A great place for the entire family. A beautiful park where you don't have to drive for hours to…read morevisit. On the weekends, parking is $5. Best to get there early because parking fills up quick. I was there for a BBQ on July 25th, at 10 a.m., and I was able to make parking in the overflow. There's parking on the outside street, but that fills up quick, as well. Anyway, inside the park, there's a long trail that goes all the way around the lake. There's boat rental, either kayak, paddle boat, you can rent a tour boat. I think you can bring your own boat, but it's best to call and make sure. There's BBQ and picnic benches. Volleyball court. A lot of green grass to sit, play sports. There's only one restroom near the boating area, and a few small restrooms if you trek around the lake. There are plenty of hiking trails. There's camping as well. An outdoor Cafe next to the boats. No swimming or wading. You can fish, but I wouldn't eat what you catch. There's warning signs about the water.

So this reservoir was built in 1874 but closed to public, then opened for recreational use in the…read more60s. So the trails around the lake have matured really well. Like most parts of the paved trails are very well shaded from trees that have grown over those years. My dog and I walk for around an hour to hour and a half, so we usually pick west or east from the parking lot and return the same way. I think we've only explored like half of the lake so far. I've seen wild turkeys, deers, rabbits, and ducks around. And if you are wearing overear headphones, you get the natures remix with all the birds and insects chirping.

My granddaughter loves this place! Ms. Tawnya and Ms. Rawnna are both so positive that they make…read moreevery child feel successful while learning new skills. The lessons are varied and cover a multitude of skills. I appreciate their hygiene policies. Every child has their temperature taken, questions asked about any cold or cough symptoms and hand sanitizer is used both before and after class. The equipment is all sanitized daily. They have a liberal make up policy for missed classes. They also have occasional open gyms to practice skills and parent night out events with pizza and activities. It's exciting to see all the progress my granddaughter has made in such a short time and the joy and confidence she is showing during her classes. One tip is that you need to book early as the classes fill quickly.

My toddlers (started at 2.5 years old) love going to Hudson Gymnastics! They get to freely explore…read moreso many different equipment at their own pace. Coach Rawnna is always keeping a close eye on all the kiddos and will offer support and brief 1-1 instruction throughout the class. I appreciate her gentle and warm approach to get my kids to try new skills/movements. We definitely wanna keep signing up!

Such an cool pool with awesome staff! I would recommend this place to everyone. Facilities are…read moreclean, staff are attentive and patrons are helpful too

It's crowded and patrons are rude. On the regular you have to deal with the following:…read more-towels stolen when left on lounge chairs -belongings thrown off lounge chair and chair taken over while you're in the water -grown adults will get in the lane, won't notify you, begin swimming, crashing head on into you (a bit traumatizing and dangerous) -circle swim w/ 3 people: certain types of people are impatient and angry for whatever reason, demanding you hurry up and push off the wall, are too slow, or try other tactics to bully you out the lane. (I continue swimming at my own pace, refuse to leave the lane) -communal shower, low water pressure. -swimsuit spinner always out of order -the director who sends out weekly newsletters is pretty efficient and has been there for years after previous high turnover.

We've been on our hunt for great parks throughout the East Bay now that our little is growing…read more Castro Valley Community Park is a beautiful one ~ plenty of safe parking with a lot attached and honestly, so much space. There is a little something for all ages here too which I enjoy. From slides, to swings, to a splash park I believe is open on weekends, to picnic areas, and a play area that is fenced off with sand for littles, it's definitely a home run spot. I appreciate parks that also are within nature. This spot seemingly has play/picnic/splash areas on one side, and beautiful open grass on the other. We've taken our nephews here before as well to play and they've loved over the years seeing nature at its best ~ from observing butterflies, collecting sticks/rocks (boys are boys!), to getting to run through the grass, we have made so many great memories and photo ops here. All in all, there's always a familiar face or friendly conversation to be had at this community park. There's shared toys in the smaller kiddo area like balls and sand toys, and creative play structures like bumble bees and jets to enjoy. After seeing so many parks, you begin to appreciate those that offer something unique and smile-worthy.

Parking lot small but there's a few street parking Clean…read morespacious organized and well kept Tennis courts kid playground basketball courts BBQ pits seating area and wide grass field for soccer Yeah, I think they got everything here I prob missed some other positives too Try this spot out

This is the nearest waterfront park I could find from Fremont, a 25-minute drive away. As a former…read moreislander, I got tired of living on land and needed a waterfront view in the East Bay. Thank goodness it was less smelly than San Francisco waters, yet a bit windy in the afternoon. Great place to go fishing here; not safe to swim since the currents looked rocky. Lots of benches and durable exercise equipment. There's also a playground on the grassy area and a basketball court on the other side of the park. Conveniently located across the golf course and next to a dog park. So beautiful and majestic for ocean therapy. Even the squirrels love to hang out here. I wish I lived closer to San Leandro so I could walk around this marina every day like I'm in Hawaii again. I would even take my date here for free to walk around and see airplanes from OAK Airport fly by the little islands. Expect full parking on the weekends, especially on holidays, since families love to picnic and walk their dogs here.

It's hidden and tucked back from the Main Street in a rather industrial area, but it's a beautiful…read moreoasis. There were tons of park benches and big tees for shade, and it's also close to a tennis or marina club that has a restaurant, but I don't know if it's members only. There is also a dog park. Very nice park and perfect round about path for a walk on the waterfront. Nice little gem in San Leandro.

Wow! The ARPD programs are AWESOME!!!!!! The people are friendly, they keep the kids busy, happy…read more& safe! My son is in the after school program & he really likes it. There is always something hoppin' in the summer camps & a LOT of age appropriate activities. They take walks, go swimming, play games, do art & some music, etc., etc., etc.! The ARPD programs are the BEST, the MOST COMPREHENSIVE & the CHEAPEST!!!!!!! Yay for Alameda Park & Recreation Department!!!!!

This is a critical review because there is nowhere else to criticize the programs I have issues…read morewith. Alameda Rec blanket covers these bad programs and allows the to continue despite obvious shortcomings. My daughter took a variety of summer camps in 2023. We went through the catalogue in the spring and had no issues picking any of our selections. She enjoyed, Hanabi Judo: Pokemon Camp, Young Rembrandts: Colorful Critters Workshop & Children's Aikido. The issues were with: CRTW: Oodles of Noodles, Play-Well: Minecraft Engineering w/ LEGO & Play-Well: STEM + Animal Architects w/ LEGO. Oodles of Noodles was the main offender with an additional $150 for materials that were is definitely overpriced. My daughter chopped vegis for two days of five and not much more than that. She did not learn a single sauce recipe or even tired various sauces to learn what's out there. The teachers were often on their phones bragging about the door dash being delivered to eat in front of the kids but not share. The Lego classes were generally a disappointment, with minor projects loosely tiesdto a theme but most of the time was just freeplay. My daughter was excited for weeks looking forward to the minecraft camp, but left deflated. I honestly felt like I let her down because there wasn't an opportunity to switch another camp, just money paid for "glorified" childcare. We will never sign up for these class again, will advise all within my social circle the same and will do thorough research before selecting future classes within Alameda Rec. I do think there are worthy camps to select.

Walked in Mother and have been wanting to join. Greeted very warmly by Daffany. She loves…read morebutterflies! I said your short and office space is so lovely. Decorated with butterflies. She said she loves butterflies. I said my Mother here is called Mother Butterfly at her church. She gave my Mother a beautiful butterfly you put in your yard. That was kind of her. Her energy, being so warm and friendly. This is perfect job for her. She had me sold on joining. She was the best. We walked around so the center. She explained everything in great details. I can't wait to experience the fun. Thank You ever so much Daffany.

A hidden gem in East Oakland with plenty of open-space parking. Near a library, senior center,…read moreyouth recreation building with indoor pool and gym, and outdoor tennis courts beside the no-dog park. One of the newest, most pristine Oakland Parks & Rec center. Classrooms have a separator that can facilitate mid-size group break-out activities. Indoor basketball courts can facilitate little junior bball games with plenty of spectators. The library(?) room serves well as an executive lounge. A small kitchen with working kitchen equipments perfect for serving hot meals. There are flushing toilets in each male and female bathrooms. Overall, it is a great venue to hold community forums, mid- to large-size group trainings and festivities.

H.A.R.D. has it's ups and downs, but Tenderfoot and Potowatomi is their gem! After the first day…read moreof camp, my kids decided they were going to be camp counselors when they get older. They have picked out their names and everything! The younger group - Tenderfoot has all kinds of fun plus little hikes. My daughter comes home filthy and happy every day. Potowatomi - 4-6th graders, get to do bigger hikes, go swimming and stay overnight one night. Having a timid child, I must say his self confidence grew immensely the first summer we did these programs. We are now on our second year of these summer camps and the kids just love them! It is an amazing program and has exceeded my expectations. We will continue to go to these camps every summer and suppose this wonderful program!

5 stars for Kristy and H.A.R.D…read more 0 star for Mega Math. They are a scam. We signed up for the EV3 robotics with embedded programming camp this week, the instructor 's name is Megha Salpekar. She is unprofessional and no manner. The class was unstructured and was not teaching in a classroom setting. She just put the Lego and laptops on the floor so the kids will have to work independently. However, no scope of project or theme was given. It's all free build. My son has never taken any programming class so he doesn't know anything about it. So he keeps asking the teacher questions about how it works. After "too many" questions asked, she scream at him and told him to go back to his seat and do his own stuff. He got frustrated because the teacher was not helpful and not provide any guidance, so he play video games for 3 hours. He said the teacher said it's okay to play video games because it's summer time. After learning the situation on the first day, I talked to Kristy trying to find a solution and then I also went to talk to the teacher on the second day. She was showing me the program that they use on the laptop. After asked my second question trying to find out how the class was structured, she started to get mad and yell at me. She seems to get annoyed pretty easily and have no patience with kids or parents. She's already not teaching and when you ask "too many" question, she will yell at you. Please avoid at all times. Most of their classes in H.A.R.D were cancelled. Now I know why. So their class was just to provide the laptop, software and Legos. Then she gets angry if you ask question. For $330, why don't I just get the stuff at home and we can play it for longer than a month! We have spike prime at home and my son enjoys it too and do not need to get yelled at.

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.

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

Excellent free open swimming in summers. Schedule:…read morehttps://www.haywardrec.org/facilities/facility/details/Sunset-Swim-Center-109 Low cost group swim lessons: https://anc.apm.activecommunities.com/haywardrec/home?onlineSiteId=0&locale=en-US&from_original_cui=true Thank you very much Swim Center employees! Clean. Has life guards.

Free recreational swim in the summer mid June to early Aug every Mon-Sat from 1:30-3:30pm!…read more There's lots of free parking at the school next door. Pool is split in half with buoys. To swim on deep end, must last a swim test. Two lifeguards on duty. They also have swim life vests that kids can use (not sure if they are free or not). Took away one star because there are no lockers, but there are showers and toilets.