The Best Park / Open Space in Oakland

Astro Park

Astro Park is located across from the Oakland Lakeview Public Library Branch, near Lake Merritt. There's also a playground for the young ones. more

City Slicker Farms' West Oakland Farm Park

At City Slicker Farms, we believe that healthy, affordable food is a universal human right. This belief is demonstrated daily through our work with individuals, community groups, and other like-minded organizations to develop and support high-yield u... more

deFremery Park

DeFremery Recreation Center, housed in a historic Victorian style building in the heart of West Oakland, offers many cultural, educational, and recreational programs for youth and teens. Popular programming includes the African Dance class and Summer... more

Dimond Park

This park has tennis courts, a swimming pool, play structures, grassy fields, and basketball courts. There are also hiking trails going up Sausal Creek, BBQ and picnic areas. The Recreation Center is available to rent, has a commercial kitchen, deck... more

Elmhurst Park

Elmhurst Park is nondescript park in South Oakland. There's a basketball court, a small playground, and tennis courts. more

Friends of Oakland Parks & Recreations

The Oakland Parks and Recreation Foundation is a registered non-profit that bridges the gap between the City of Oakland’s offices of Parks and Recreation and Public Works, helping to fund the public’s need for safe, clean and well-maintai... more

Grove Shafter Park

Grove Shafter Park is located under the interchange between the Grove Shafter Freeway and the MacArthur Freeway. The park is separated into three separate sections and is sometimes unofficially called Marcus Garvey Park. There are separate spots for... more

Henry J. Kaiser Memorial Park

A nice plaza/park that features the "Remember Them: Champions for Humanity" sculptures; recognizing 25 political and humanitary figures of the recent past:  Rev. Ralph David Abernathy, Maya Angelou, Susan B. Anthony, Ruby Bridges, Cesar Cha... more

Jean Sweeney Open Space Park

Jean Sweeney Open Space Park is bordered by Constitution Way, Atlantic Avenue and Sherman Street. It is located on the former Alameda Beltline Railroad property that was secured by the City at its original purchase price due to the advocacy efforts... more

Joaquin Miller Park

Enter Joaquin Miller Park and you will quickly forget that you are minutes away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Hikers, equestrians, bicyclists, joggers and picnickers from all over the Bay Area regularly frequent the 500-acre park.  Th... more

Lake Merritt

Lake Merritt is a large tidal lagoon that lies just east of downtown Oakland. It is surrounded by parkland and city neighborhoods. A popular 3.1 mile (5 km) walking and jogging path runs along its perimeter. It is historically significant as the Un... more

Lake Merritt Amphitheater

Off Lake Merritt Boulevard, near the lake's most southwest corner, sits the open air Lake Merritt Amphitheater. The paved walking path that runs around Lake Merritt protrudes at this spot to provide an adequate stage area. Most of the time it's jus... more

Lakeside Park

Lakeside Park is best known for Lake Merritt which is one of the most celebrated and accessible parks in Oakland with hundreds of visitors enjoying the park and its unique amenities daily. There are so many enjoyable activities and places to have an... more

Lakeside Park Garden Center

Lakeside Park Garden Center (Marsha J. Corprew Memorial) at Lake Merritt was founded in the 1950's serving as a cultural and educational center through the efforts of Oakland East Bay Garden Center and the City. The Lakeside Park Garden Center is cen... more

2 Upcoming events

Leona Canyon

A pristine wooded canyon is protected in this 290-acre parkland near Merritt College in Oakland. Restoration is in progress along Rifle Range Creek along Leona Trail to reduce erosion and protect the riparian ecosystem. Dogs and humans are not allowe... more

Lincoln Square Park and Recreation Center

Lincoln Square Recreation Center is centrally located near public transportation with a lighted outdoor playground and two custom designed rubber-surfaced play areas with ADA accessibility. more

Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline

Next to the commercial bustle of Oakland International Airport is a 741-acre park leased from the Port of Oakland, protecting the remainder of a once-extensive marshland at San Leandro Bay At the intersection of Doolittle Drive and Swan Way is the... more

Middle Harbor Shoreline Park

Middle Harbor Shoreline Park (MHSP) is a 38-acre shoreline park built by the Port of Oakland and operated by the East Bay Regional Park District for the community, with more than two miles of pathways encircling Middle Harbor Basin. Photo Credit: &... more

Montclair Park and Recreation Center

This great community resource is nestled in the Montclair District, complete with a duck pond, picnic areas, tennis courts, outdoor basketball court, and modern play equipment. Recent renovations were completed to make the center accessible to commun... more

Mosswood Park and Rec Center

Mosswood Park is nestled on four acres of green between West and North Oakland. The park is host to many events, programs and classes year round, and during the summer months hosts a thriving summer camp program. Our after school programs feature coo... more

2 Upcoming events

Peralta Hacienda Historical Park

The mission of Friends of Peralta Hacienda Historical Park is to promote understanding, historical healing and community amid change and diversity. We present and interpret the untold history of the Peralta rancho and the stories of the Fruitvale com... more

Preservation Park

Occupying two blocks in the heart of downtown Oakland, Preservation Park is a Victorian neighborhood, a unique collection of historic residences transformed into the City's most innovative workplace and event center. Find out about their wedding site... more

Raimondi Park

Park featuring a baseball diamond & a multi-sport field. There's also a playground and a putting green. more

Redwood Regional Park

On Redwood Road, just a few miles over the ridge from downtown Oakland, is a hidden redwood forest whose peaceful groves give little evidence of its bustling past. In the mid-1800s, what is now Redwood Regional Park was the scene of extensive logging... more

Rotary Nature Center

Established in 1870, Lake Merritt is the oldest wildlife refuge in the nation. The Rotary Nature Center & Lake Merritt Wildlife Refuge is a place for the public to appreciate nature in the heart of Oakland. The interpretive museum at the Rotary... more

San Antonio Park

San Antonio Park in Oakland has a community garden and the San Antonio Sports Complex.  The park has tennis courts, a soccer field, the Sarunas Marciulionis basketball court, a children's playground and walking paths.  ------- San Antoni... more

Snow Park

Three blocks from the 19th Street Bart station, Snow Park is a small green space across from Lake Merritt. more

The Gardens at Lake Merritt

A seven-acre collection of themed gardens in the heart of Oakland at Lakeside Park. Follow us on Facebook at The Gardens at Lake Merritt. more

The Pergola at Lake Merritt

The Pergola and Colonnade was designed by architect Walter Reed in 1913.  Located at the end of Lake Merritt's eastern arm, the structure was instituted by Mayor Frank K. Mott, along with other improvements.   His... more

Township Commons Park

The first of five public parks planned for the neighborhood, Township Commons sits alongside the Oakland Estuary with picturesque water views to Alameda and San Francisco. Situated adjacent to the beautifully restored 9th Avenue Terminal building, th... more

Wilma Chan Park

Madison Park has been renamed to be Wilma Chan Park. The park is an Oakland Chinatown park across the street from the Lake Merrit Bart Station. ~~~~~~~~ Wilma Chan was an American politician in California serving on the Alameda County Board of... more

UPCOMING EVENTS