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.

This park is absolutely delightful. It sits in the city of Piedmont, which is a bit of unusual city…read moregeographically because it is completely encapsulated by Oakland. It's somewhat of an oasis in Oakland. And this park is an oasis within that. The park isn't huge, but it does the job. Love the trails, great with the dog, and every once in a while, they'll have the food trucks. Parking nearby is easy.

We spent a crisp morning walking throughout the variety of trails in Piedmont Park. There's a dog…read morerun, play structure, plenty of bench seating, and many shady areas to explore. The safety railings and paved walkways with extra grooves to prevent slippage, especially in steeper sections. The trails would also make a great place to run as most of the paving is flat. This is definitely a place for repeat returns.

What a nice park; filled with greenery and trails galore…read more Park near the ranger station. Be sure to walk over to the nursery garden area too. The Sunset trail is a winner; get a brochure to view your route. Enjoy.

Beautiful park in Oakland. Lots of nice trails and there are dedicated off leash dog areas and dog…read morepark. Plenty of parking is available as well. There is a playground for children and steps for those that want to use stairs for their exercise routine.

I stumbled up on this open space area on a drive of Skyline Drive. I had no idea Oakland was so…read morevast and had so much open space! The preserve is 928 acres with lots of trails to explore. The main one is Round Top, Volcanic, and Skyline loop which is a little over 3 miles, and there is a trail connecting to the nearby Huckleberry Botanical Regional Preserve for a longer hike. I noticed a lot of purple and yellow thistles. I liked this preserve because there were many views and you could see far out all the way to Mt. Diablo and beyond. It used to be a former volcano million of years ago and has lots of different rock formations which someone into geology would appreciate as well as a couple of labyrinths.

This might be one of my new favorite hikes in Oakland! I love the volcanic cliffs and seeing the…read morebeautiful green rolling hills. The trianl takes you through many different terrain so it never feels boring. I also enjoyed discovering interesting sites like the labyrinth and creepy sheds. They have a medium sized parking lot, but you can also park on the side of the road if needed. Bathrooms are available.

The Public Shoreline Trail is actually closed to the public during daylight hours. The gates are…read moreclosed during the evening for the homeowners that live next to or very close to this trail. This trail leads directly to Crab Cove and Crown Memorial Beach on one end and Ballena Bay on the other, and it's right next to the water. Lots of benches in the area to kick back on and enjoy the view. Check out this trail if you're in the area!!

This is a nice clean trail that is very easy to walk, run or bike ride…read more Started off at 512 Central ave. Free public parking in front of the gated community/condos We started off riding and before we knew it we were past the beach, past the bridge and all the way on the other side of the shoreline. We ended up riding 10 miles. It is a public shoreline trail however private homes are located in the area.

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!

The trail is about 2.5 miles and little over an hour. There are 2 picnic benches and a bathroom at…read morethe entrance, however there isn't much parking. It's a good alternative to nearby Sibley if you don't want to hike that long but for something longer, Huckleberry has a trail connecting to Sibley as well the Oakland hills, if you really want to you can get down to Joaquin Miller Park or Roberts/Reinhardt Redwoods; it's all connected. This trail is easier clockwise. I did it counterclockwise and it was a bit steeper on the way back. I liked how it was mostly shaded and had lots of ferns. The trail was a bit narrower than I was used to so beware of having to pass slow hikers. You could see views of Mount Diablo in the distance.

I just came here for 15 mins and it looks worthwhile to explore more…read more Lots of green everywhere. You start right from the parking lot and traverse downward heading east. Parking: may 8 spaces; you can park rightout the lot. Bathroom: clean. I would come back. Tip: bring water, snacks and sun protectant.

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!