Below is a list of the top and leading Parks in Oakland, CA. To help you find the best Parks located near you in Oakland, we put together our own list based on this rating points list.
Oakland’s Best Parks:
The top rated Parks in Oakland, CA are:
- Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park – sprawling forest featuring redwood groves & rare wildlife, plus trails, picnic areas & campsites
- Roberts Regional Recreation Area – an 82-acre park in a stand of second-growth redwoods, popular for picnics & recreational sports
- Leona Heights Park – a beautiful and moderately-challenging hike. Start an hour before sunset to catch incredible twilight views of the Bay Area or hike in the morning for peaceful, well-shaded solitude
- Rockridge-Temescal Greenbelt – urban greenbelt offers a playground, climbing wall & creek amid butterfly gardens & redwood groves
- Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline – wetland shorebird preserve offering trails, fishing, picnic areas, a boathouse & rental facilities
Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park
Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park is a hidden jewel of redwood woodland. The tranquil groves of the forest bear little resemblance to the park’s hectic history. The area was heavily logged in the mid-1800s to produce building materials for the San Francisco Bay Area. The logging era is long gone, and a magnificent forest of 150-foot coast redwoods now stands in its stead. The park was renamed in honor of Mills College president Dr. Aurelia Henry Reinhardt in 2019. Dr. Reinhardt was chosen to the Park District’s first Board of Directors in 1934, along with five other significant municipal leaders.
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Park
LOCATION:
Address: 7867 Redwood Rd, Oakland, CA 94619
Phone: (888) 327 2757
Website: ebparks.org/parks/reinhardt-redwood
REVIEWS:
“I was visiting from out of state and was looking for a good yet easy to access redwoods hiking site. I had already done Muir Woods but it’s a little out of the way and required reservations, parking fees, entrance fees, etc. I’m very happy I came across Reinhardt. I was able to do a really nice 4 mile hike in the morning and make it to a Giants game at noon. I started from the upper parking lot and wasn’t impressed at the beginning of the hike, but the middle section of the park with all the redwoods was beautiful.” – Scott Perdue
Roberts Regional Recreation Area
Roberts Regional Recreation Area is an 87-acre park that is a popular picnic spot for families and groups. It’s famed for its beautiful setting amid an Oakland forest of aromatic second-growth redwood trees off Skyline Boulevard. Between 1840 and 1860, the original grove was logged to meet the demands of a burgeoning Bay Area populace. Roberts was the first park in the two-county Regional Park District to be “adopted” by a local business early in 1979. Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation, based in Oakland, signed long-term cooperation to ensure the parkland’s continuous functioning.
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LOCATION:
Address: 10570 Skyline Blvd, Oakland, CA 94611
Phone: (888) 327 2757
Website: ebparks.org/parks/roberts
REVIEWS:
“Had a wonderful time here. There is safe parking in the park and access to a wonderful playground, swimming pool and the best trails in Oakland. You can get turned around easily, so watch yourself. Finally, you can count on clean bathrooms with running water and water fountains that actually work too.” – Jeff B
Leona Heights Park
Leona Heights Park is a lovely and moderately hard 2.3-mile out and back hike that climbs 600 feet. Start hiking an hour before dusk for spectacular twilight views of the Bay Area, or trek first thing in the morning for serene, well-shaded isolation. Because of the narrow, rocky hiking path, it’s advisable to keep small children close to Horseshoe Creek near the start, while larger children will enjoy navigating the climb all the way to the top. It’s possible to scramble up the huge stones in the creek bed during the dry summer months.
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LOCATION:
Address: 4444 Mountain Blvd, Oakland, CA 94619
Phone: (510) 615 5566
Website: oaklandparks.org/leona-heights-park/
REVIEWS:
“This is one of the more wild parks in the East Bay. Trails are narrow and often plunge steeply down into the creek on one side. There are no handrails. After a harrowing experience with three small children on a muddy path one day, I didn’t go back for years. I’m glad I did. It is quiet enough to hear the sound of water. It is shady with the perfect amount of light filtering through the towering branches of old redwoods.” – Lydia B.
Rockridge-Temescal Greenbelt
Rockridge-Temescal Greenbelt is a convenient urban oasis, popular for swimming, fishing, sunbathing, and picnicking. Drinking fountains and barbeques are available in North Temescal, Stream Side, Park View, and Big Rock. A compacted gravel pathway connects Stream Side and Big Rock. North Temescal is accessible by wheelchair. During the winter, the lake is stocked with rainbow trout, and during the summer, it is stocked with catfish. Largemouth bass, red-eared sunfish, and bluegill are among the other residents. The dam, the bathing area, and the stream are all closed to fishing.
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LOCATION:
Address: 5500 Claremont Ave, Oakland, CA 94618
Phone: (510) 238 7275
Website: ebparks.org/parks/temescal
REVIEWS:
“Nice concrete gated park for the doggies right below the overpass if it rained. Guaranteed they won’t get muddy if you don’t want to give them a bath again just yet.” – Shawn Sockie Chizito
Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline
Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline is a 748-acre park leased from the Port of Oakland that protects the last remaining marshland near San Leandro Bay. The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial is located at the intersection of Doolittle Drive and Swan Way. In 1993, the Memorial Grove was constructed with community support and dedication. The grove is made up of a cluster of trees that surround a grassy glade. There is also a brick wall with donor names engraved on it. A parking area at the north end of Edgewater Drive provides access to another part of San Leandro Bay. Garretson Point is named for the late Tribune reporter Fred Garretson, whose stories prompted successful bay land preservation initiatives. Damon Marsh is accessible from Oakland’s Oakport Drive.
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Park
LOCATION:
Address: Swan Way, Oakland, CA 94621
Phone: (888) 327 2757
Website: ebparks.org/parks/martin-luther-king
REVIEWS:
“Beautiful Park! Excellent walkways that have stunning views. Awesome herons and avian life. Amazing sunsets. Their is a wildlife sanctuary next to it that is fenced off but full of wildlife. Highly recommended especially for dogs! Lots of squirrels and tons of geese. Watch out because of all the goose poop! A+” – John Marks
Monica has worked as a journalist for nearly a decade having contributed to several large publications online. As a business expert, Monica reviews local and national businesses.