Waterfront/Recreation
Waterfront/Recreation
Preserving Public Access to Shorelands
Stunning water views, dramatic topography, and a temperate year round climate make the Bay Area an outdoor paradise. These treasured natural resources are integral to our quality of life. Since 1938, The Port has been the steward of 20 miles of Oakland waterfront property along the San Francisco Bay granted by the State Tidelands Trust. It is our solemn responsibility to safeguard these precious spaces for public use.
Thanks to Port supervision, waterway treasures like Lake Merritt, Middle Harbor Shoreline Park and most of the Oakland Estuary remain accessible to everyone for recreation, scientific study and endless inspiration.
Middle Harbor Shoreline Park
As an international gateway, our airport and seaport operations bring economic value to the world. Here at home, we’re bringing social and cultural value to the region. Middle Harbor Shoreline Park offers Oakland its first public beach. The views are some of the most magnificent in the area and the park contains an amphitheater for events and performances.
Since World War II, military use has restricted public access to the shoreline of the Middle Harbor. As part of the Port’s Vision 2000 seaport program, the public has regained access to the former naval ship basin. Agencies, community representatives and scientists worked together to design the habitat restoration for the more than 150-acre water area of the harbor and the integration of the park with the habitat. Middle Harbor became an ecological reserve of shallow bay and shoreline habitats for many species, such as Dungeness crab, flatfish, anchovy, herring and perch.
Facilities
Views of the Bay
Amphitheater
Educational Viewing Tower
Interpretive Signage Program
Highlights
Picnic/BBQ Areas
Strolling/Biking
Birdwatching
Fishing
Educational Programs
Special Events
Jack London Square
Fifteen square blocks of commercial and recreational activities, including opportunities for dining and shopping, strolling, ferry rides, and special events such as the weekly Sunday Farmers Market, the annual Maritime Day and the annual Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony. At the north end of the main plaza, at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Fishing Pier, is an elevated platform with views of Alameda and the gantry cranes at the Howard Marine Terminal.
President Roosevelt’s official yacht, the USS Potomac, is now moored next to the pier and is open to the public. (For details, call (510) 627-1215.) A mini park at the foot of Alice Street marks the south end of this area.
Facilities
Restaurants
Bars
Shops
Restrooms
Public Telephones
Parking
Highlights
Guest Berths
Walkways and Plazas
Picnic Areas
Grassy Play Areas
Fishing Pier With Fish-Cleaning Areas
Marinas
Fountains
Benches
Embarcadero Shoreline
A series of intermittent shoreline pathways begins at 10th Street and follows the water south to 19th Avenue, linking restaurants, marinas and businesses along the way. Views are of the marinas, Coast Guard Island and the Ninth Avenue Shipping Terminal at the north end of the path. A 2,000-square-foot fishing pier is near the 16th/19th Street Overpass. Near the south end is Embarcadero Cove, a small complex of gardens, ponds and restored homes that have been converted into offices, and Quinn’s Lighthouse restaurant, which once was an actual lighthouse marking the Southern Pacific Ferry Terminal at the beginning of the channel separating Oakland and Alameda. There are intermittent breaks in the path, but it is an easy detour back to Embarcadero for a few feet. The shoreline path concludes just east of Dennison Street, where it parallels the Union Point Marina.
Facilities
Restaurants
Picnic Tables
Parking
Restrooms
Highlights
Fishing Pier
Fish-Cleaning Area
Drinking Fountain
Benches
Bicycle Rack
International Maritime Center
The International Maritime Center (IMC) at the Port of Oakland is one of approximately 300 Seafarer’s Clubs worldwide. The IMC supports the merchant mariner during his/her (often) short stay in the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Area. It is a non-profit, ecumenical group sponsored and staffed by volunteers from the Episcopal Diocese of California, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland, the Sierra Pacific Lutheran Synod, the American Baptist Church and the Korean Presbyterian Church.
Channel Estuary Park
This park, located on port land and developed and maintained by the City of Oakland, includes a public boat launching ramp and a group picnic area. (For picnic reservations, call 510-238-3187). This park also has a fishing pier and a broad, stepped area providing excellent views of special events or the local bird population. A 1,500-foot pathway along the water connects the park with Jack London Village, at the south end of Jack London Square.
Facilities
Restaurants
Parking
Restrooms
Drinking Fountains
Highlights
Fishing Pier
Fish-Cleaning Area
Benches
Bicycle Rack
Port View Park (7th St)
Port View Park, reopened and greatly expanded in 1995 after extensive redesign and reconstruction because of damage suffered during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, offers spectacular views of San Francisco Bay, the San Francisco skyline and Port of Oakland maritime operations at the Seventh Street Terminal.
The park encompasses 4.5 acres of public access with areas for fishing, strolling, picnicking and special events. Port View Park also is the home of the International Maritime Center, a nondenominational chapel and recreational facility for visiting seafarers.
Facilities
Restaurants
Parking
Restrooms
Drinking Fountains
Highlights
Fishing Pier
Fish-Cleaning Area
Benches
Bicycle Rack