Map of bike paths / walking paths in the Oakland area

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Recreational trails for walking, running and cycling in Oakland, Alameda, San Leandro and Treasure Island, California

Oakland, Alameda and San Leandro are located on the eastern shores of San Francisco Bay. These cities are directly across the bay from the City of San Francisco. This is a beautiful area with a milder climate than their neighbor to the west. There are beautiful views along the waterfront looking over at the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, the lights and skyline of the big city reflecting on the water, the ships coming and going, the waterfowl and natural habitats. There is also Berkeley to the north and Hayward to the south.

This portion of the San Francisco Bay area has many recreational trails for walking, cycling and running. You can use them to commute to work, stroll along the harbor, explore the natural areas or take the dog for a walk around the neighborhood.

Bay Trail

The Bay Trail, also known as the San Francisco Bay Trail, is a 500-mile long network of local trails and paths located all around San Francisco Bay. This trail system is present in many of the cities that surround the bay. At this time it is not a continuous system and the trails are a mixture of wide paved trails and walking paths.

The Bay Trail in San Leandro

San Leandro has a stretch of the Bay Trail at Oyster Bay Regional Shoreline at the western end of Davis Street, just south of the Oakland International Airport. You can stroll along the sandy shores, watch the jets take off and land and look out over the waters of the bay. This trail also connects to a trail heading north past the airport and out to Doolittle Drive. To the south, you are near other stretches of the Bay Trail that follow the bayfront shoreline of the City of Hayward.

The Bay Trail in Oakland

Oakland has many segments of the Bay Trail system of trails. There is a stretch of the Bay Trail at Oakland International Airport. Anther long segment of the Bay Trail is located at Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline, just west of Interstate 880. These trails tie into trails along San Leandro Bay that wander along the waterfront near Oakport Street. Two more sections of the Bay Trail skirt the eastern shores of the Tidal Canal near the bridge at Tilden Way. Farther north, another three stretches of the trail wander through Union Point Park along Embarcadero near the Coast Guard Island Bridge, and along the marinas to the north of the bridge. Additionally, there is a long stretch along the marinas just southeast of the Port of Oakland, off of Embarcadero West. This stretch of the Bay Trail goes past the Jack London Aquatic Center, Estuary Park and Jack London Square.

Also in Oakland, there is a section of the Bay Trail along the shores of Oakland Middle Harbor off of Middle Harbor Road. These paved trails wander through Middle Harbor Park and out to the point. From here you can watch the huge cargo ships coming and going and look straight west at the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as it heads into San Francisco.

The bicycle and pedestrian path along the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge from Emeryville to Treasure Island is also considered to be part of the Bay Trail system.

The Bay Trail in Emeryville

You can head out to Marina Park along sections of the Bay Trail system in Emeryville from the west end of Powell Street. This paved pathway has pretty views of the boats in the marina and you look south on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. This also connects to the Bay Trail that heads north along the waterfront of the City of Berkeley.

Bay Trail in Alameda

Alameda is an island to the west of Oakland and a portion of the peninsula between San Francisco Bay and San Leandro Bay called Bay Farm Island. Sections of the Bay Trail wrap around Bay Farm Island on Harbor Bay Parkway and then along the shoreline on the west and north side. There is also a stretch of the Bay Trail along the western shoreline of Alameda Island.

Lake Merritt Trail

Lake Merritt is located in the heart of Oakland, between Interstates 580, 980 and 880. There is a 3.5-mile long paved trail that wraps around the lake and connects several parks. The trail provides beautiful views of the Oakland Skyline. Lakeside Park, on the north side of the lake, has several attractions, including: Children's Fairyland, the Garden Center, Rotary Nature Center, the Wildlife Sanctuary and Lake Merritt Institute.

Alameda Marina

There is a paved walking path along the south shores of Oakland Inner Harbor off of Marina Village Parkway near the Posey Tube and the Webster Street Tube. As you stroll along the path you can view the several marinas and the pleasure boats sailing out for a day on the bay. The trail goes through Shoreline Park and past a number of yacht clubs.

Treasure Island

Treasure Island is located in San Francisco Bay and can be reached by using the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. There is a mile long walking path that travels along the west and north side of the island. There are fantastic views across the bay looking west toward Downtown San Francisco.

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Resources

Following are links to official off-site resources to find out more about the recreational trails in the Oakland, California, area.