Went to visit a friend who lives on Malcom Ave. On a beautiful day, we went for a walk with her…read moredog into Knowland Park which we have done several times. You can access the park at the end of several dead end streets off Malcom Ave. There are trails in the park that are adjacent to the backside of Oakland Zoo. Since our previous visit last July, where goats were in the area clearing out tall grass, the Zoo has since expanded into the Park with new fencing built to mark the new zoo boundaries. During our social distance walk, we were able to look through the double layer of fencing to see the bears in their lair. The views! You get gorgeous views from the East Bay across to the West Bay from SF down to the Peninsula. A peaceful park that is peaceful and not crowded. Great place for a walk with gorgeous views.

Heard about this spot from a coworker. Finally checked it out one afternoon with my husband…read more We entered the park from a dead end court in the neighborhood, taking the trails at random. Little did we know this area is up Above the back side of the Oakland Zoo. May be one of my new favorite open spaces to explore and unplug.

Warning: Google Maps and AllTrails will lead you astray! The best starting point is Montclair…read moreParking Garage - 6235 La Salle Ave, Oakland. However! Maybe drive to this area and then drive around nearby to find residential parking instead IF you don't want to pay for parking. OR I have a 1-time free parking promo code for ya haha. Paying for parking at this parking garage is a tad annoying because you have to download an app (ParkMobile), register an account, select the right parking zone (6501), provide your license plate number, and pay... it was a lot slower than grabbing a ticket and proceeding to park. The good news is that at the time I went, the parking attendant gave me a promo code: FreeMV. Since this promo code gives you a whole day of free parking, I may recommend doing the trail and then walking around to enjoy Montclair Village! Haha take your sweet time and enjoy that free parking! There are many cute shops, grocery stores, coffee, and restaurants in the village. When you exit the garage by foot, turn left and you'll see a sign for Montclair Railroad Trail. This is definitely the "start" of the trail because the trail markers increase from 1/4 mile .. to 1 mile at the end of the trail, and then 2 miles total when you return (it is an out and back trail). It is a pretty easy walking path. There will be a few others but lots of space to keep distanced. The history of the spot is cool - it used to be railroad tracks (lol yuppp hence the name!). There is a sign speaking to this history along the trail. Get some fresh air, check out a new trail, enjoy the village, and take advantage of free parking!

Very nice walk , good for people with walkers. Fairly flat and level. Lots of dogs on and off leash…read more, although leashes are required.

Notable is the skyline views of San Francisco. Very new park near the brewery and 'spirit alley' -…read moreis that what they call it where Almanac is located? Come here for the views. Very pleasant in the evening when the sun is going down. Lots of new apartments in the area - and I suppose that is who this park is mostly for. This area used to be the old Navel Air station. It is slowly getting transformed one park and residence at a time. There is a lot of hidden areas here in the general area that most people probably don't know about. Scolaries food truck I think is one of the bigger highlights.

A great new park in Alameda!!…read more This park sprung up as a result of the Naval Base being shut down, as did all the nearby apartments.. This area is now called Alameda Point. This is a good park, located near the water. It's long, flat, and straight, seems like a good place for skateboarding or the like!! The art structure stands out here. Lots of places to sit here also. A very good addition to this area!!

I'm not someone who suffers from a syndrome I like to call "hiking hubris", I.e., I don't…read moremindlessly skip along on loose gravel presuming I have the scaling dexterity of a Nepalese sherpa. The De La Veaga Trail is rated as "Moderate", and they're not kidding. It connects Scotts Peak off Grizzly Peak Blvd in Tilden Park with central Orinda near the BART station. I didn't think these two points connected until I saw there was a whole area called Siesta Valley. While it's rustically scenic with Mt. Diablo views, there is little else except steep hillsides and the two trails that traverse it of which the De La Veaga is the longer one. It started on a narrow but relatively flat trail that runs along Grizzly Peak judging from the sound of traffic from above. Once I turned into the valley itself, the gravel felt a lot looser, and there were long stretches of mud even though it had not rained in over three weeks. The trail climbed pretty abruptly into the ridge line overlooking Hwy 24 in the distance. There was a cattle gate that signaled the trail was going to descend. It did and right onto a fire road where the pastoral setting was interrupted by the presence of high voltage power towers. Surprisingly it was on the way down winding into Orinda where I faced most of the challenge as there wasn't much traction provided by the loose gravel on the road. I slipped several times coming down the hill to the point where I had to pause and acknowledge my age. Perhaps walking sticks are a good idea at least for a "Moderate" trail although I have to say some that are labeled in that category were not as challenging as this one. Walking back to my starting point was much more manageable because I knew the watch-out points. This is probably not a trail that I'll walk frequently. RELATED - Up for a hike? Here's a collection of trails that I've walked and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2OrC8nU

SIESTA VALLEY RECREATION AREA is managed by East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD), which has…read morea business address of 375 11th Street in Oakland, CA. Siesta Valley Recreation Area takes the form of huge series of rolling hills, mostly taking the form of grassy meadows, with scenic groves of eucalyptus trees located here and there. The attached Google map photo shows how the trail weaves through groves of trees (see, PHOTO). There is one main trail, which can best be accessed by parking at the parking lot for the Little Train. The second of the two attached Google map photos shows where to find the Little Train parking lot, and the nearby trail that leads you to the main trail in Siesta Valley (see, other PHOTO). The Little Train is well-known by most people in the East Bay, particularly by folks living in Oakland or in Berkeley. Once you have parked near the Little Train, Siesta Valley Recreation Area is best accessed by hiking south on BAY AREA RIDGE TRAIL. After about 20 minutes, you will arrive at the SCOTT'S PEAK TRAILHEAD. The trail is easy to find and easy to follow, because it takes the form of a well-groomed dirt road. The good quality and distinct nature of this dirt road trail is similar to that of EAST RIDGE TRAIL, which is located in REDWOOD REGIONAL PARK, located a couple of miles south of Siesta Valley Recreation Area. MAIN FEATURES. The trail takes about 90 minutes to hike from the western trailhead (Scott's Peak Trailhead) to the eastern trailhead (located on Camino Pablo Avenue in Orinda, CA, just north of the Orinda BART station). What is attractive about this hike are: (1) A great opportunity for aerobic exercise; (2) Grand vistas of distant Mount Diablo and, on occasion, the attractive sight of thick blankets of low-hanging cloud-cover that block the view of towns between Orinda and Mount Diablo; (3) Beautiful sculptural qualities of the rolling hills that you will see during your hike along the entire trail; (4) The opportunity to see occasional deer; (5) Wildflowers and plants such as, Fuller's teasel. The scenery and wild plants found during your hike at Siesta Valley Recreation Area are similar to that encountered on hikes in the western half of LAS TRAMPAS in Castro Valley. What is similar between this part of LAS TRAMPAS and Siesta Valley Recreation Area are the rolling hills that are mostly bare of trees, the lack of crowds of other hikers, and the need to carry an EBMUD hiking pass.

Street public parking only Small, but view of the lake is…read morevery clear and can easily walk over in a minute Slightly stained but spacious and clean Wide flat areas to walk, have picnic and play in kids' section The issue of course and sadly is the homeless crisis in Oakland/Bay Area There were multiple tents spread out and seems to be there for a while

It's 2026, and Snow Park's homeless tents have only grown BIGGER. We're talking semi-permanent…read morestructures at one of the main entrances of the park, and smack in the middle of it under the tree. Complete disregard for park goers safety, and especially children and their caregivers who utilize the playground. I hope the newly passed Encampment Abatement Policy (April 2026) will solve this issue once and for all.

EBMUD, Oakland I…read moredidn't want to mail in my water bill so I came by to drop it off instead and the staff that helped me was very helpful. Would recommend it whenever in the area.

I've been on EBMUD watershed trails before but never wrote a review, searched and someone already…read morestarted one so here is mine. Hiked Sat 11.28.20 Chabot Staging Area EBMUD Watershed. You need a permit to hike in here, my friend has one so I tagged along. There's one pit toilet, make sure you bring your own tp cuz not always available. No drinking water here. We started on the Ramage Peak Trail to Dinosaur Trail. To Dinosaur Peak it's 2.2 miles one way. It's got lots of steep hills to climb, at least it's short. Nice rocks that look like the back of a dinosaur, worth it for the photos. On the way back we did 1 mile each way on Ramage Peak Trail where trail split. It's close to me since I'm in Fremont and Castro Valley Is only 30min each way.

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!

The Bay Trail, which runs all over the Bay, is always a good choice!!…read more This stretch through Oakland, in the Jack London Square area, runs right next to the water. It will take you as far north to Emeryville, Berkeley, and beyond. Gets windy here in the evening, but on clear days you can get some nice views. I had a nice, after dinner stroll here!!

Um. This is why I moved to the Bay Area. For me, this trail exemplifies why we pay those high rent…read moreprices and work those stressful jobs. To enjoy the beauty that surrounds us. Wow, I'm gettin' real corny, eh?! The Bay Trail is 500 Miles - 47 Cities - 9 Counties long and encompasses the North, East & South Bays and SF proper. Whether you bike, walk, skate or just sit, do expect beautiful views of the Bay. I didn't realize the extent of it myself until I clicked on the website and I'll be damned, this trail is LEGIT. I myself have done from about San Leandro/Alameda thru to Emeryville and man, oh man what a great bike ride. Are some parts a bit sketchy, closed and/or unmarked? Yep, (that Emeryville area is a bit wonky), but you can pick up a free map (and a t-shirt) at any of the parks offices and really follow along to get you back en route. A few more bonuses: along the route you can find some public bathrooms and water fountains (SCORE), and there are a TON of picnic benches in some parts. Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Yep, Yelp app to find some sammies and boom - picnic! The trail does go through multiple parks (at least on the East Bay side) where parking is available, just an FYI. Exercise, beautiful views and landscapes while enjoying the world outside is how I like to spend my free time. If you do as well, go ahead peep their website and I'll see ya on the trail!