Its always a wonderful time here for my family & me. Please come down, take a walk by the water. We…read morego to fireworks most July 3rds here. It was a beautiful night once again. Enjoy! Peace & love!

At the park for a birthday party and took the opportunity to log a few miles. My husband biked…read morewhile I walked. The party and marina are well kept. There was a number of walkers, bikers, and families walking dogs. If I lived in the area I'd frequent the park often. Mix of sunny and shady areas in the actual park. The park bathrooms need TLC and a remodel.

Very elegant Marina to view San Francisco! I went to the Marina park at San Leandro and now here at…read moreEmeryville. I later learned that there are multiple marinas in the Bay Area and so far, I went to two of them as of today. This is pretty much like a smaller peninsula of the marina where you can relax and picnic here. It's really a great place to come here in the morning to get some breeze and walk around it. There are multiple benches here and that's really good because when sitting, you're basically viewing the peninsula, San Francisco, and as well as the Bay and Golden Gate Bridge. It's quite naturalistic here with much greenness here. I heard that you can make reservations to picnic at the benches. Also, there is a free 4-hour parking limit here and that's very long and that's fair enough since this parking lot isn't large especially when some parking spaces are reserved for permit holders or marina members I think.

Beautiful marina with plenty of free public parking spots next to the water. Nicely maintained…read morewalking path, green spots, long pier, water fountain for cleaning, expansive 180 view of the bay from Oakland, bay bridge, to Golden Gate Bridge all the way to 580-Richmond. Many benches for seating and viewing the sunset as well as tables spots for picnic. Access is easy off 580.

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.

Great view and easy to climb. There are steps too that make it easier to get down. It's never too…read morecrowded the times I've come. People also respect the rock and it's usually clean in the surrounding area. Parking can be challenging because it's in a residential area, but sometimes people make their own parking if they're not staying too long. It's a great place that is close enough to get to without long windy roads and still have an amazing, clear view.

Indian Rock Park offers a serene escape, perfect for quiet reflection or quality time with family…read more The views are nothing short of breathtaking.

Small parking lot. The closest 2nd parking lot is up by the Gardens - pretty far hike…read more The mile of the hike has no views. We got bored and turned back.

I took the dogs. I am looking after to this fire trail and they loved it. Early morning we…read moreencountered just a handful of people. Around 7 AM or so. Beautiful eucalyptus trees, cross Bay views of San Francisco and the bay bridge. And an amazing canyon that you are hiking along the side of. There are a few areas that you can connect to other parts of the trail system. I found an amazing offshoot that was super green even though it's summer time. I would highly recommend checking this place out!

One of the best if possibly the only east bay dog beach? Great area, perfect size, they do have…read morebathrooms although one major drawback is not water and/or foot washing area. If they put in a water/washing area for our feet and our dogs, this would be perfect. Hopefully someone from the city will read this!

We took our senior pitbull mix here to celebrate her birthday with three of her "dog cousins". The…read moreweather was sunny with a crisp breeze from the water. The beach area is smaller than other dog beaches I've been to, but the dogs love it just the same. Tons of zoomies and water play. There were breeds of all sizes. Dog owners are friendly, but some tend to not pay attention to their dogs at all times. Some friendly dogs approached us which is fine, but we had to shoo away other dogs that went into our bags and coolers. There's a lot of free parking spaces that are a short walk away from the trail and beach. I didn't see any water spigots in the area, so be sure to bring a water bowl and extra water for your little one. After a few hours, all of our dogs were pooped after a fun celebration.

I bring the kids here so we can have fun in the sun at our neighborhood "beach". There are about 12…read moreparking spaces (including 1 handicap) and a bike rack. I see people running, jogging, feeding the birds, fishing, swimming in the water, etc. There aren't any bathrooms which kinda works out perfectly since there aren't many parking spaces available.

Super small park, with a super small parking lot!!…read more It is usually pretty windy here, and you get some good views of San Francisco. There's also a super small beach here close to the parking lot. I saw some windsurfers leaving from that beach. If you're lucky enough to get a parking spot here, you can take the short walk to the tip to get those city views. I only saw one bench here along with the Point Emery plaque. It's also, literally, right next to Interstate 80. I gave this park an extra star for the views!!

One of those backyard discoveries that makes me question why it's taken me so long to actually get…read morehere. Welp... I finally made it here. And it is truly sensational. I've pretty much been all up, down, and around Tilden Park. But even with that, I always seem to discover trails that I've never hiked before. It's a huge park, so that makes total sense. Wildcat Peak was one of those recent discovery trails and vista points for me. I've always seen it on the park map, but you know when you get used to hiking on your favorite trails and you neglect all of the rest? That was me. I mean, that IS me. A creature of habit I guess. So on this very day, I decided to explore a different part of Tilden. Entered the park through the nature area and started near Jewel Lake on the Wildcat Creek Trail. This trail is super easy, flat, and partially paved. You'll pass by Jewel Lake along this trail. Turned right onto Sylvan and then left onto the Wildcat Peak Trail. This part of the Wildcat Peak Trail features switchbacks that incline up to the peak. It's a nice workout in general, but the views of the Bay is what makes this jaunt super enjoyable. Once you reach the peak, you'll have the most incredible views of the Bay Bridge, Briones Reservoir, San Pablo Bay, and Berkeley city views. There's a little brick barrier wall at the summit where you can sit and admire the views. It's 360 degrees of pure scenic bliss up there. From here, you can go back the same way you came up, or you can connect to another trail. I connected to the Laurel Canyon trail which looped me back around to the Tilden Nature area. There are so many vibrant wildflowers and plants nestled along this trail loop. The trail has a nice mix of covered and exposed paths. You'll pass through beautiful groves and notice the rampant wildlife on the trails. In the late winter and early spring, it's so incredibly green here. Wildcat Peak is such a gorgeous vista point within Tilden Park. I'd highly recommend the Wildcat Creek/Wildcat Peak/ Sylvan/Laurel Canyon trail loops. It's simply marvelous.

It's hard to imagine that the bucolic fire roads in Wildcat Canyon and Tilden Park once connected…read morethe US military with missile radar stations and launch sites during the depths of the Cold War. Or maybe not given the escalating tensions we have with Russia. But back in 1962 during a moment of atypical calm, a stone circle was built by the Berkeley Rotary Club to allow people agitated by the Commies a meditative spot to take in panoramic, 360-degree views of the SF Bay Area to the west and San Pablo Reservoir to the east. Years later it's still a nice respite if it isn't crowded up here as it sometimes does on warm weekends. Most people walk on Nimitz Way, the mostly paved path from Inspiration Point, to get here. However, my favorite route starts on the Wildcat Creek Trail where I take the gradual climb on the Conlon Trail where you get the same bay views you get from the peak. Except maybe for a herd of unimpressed cows in your way. I then descend on the zig-zaggy Wildcat Peak Trail back to Wildcat Creek. Gee, I sound like an actual hiker, don't I? RELATED - Up for a hike? Here's a collection of trails I've walked and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2OrC8nU