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!

I love just walking along Albany beach. The sound of the waves crashing, the smell of the sea air…read moreis so relaxing. I had a beautiful dinner by the beach. I walked the trail, watched the sunset & just enjoyed my evening.

This is an idyllic place to hike and picnic in Tilden. There is a lake (pond?) that has a swimming…read morearea, but I personally don't think it is especially clean for that. But there are lots of turtles and birds to watch. For picnics, there are tables and a large grassy expanse for laying down a spread and also playing frisbee. For a hike, the loop around the lake (pond?) is perfect for kids and adults who are able to climb rocks and scramble comfortably along a few narrow strips of the trail. There is a bridge and an area where kids like to explore the creek. There are other paths off the lake, but those do tend to have more mountain bikes. This is an especially nice park when we have our late summer weather in September and October. Plenty of parking.

Lake Care…read more Recreational swimming reservoir located in Tilden Regional Park that was named after Spanish "explorer" Juan Bautista de Anza. The Good: *Free *Swimmable *There's a beach area** with actual sand *Fishing allowed (w/ CA fishing license [$62]) *±3/4-mile loop trail around the lake that has some gorgeous almost Hoh Rainforest-like vibes (IYKYK). *Restrooms** *Large paved lot The Meh: *Area has signs about a dangerous algae bloom in the water, so if you do go swimming, make sure not to intake too much water--and keep your pets away from it! *There's also signs telling you how to prepare any fish you catch here. The Ugly: *As the signs state "Rough Trail," and boy howdy is it rough. Especially when it's wet, as some of the trails around the backside were ultra thick, slippery mud which had us fighting for our lives! Bring a hiking pole(s) or a hiking stick to help with steadying yourself. Conclusion: Cool spot with a trepidatious hike that's for a good payoff. Gird your loins and just do it! **area was under construction when we visited in Dec '24, but we're assuming it'll be done by summer?

A nice park near the Berkeley Marina!!…read more Lots of dirt trails, with the fence keeping you from venturing off. I've accessed this park at the corner of Frontage Road and University Avenue and also at Marina Blvd. There are plaques explaining the history of this area in the park. This park is bigger than I think it is, I also don't think I've been on all the trails yet. Definitely gotta check this place out more again!!

Park near Berkeley Marina. Its a park I've driven by probably dozens of times - something…read moreoverlooked. For whatever reason I was never drawn to this place. Its a great place to take a walk near the bay and between that and the highway. Its all fenced off between the marina and the park - witch can make it seem isolated. I like the marina much better than this place. I'd rather walk at the marina near the water.

Cesar Chavez Park is one of my favorite parks to go to in the entire Bay Area during the summer…read more It sits on the water, so we can get very windy here. That's why I prefer to go in the summer when the days are warm. The wind cools you down nicely. The average temperature here at Cesar Chavez Park is probably about 10° cooler than the temperature in Berkeley proper during the summer, because here you get the onshore wind right off the ocean. Kites are extremely popular at this park. Bring your own, and sometimes there is a person selling them for exorbitant prices. To walk the circumference of the park takes about 45 minutes.

Such a calming and vast green space by the marina. Perfect for walks, kite-flying, or just sitting…read moredown and meditating with a loved one.

This Adventure Playground is a very unique place for kids. Unlike regular playgrounds with fancy…read moreequipment, this one is designed to encourage creativity, imagination, and hands-on play. Children can explore a more primitive, open-ended play environment where they are free to build, paint, and create. Instead of just slides and swings, kids get to use real tools like hammers and nails, paint wood, and build their own little structures. It's amazing to watch how children use their imagination here. They learn problem-solving, creativity, teamwork, and confidence while playing. Kids can: Learn to use simple real tools (hammer, nails) Paint and decorate wood Build small structures ‍ Climb and explore the handmade wooden playground Sometimes playgrounds don't need to be fancy. What kids really need is freedom to create and explore, and this place gives them exactly that. Best part: Free admission Kids can play for hours Encourages creativity and independence Beautiful location near the water Shorebird Park Adventure Playground 160 University Ave, Berkeley, CA A great spot if you want your kids to play, explore, and use their imagination instead of just sitting with screens.

OK early morning stop. I wanted my parents and kids to see some water and we stopped by since we…read morewere in the area and this park is open early. It's too cold to go into the water but you can see a bit of San Francisco on a clear day. Its actually a perfect representation of the Bay Area for visitors. Cold, sky is gray, and rocks near the water is covered with slippery seaweed. At the very end of University Ave you can find plenty of parking and two of the odd/unique attractions. There is a giant sundial near the pier. Its 10 foot in diameter and a gift from Berkeley's sister city Sakai, Japan. There is a giant proto-asian culture style statue called "The Guardian" on the grass. The Guardian is an extrapolation of a six-inch clay and wood sculpture in a Buddhist temple in Penang. The city fiercely resisted Frederic Fierstein's plopping of the Guardian. Fierstein fiercely fought back. Fierstein gathered signatures and placed an initiative on the ballot in support of the Guardian. The worst thing about coming so early are there was a person smoking weed in their car and kept loudly cursing on the phone even with kids and old people visibly around.

The Lake Temescal loop is a beautiful easy-medium short walk that's a little over a mile…read more As you walk the only partially paved trail you'll see a ton of wildlife (ducks and fish) and quite a few dogs being walked as well as a waterfall water feature. The views are picturesque and it's quite serene for how busy it is. The second half of the trail (after you loop around near the fallen tree) isn't paved and in poor weather would be likely too muddy to be particularly safe, so I would probably walk elsewhere after a good rain or while it's drizzling. All in all, we had nevr been to this lake before and it was gorgeous so we fully intend to return!

Great place for fishing or a walk if you live in the area. Its a scenic place for not being all…read morethat large. Parking lot, kids play structure BBQ areas and picnic tables along with a clean walking path around the edge make for a good day with friends or family. I think it had been 35 years since I was last here since a few days ago. I barely remember a company picnic with my parents as a little kid. Obligatory company Christmas parties and picnics I'm sure everybody knows what those are about - and as a little kid it wasn't so bad. I think just now as we get older its the type of thing we look to gracefully exclude ourselves from. Too cool for school, too cool for Lake Temescal - yeah, maybe I think so.

Beautiful day at Point Emery! I came here with my husband for a quick late lunch picnic to avoid…read morethe crowd. We were thankful to found a last parking spot when we arrived. Got to come down and sat on a bench for a quick picnic lunch. Love the view on a beautiful sunny day on a Saturday afternoon!

Close access to the beach and trail for running/biking!…read more You can still see the freeway, but overall it's a relaxing route to run/bike and to see the coastline.

Here's a video I made of this secret Beach: https://youtu.be/lbQslFsYw4Y…read more Lots of junk and little to see. This place is a very out-of-the-way junky strip of land right next to the toll plaza. You can only get here when going westbound. You take the exit 8A then take an immediate right and there you are. It's the same exit you take when you are going to the parking lot for the Bay Bridge bike trail. I did not have high hopes for this strip of land, and these hopes were realized. I came here to find three geocaches, which I found. However, I was not prepared for all the junk and Stuff dumped along the road. The junk is everywhere. It appears that some homeless people also might be living here. I did not feel particularly safe the entire time I was here. After the furthermost section of road, the road was partially flooded so I did not try to access that section. Who knows, maybe over there at turns into an island paradise?

Toll Plaza Beach AKA Radio Beach - Just to the north of the toll plaza . It's a little difficult to…read moreget here - the only access is by taking the very last exit to West Grand before you reach the toll plaza. Once on the exit, take the first right and you will go down a pot holed access road to the beach area. It's not the lind of beach where you would want to lay out on and tan or go swimming for that manner - this is still Oakland after all :) The beach is popular with wind and kite surfers and also you may see a motor home or two with some derelict types "camping" there.

We've rafted twice more with All-Outdoors since my last review - Goodwin Canyon in October 2022,…read moreand then Middle Fork American River again this past month (both 1-day trips). The last time we rafted Middle Fork American was on a cold, gloomy, drizzling day in October 2019 - so we had to give it another go in warmer weather. This time around was just as memorable. Two of us in the boat ended up falling out in the water at Tunnel Chute, which happened so fast that I barely knew what had happened - thankfully, there was a nice calmer stretch of water right after through the river tunnel, so we were easily able to get back into the raft. (Thank you to our guide, Troy, for hauling me back in, and for being an awesome guide in general!) Plus this was one of the photographer spots, so the action was all captured for us to laugh about later. Later, after our tasty sandwich picnic lunch, we had a few unexpected events happen, starting from the portage down Ruck-a-Chucky Falls. Shout-out to all three guides in our group - Troy, Shea, and AJ - for handling things so calmly and getting us all back where we were supposed to be! We had plenty of calm stretches floating down the river as well. The canyon is beautiful and quite peaceful. We saw a ton of dragonflies flying above our heads, masked ducks chilling on rocks and diving underwater, and wild grapes and blackberries growing alongside the river. We'll be back again for another trip with All-Outdoors! Maybe we'll try a 2-day or 3-day trip next time.

This rafting company is the best! We did the South Fork of the American River and had a blast. I…read morehighly recommend this trip and company. Ask for Markus to be your guide. You won't be disappointed.