7/21, and the walkways were very clean.

    Teresa D.

    Toilet paper, soap, water, and paper towels were actually available in the restrooms here--miraculous for a far-flung park.

    Anne Marie M.

    My favorite park in Oakland. A total hidden gem. The park has recently been restored so all the fixtures and facilities are still shiny and new, unlike some of Oakland's other parks (Mosswood, Dimond etc.) The park itself has little bit of the feel of Seattle's Gas Works with a skyline only San Francisco could provide. Despite the fact its a little bit of a hike to get to, I'm always surprised how few people are here. Although, I have to admit, it's kind of nice in that way. Yeah, yeah there's goose poop but it's a much better situation than Lake Merritt in my opinion. I love taking a Sunday bike ride (or a Friday ride with bike partaaayy) and ending here. There's a great lookout point, barbecue pits, tons of green space . A great place to bring a group of friends and just hang out. Or if you're solo, bring a book and enjoy the sunshine.

    randolph m.

    I've often heard that Oakland is to San Francisco what Brooklyn is to Manhattan. After a lengthy panoramic view of the "City by the Bay" from the shores of Middle Harbor Shoreline Park, I cannot deny the similarity of this comparison or the disparity between the forgotten industrial blue collar town I currently call home and its posh, famous sister across the bridge. San Francisco has the European flavor, the landmarks, the rich and famous, the exclusivity, the art galas and benefits and festivals, the hustle, the bustle, the 28-year old CEO's, and $20,000 boob jobs, - the American dream. The California facade. But we have character too. And diversity, cleaner air, less congestion, top notch restaurants, music, art, and a ton of upside. And hope. And a few treasures a bit off of the beat path like this park, a great place to run, bike, roller blade, practice your latest Kata or just chill as the cool harbor breezes blow through your brushy bangs or thoroughly lubed Jheri curls.

    Colbert T.

    The irony of this review is the fact that this wonderful, hidden gem will now be more exposed. Middle Harbor Shoreline Park is an oasis tucked away in the middle of the busy, Port of Oakland. I discovered this park a few years ago as my dad always worked for one of the Container companies located off of 7th Street. I remember many years ago when this patch of land was left untouched and languishing until it was restored and made into a park on the bay. Middle Harbor is hardly ever crowded, but that leads to the charm of the park. In my humble opinion, I like it that way. The park is pretty easy to get to whether you go there by car or better yet, bike. Once you get to the park, you get to see some of the most incomparable views of the San Francisco Skyline with the Bay Bridge and the Transamerica building as your backdrop juxtaposed to the ships and cranes of the port. Also, there is an observation tower where you get to see the beauty of the bay with your naked eye or the telescopes on hand.

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    Nice park with walking trails and a view of the city. Clean restrooms and picnic tables.

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    Ask the Community - Middle Harbor Shoreline Park

    Has anyone seen the Blue Angels from this location? Any pointers if coming with a toddler?

    Last year my husband and I were at Middle Harbor Shoreline Park to watch the Blue Angels. The park offers a panoramic view of San Francisco. You can see them in formation from that park at a far distance. I don't have a young toddler. I can't say… Read more

    View All 4 Questions

    Review Highlights - Middle Harbor Shoreline Park

    Bring your camera, the port is amazing and the views of the bay bridge and the city are breathtaking.

    Mentioned in 23 reviews

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    Nestled in a neighborhood of Emeryville off 62nd lives a park full of climbs, spins, slicing and…read morerocking. Parking is street in a residential area, free of meters and parking time limitations. The park is closed off to traffic, so crossing between the tot and big play areas is pretty safe. It is very quiet, even with the sounds of children and adults. There are two benches directly on the play area of the big kids (5-12), with three additional double benches with attached tables. There are well maintained, stocked restrooms directly off the big kid play area. Littles and parents will have to time their potty time as it is about 30-45 seconds from the tot play space. Definitely a cute little neighborhood park to visit if you are in the area.

    Found a surprisingly nice little park!…read more It's not very big, but the design is thoughtful, clean, and comfortable There's plenty of shade , so even on sunny days it's not too hot--perfect for a relaxed playtime. Playground features: Slides, climbing structures, and spinning toys--great for kids of different ages There's also a toddler area , so little ones can play safely Special highlight: There's a community-donated free toy area Lots of different toys to play with--kids will feel like they've discovered a new playroom Bonus: There's a small path running through the park Kids can safely ride scooters or bikes--spacious and easy to move around Amenities: Restrooms (big plus!) Benches for parents to relax Heads up: Parking nearby can be a bit difficult, so plan some extra time or go earlier

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    Jean Sweeney Open Space Park

    Jean Sweeney Open Space Park

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    Never disappointed with a visit to Jean Sweeney Park. Our daughter enjoys the various play areas as…read moreshe navigates between the different areas, existing in some spaces longer than others. After parking, if you can find a spot, the first play area includes a trampoline, climbing structure, a wide metal slide and an oversized musical chime. To the right, a spacious mesh swing spins with kids constantly filling and spinning it. Directly in front is an ample sand area with a brick barrier surrounding it. To the left are three picnic tables. In front of the sand area is the smaller kids play area which is directly next to the restrooms and water fountain. To the left of the little play area is the zip line. When you go further in to the park, there is a covered area with lots of picnic tables and seating grouped together, more benches and lots of grass to play and explore further. There are paths to ride bikes, scooters, roller blades and skateboards. During warmer weather this park is packed. When we visited, following a prior event, there were already lots of kids on a gray, windy, overcast day. This park is spacious on the interior but parking on the exterior is limited. The parking lot is minimal for the amount of space to explore, which is awesome but makes it difficult to navigate up close parking. Street parking is not really existent unless you enter on the opposite end of the park.

    Great park! First time there and my 4.5 yr old daughter loves it. Clean and big playground. Has a…read moretrail to walk around and if you have your doggy, great trail to walk around. Downside to this park, small parking lot!

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    Restrooms to the right and water fountain
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    4.7
    (595 reviews)
    9.7 mi

    This park is fantastic. The first time we visited was back in 2018 and honestly we can't remember…read morewhere we parked or which trails we hiked. But I know we enjoyed ourselves. Fast forward to yesterday. We had a restaurant in Albany that we wanted to check out so of course we had to hike first to get our appetites whet. I found a loop I wanted us to try on AllTrails. It's called the Dunn Trail--Monteiro Trail Loop. We parked at the Richard C. Trudeau Conference Center on Skyline Blvd. It was the perfect spot to start. Free parking. Public restrooms (even flush toilets!). If you have a dog, most of this trail is off-leash which I have never seen before. Every dog we saw were well behaved and having a great time. We don't have dogs of our own but I am a big dog person. This particular loop was exactly what I was looking for. It had several different biomes. Despite what AllTrails said, it is not all shaded but it was a beautiful, sunny, windy day. We saw lots of wildflowers blooming. We found there to be a difference between AllTrails and our measurements. AllTrails said it was roughly 500+ ft elevation gain but ours said 1000. That's a huge difference! But I would believe ours over theirs. There were a lot of inclines. Also, their's said it was 3.5 miles but ours said a mile longer. The trails were all very well maintained. We saw gorgeous views, small waterfalls/creeks, redwoods, butterflies--just lovely. It was less busy than I anticipated but we arrived before 9 a.m. We finished by 11. This is a big park and lots to explore. Highly recommend!

    I went hiking at the Reinhardt Regional Redwood Park for the first time and loved it!…read more Plenty of street parking at the Redwood Bowl lot and we had no issues with vehicle break ins, luckily, although there were a few warning signs up to remind you to put your valuables away. There are bathrooms by the Redwood Bowl but we couldn't find any helpful maps so just used our phones to navigate. The trail we ended up taking was around 4 miles and took 2 hours. Most of it was shaded and among redwood trees so I really enjoyed that this could work as an afternoon hike. It's a moderate difficulty level with some steep areas. There's also a popular picnic area with grills and an archery range. You could even walk to the nearby swimming pool or visit the Chabot. We only did one half of the hiking loop so will be back to check out the other side.

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    Reinhardt Redwood Regional Preserve
    Reinhardt Redwood Regional Preserve
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    Crown Memorial State Beach

    Crown Memorial State Beach

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    Fantastic beach for younger kids, and a great option for East Bay residents who aren't up for the…read moretrek into the city or the even longer drive to Santa Cruz. The beach is clean and has useful amenities, including outdoor showers, picnic tables, and restrooms. I haven't actually used the restrooms, so I can't speak to their condition, but I can say I've never noticed trash on the beach, even on busy days. The crowd is generally respectful, which goes a long way. The downside is that the water isn't exactly pristine by appearance, smell, or feel...but you can't have everything. My favorite thing about this beach, aside from the fact that the water isn't freezing, is how shallow it stays. I can wade out with my kid what feels like half a mile and still not feel like we're anywhere close to being too far from shore. P.S. Do NOT forget to pay for parking if you're in the lot. It's yellow, located at the far end, the fee is 5 dollars and it's easy to miss. Also, they don't accept Discover debit.

    In The Teen and I's new Friday ritual of water watching before we head home, we stopped by Crown…read moreMemorial before heading through the tunnel to let traffic die down a bit.. This was definitely the place to be back in the day! Parking was a snap and we found a bench to sit on starting the water watching. The view was awesome and the sun was shining just like Bob Marley said. There were people, young and old playing in the sand, lots of bike riders, and of course, those dog walkers. The Teen put the phone down and ventured out and some sand, touching and driftwood drifting.. Definitely, we will be back when it gets warmer with hopes of finding front row parking again!

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    Middle Harbor Shoreline Park - parks - Updated July 2026

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