Date: 7/26/2025 Time: 12:45 PM 64° Cloudy It has been about 50 years since I have visited this park. It was a company picnic and my daughter wasn't born yet. Wow! That is a long time. What brings me here today? Well, my daughter's boyfriend planned a picnic for his family and friends. This park is up in the Oakland Hills and in a somewhat different environment compared to several parks that I have been to in Oakland - Mosswood Park, DeFremery Park and Middle Harbor Shoreline Park for picnics. Less noise, hardly any sea gulls waiting to pounce on any remnant of food on the ground, no riff raffs crashing a picnic. Our group was situated in one area of the park with plenty of picnic tables and a bbq pit. I noticed further away was a play area for families with children. Usually I would get up and start exploring. However, old age has crept up on me. I just sat, ate my food and put in two requests for music. (No diggity...gotta bag it up...Blackstreet in the house followed with Groove Me by Guy). Always a hit at a picnic is Before I Let Go by the late Frankie Beverly and Maze. Perhaps I did not stay long enough to see if anybody was get them bones out for dominos or cards for spade. The weather got cold and I was tired. read more

See all

Have been here a few times to play Pickleball. A friend is able to reserve the courts in advance, which is great for busy times. Now that it is such a popular sport there is always somebody waiting. There is street parking which is free on Sundays, but otherwise paid. The park itself says no dogs allowed which is a minus. We do see dogs in the pickle ball area occasionally. As long as nobody's regulating, I guess they are fine. There are 4 courts and it can get a little annoying when the neighboring courts ball goes into your court since there's no barrier. There is cement stadium seating up on top so you can look down and watch the games if you like. Can get very sunny and windy depending on the day so be prepared! There are little benches on the size where you can place your stuff while you play. Be careful sitting on it, might be wobbly. Have not used the restrooms here, but heard sometimes they're closed or dirty. People usually go up to the Lucky supermarket around the corner to use the restroom. read more

See all

Hard for me not to give this park, or park and recreation center a good rating. This park has everything, basketball courts, skating areas, tennis, playground, exercise areas, historical artifacts, a pond and picnic areas! It's a good size, I did enjoy working out on the pull up bars. It's also a short walk to Montclair Village, so basically you can choose your form of exercise here, then take a short walk to grab a bite to eat or drink. Parking is a challenge in Montclair, this park is no different. A very good, multipurpose park!! read more

See all

Montclair Recreation Center is the City of Oakland public park and rec center for the Montclair neighborhood. My nieces have liked coming to the playground here for years. It's located adjacent to the busy retail section of Montclair, on the north side of Lucky Supermarket. The park is small. It has a pond, tennis and pickleball courts, an outdoor basketball court, a softball field, greenspaces, picnic tables, seating areas, and more. One of my nieces loves the monkey bars and "obstacle course" at the playground, along with the swings and slide. Her parents told me they've brought her and her sister here a lot, even during the pandemic. Unsurprisingly, they said there were less people at the playground during the pandemic. During my late afternoon holiday visit in 2023, the playground was busy, but not crowded. There was a nice, diverse mix of children and parents/guardians. The playground was clean and felt safe. My brother-in-law and I took my younger niece here and she didn't want to leave. She did whatever it took to get us to stay. For example, on the way out, she ran into the playhouse (at least, that's what I think it was) and play carriage. We parked for free on the street next to the park, on Moraga Ave. The main reason I'm giving this place three stars (OK) instead of four (good) is because there are no public restrooms here. What if there's an emergency? Also, due to its small size, the park is limited in what it can offer. That said, it's perfectly adequate for kids and I have good memories here. read more

Lovely park. Met some friends the other day here with our kiddos. Small playarea for smaller kids and a bigger one for bigger kids. Super cool area. Lots of green space, basketball and pickle ball courts and more. Super clean. Obviously quite cold in the winter as it is in the hills but lovely space. Would love to visit more often read more

See all

I have been to Montclair Park for a picnic. I like the geese. But I have heard people complain out goose poop. Today, there were workers there power washing goose poop--yay!!! I didn't see the turtles today. Metered parking on street--$1/hr. There are Pickleball Courts that you can reserve $10/hour at cityofoakland.perfectmind.com or free for walk ons. Playground equipment for little kids. There is also a skateboard ramp. read more

See all

Sad to see how dirty this park has turned out to be. Dead animals, fish and garbage everywhere. I used to bring my oldest here to see the ducks and play. It was his favorite. It's just disgusting now. read more

Montclair Recreation Center - This is the water now. Can't see through it and dead giant fish and animals on the surface there were multiple of these huge fish. - Recreation Centers Near Me - Oakland, California

Montclair Recreation Center has many attributes that aren't readily visible. the softball fields, greens, bench area, children's playground are in plain sight. hidden are the geese, duck ponds, small pond, bbq grills, skateboard ramp, various old structural and historical artifacts just metered street parking that i see. 3.5 star for a seeemingly well maintained rec center/park. read more

They allow three of the four courts to be reserved, so anyone looking for pickup games and the social aspect of pickleball has to wait on a single court. Today, I waited an hour and half before I gave up and left w/o ever getting to play. This is a public park, not a country club! Do not waist your time going to these courts because you will have to wait forever to play and you might get one game in after 3 hours. I tried to find some feedback forum or a City of Oakland feedback forms, but no luck. read more

Montclair Recreation Center - All of these paddles waiting on a single court. - Recreation Centers Near Me - Oakland, California

As the only park in all of Oakland with REAL PICKLEBALL COURTS, that's enough for me to give the park a five star rating. In addition to that awesome amenity, it also features a large field, a baseball diamond, a skateboard ramp/half pipe, basketball, a recently redone play area with soft rubber 'floor' (unlike the gravel of my youth), tree lined picnic areas and a turtle filled pond are other highlights. The decades old Wells Fargo Wagon climbing structure is still there, though it might not any longer be safe for climbing. A tennis court on the north end has lighting and seems well maintained, if not as well used as the pickleball courts. The close access to the shops and restaurants of Montclair Village make this area perfect for a grand day out. read more

Review #128 - 2018 I think we've finally found a decent park that is within close proximity to our home. It may not be the greatest park, but it has a great kid's playground and that's what's important to us currently. The park has a lot of ducks so you can imagine that there are plenty of duck poops all over the park and grass area. Thank goodness they don't come and poop on the kids playground. There are two separate play areas. One for kids under five and one for kids over five. It's nice that the younger kids don't have to fight for the rides with the older kids. They also provide little baby tricycles, which my daughter really enjoyed. Sadly, after about an hour, she still refused to leave so mommy had to carry her out while she was crying. read more

Montclair Recreation Center - 05/10/2018 - Recreation Centers Near Me - Oakland, California

At first glance, this park has everything. Separate area for little ones under 5 and a big play structure for the older kids. There is a small lake with ducks and geese as well as a huge skateboard ramp. BBQ grills and tables well shaded under a bunch of tall trees. However, upon closer look, this park is filthy. Bathrooms were so disgusting that I'd rather risk peeing in my pants than using the toilet. The stench was awful and I couldn't even bring myself to walk in because it looked horrendous. Perimeter around the lake is covered in goose poop. I couldn't let my kid even lean against it to peer into the lake because he would've gotten up and the bottom of his sleeves would've been coated in goose poop. Entire play area is littered with wrappers from snacks as well as dropped food. Kids were eating on the play structure completely unsupervised and dropping crackers everywhere. In other words, people who come here are discourteous and do not make any effort to maintain a nice environment for everyone to share. Pluses were it's right off of the Hwy 13 so easy access to this location. Plenty of parking on Morenga which is the street next to the park. If you park on the park side, there is only metered parking. I generally don't like crossing big streets with my little one so we didn't attempt to find parking on the other side of the street which was free. There was a really cool old wood structure and metal stage coach where we sat for snack time (and YES, we cleaned up after ourselves and threw away our trash). Glad we checked this out today because I like to scope out different parks for my kid but for an extra 5min drive, I'd much rather go to Dracena Park on the other side of Hwy 13. Do yourself a favor and go there instead. This park is serviceable but I personally prefer going to parks where people in the community take pride in doing their part to maintain it in good order. read more

Montclair Recreation Center - Separate play area for little ones under 5 yrs old but not enclosed - Recreation Centers Near Me - Oakland, California

Amazing and caring staff! They are great communicating with families and they go out of their way to create a fun program.

Though I moved into the Montclair/Piedmont Pines neighborhood 2 years ago, the first time I came to this park was back in August. Upon finding (metered) street parking, from a distance I saw the geese-filled pond, fountain, two playgrounds, and the real life version of the stagecoach straight out of a Wells Fargo logo next to some "wild, wild, west"-themed play structures. It all looked so promising. Until I finally stepped onto the paved path just past the entrance of the park. I just could not believe the sheer volume of faeces EVERYWHERE. It looked like months of build-up and I couldn't believe just how rarely the park must have been cleaned. While there was no sign of poopery on and immediately around the playground structures, I couldn't imagine just how much bacteria must have been present on the playground structures as well if the rest of the park was SO neglected. As my daughter took her wobbly steps towards the pond, excited to see the geese, she stepped on piles and piles of white gunk mixed with feathers. I was so glad I caught her just in time before she faceplanted right into a pile of crap minutes later and finally decided I just couldn't let my then-early walker continue exploring in the area. We hadn't been back since then - until yesterday. Apparently, there's not too much geese poop this time of year. (Yay!) Now that the geese poop wasn't the star of the park, I was able to appreciate some of its features, including: * The separate playground for younger tots and older children, though the former is a bit on the small side and 2 of the slides are blocked by a janky looking board with spraypaint on it. * Instead of wood chips (which have penetrated the soles of my shoes 2x at the Roberts playground), they use outdoor safety flooring in the form of rubber(?). You still don't want your kids falling off the playground and onto the ground and spraining their ankle or dislocating their arm, but it could reduce the risk of serious injury. * They have a cute Wells Fargo stagecoach next to an open-air wild, wild, west themed play structure that resembles a very small building which allows kids to walk/run through openings. * The pond is home to turtles. * There are plenty of (filthy) benches to eat at. While other playgrounds often have direct sunlight providing natural sanitization on the germ-prone railings, wheels, slides, and other parts commonly touched by kids, these playgrounds do have some trees around them casting a shade. If you're a germaphobe, this park isn't for you. (In fact, most aren't.) Otherwise, this could be a great place for the kids. We plan to continue bringing hand sanitizers and wet wipes whenever we go. read more

See all

Fabulous Park for toddlers. Two playgrounds, a stage coach, pond with ducks and geese, green grassy areas and a skate park. Great place to spend time before or after getting groceries, visiting the farmer's market, etc. read more

Okay, it's a park. An open space with play equipment in the middle of our urban jungle...so it's not getting less than 4 stars. But there is one glaring problem with the recent upgrade to the playgrounds. Why on earth the removal of the gate at the toddler play area?! I can only hope that this is a temporary oversight, and they'll be putting it back. I counted not less than 5 (not including myself) mothers and nannies who were continually sprinting after escapees. A latching gate is a necessity for contained play areas geared towards the 2-4 age set. Especially with a lake in such close proximity. Pro: I am not a fan of sand and its ability to permeate every single crack, crevice, and bodily orifice, so I do like that they replaced it with that weird bouncy rubber turf. Con: The new design of the baby swings is a bit of a bummer in that there is only one way to use them - the old-school ones that allow you to face your child in 2 different directions are great on days when you may want to put your child's back to the blazing sun. Pro: The interactive musical features (drums, bells) on each play area are a nice touch. Con: I know it was a huge liability, but I do miss the original old Western town play area - when it had the roof you could scale...and fall off of. All good things must come to an end. Note: Also, the ubiquitous Oaklanadian geese have made a home on the lawn and lake, so beware the prolific amounts of goose shit. read more

Really chill little skate park. Safe, easy parking, nice placd to walk around. Skate park has a mini ramp, small box, and little rail. Highlight of this skate park is definitely the mini, good for practicing all your mini ramp tricks. Good coping, good height, solid place. Definitely check it out! read more

This park has so much potential but is in SUCH disrepair! The city should be ashamed! This park could be such a jewel of the community if the city put some effort into reviving it. There is broken glass and duck feces everywhere, broken play structures, overgrown landscaping, disgusting bathroom facilities, broken handrails. This is a nightmare of a park for young children! I have never seen a cleaning crew on site, and the amount of duck feces build-up is proof. Disgusting. read more

Ok playgrounds. Nice that there is a tot playground with us separate from a bigger kids playground. Western town was a little disappointing. Lots of ducks and geese. Watch out for droppings. Short walk to nearby eating establishments. Parking was not to hard to come by, but is along a narrowish busy street. read more

Montclair park is wonderful, despite a few maintenance issues. Background: I grew up in this park. Baseball, running around the pond, climbing the willow trees around the pond, climbing the jungle gym (removed several remodels ago), and playing tag around the fire tower on Indian Hill. There was a separator between Montclair School and the park. Live trains ran on the embankment during classes. Students were not allowed to cross through the tunnel to the park during school hours. For so many kids this was the first base ball game, the first day excursion in Indian Day Camp, birthday picnics, and teenage gatherings. How many kids growing up in Montclair shared their first kiss in the fire lookout tower on Indian Hill? The drawback is that children need to be watched, and there are bird droppings all around the park. This is a park. That can be expected. Next time I am in Montclair I will visit Indian Hill. Too bad the fire tower was torn down long ago. If the park staff had a Montclair Park cleanup day, I would be there. The park belongs to the community, and lets clean it up and make something great out of it. read more

Cute little park but don't plan on soaking up any sun here after 3 in the fall/winter season due to the low elevation so bring a sweater. The small lake is quaint as is the Western town for smaller kids, but they should really build out the skate park area - the one ramp is simply too small for more than two people at a time and my son had to take turns every time he got on the ramp. Not a bad way to socialize with other kids, but compared to the skate park in Dublin this one appears to be in serious need. As far as aesthetics go, considering the close proximity to the street I think a lot can be done to improve the curb appeal of the park to make it appear a little more inviting and warm. Also, the walkway near the park that goes over Moraga Ave. could use some updating. read more

See all

A cute family-friendly park located in the Montclair area and right next to Lucky grocery store. There is metered street parking above the stairs leading down to the park. Not quite sure about the lower level. I'm guessing there is street parking surrounding the park. I just parked in the Lucky parking lot since I was going to do some grocery shopping afterwards. There are different playground areas for various children ages, a small skateboarding area, tennis court, etc. There's a little pond area with ducks, turtles, and fishes. The park is not very clean and needs to be kept in better condition. I didn't even bother using the restrooms there but you can just imagine how dirty a public park restroom is. My toddler niece enjoyed walking and running around the park though. This park is a great option if you live close by, but it honestly needs to be cleaner and dog walkers need to pick up their dog's shit. Don't be inconsiderate. read more

For 15 years our group had our annual founders day picnic at this great little park. The kids could go to the play area and get lost in playing for hours. The grownups would sit around eat and play card or board games. The teens were off to the basketball court until the sack races! We always enjoyed the entire day there. NO dogs, no hoodrats, just a great time. read more

Great little park. Lots of things to do for everyone. The kids had a blast, between the old western town play area, the duck pond which also has these really cool turtles, and a great jungle gym area. There's also a small skateboard park, tennis courts and nearby restrooms which of course is important. A very large, nicely maintained grass area, too. We had a birthday party there on a Sunday. I thought I was getting there early enough so I could scope out a picnic table and I almost lost out because there were only two left by 11:30...and there are quite a few, too, in the central park area right in front of the duck pond...at least 10 - 15 good sized tables with a few BBQ pits. It's first come, first serve. If you go on a Sunday, keep in mind there's a farmer's market that day so the street parking can be a challenge. But everyone in our party was able to find parking fairly close to the park. My Mom was with us, who is in a wheelchair, and the park accommodated that very nicely in all areas, which was great. We all had a lot of fun. Even a few of the kids were crying because they just didn't want to leave since they were enjoying themselves so. A great family location. read more

Disappointing. The pond is disgusting..wish they would fill it up with nice green lawn. Geese droppings on pathways and grass. the stagecoach horses have gaping holes and i've witnessed children tripping because of the uneven boards in that area. Picnic tables are trashed and what green grass exists is either covered with geese crap or is too patchy or uneven to play on without tripping. Roberts Park or nearby Piedmont Park is soooo much nicer. read more

I like the park so much. It's fun to go there a lot. The only thing I don't like though is that there is no sand on the playground like there was when I was young. I don't like the skate rink either. The skate rink is filled with some annoying teens. I wish there were some guards or cameras so that people can be safe from harm. read more

The gymnastics classes by Dee Dee are wonderful. She is so energetic and really loves the sport and the kids. The equipment may not be the latest and greatest but it suits its purpose. I would trade equipment for an enthusiastic instructor any day. You can't beat the price, very affordable compared to private gyms. read more