Parks in Berkeley: A Guide to Nearby Green Spaces

The parks in Berkeley range from a neighborhood green space with play areas and sports facilities to a long stretch of Bay shoreline.

Ohlone Park is a practical downtown option for a walk, a picnic or time at the playground. Albany Hill Park suits a hillside walk, while McLaughlin Eastshore State Park follows the bay through several East Bay cities.

Pick your stop based on the kind of outing you have in mind: Ohlone Park has the broadest mix of everyday amenities; Albany Hill has forest trails and elevated views; and the Eastshore park offers shoreline paths. If you’re planning to use transit to reach different parts of Berkeley, see this guide to getting around Berkeley by public transit.

Ohlone Park is a seven-minute walk from Nash Hotel, making it the closest of these three parks to downtown. At 1701 Hearst Ave, the park stretches across five blocks along Hearst Avenue and covers 9.8 acres. It also connects with the Ohlone Greenway and sits within walking distance of North Berkeley BART.

The range of facilities makes Ohlone Park useful for more than a quick walk. You’ll find community gardens, lawn and picnic areas, walking trails, restrooms, wheelchair access, and play areas for toddlers and school-age children. Listed sports facilities include basketball, soccer, softball and volleyball.

For a dog outing, the off-leash area at Hearst and Grant has separate fenced spaces for large and small dogs, plus water, waste bins, seating and a double-gate entrance. The park’s listed hours are 6:00 am to 10:00 pm unless otherwise indicated.

Officially listed as Albany Hill & Creekside Park, this green space is at the end of Taft Street in Albany. Albany Hill rises 338 feet above sea level and covers approximately 39 acres, with about 28 acres preserved as open space. Benches offer views of San Francisco Bay or downtown Albany and El Cerrito.

A dirt trail zig-zags through oak forest up the hill’s north side to the summit. The City advises hikers on this route to wear long pants and sleeves and learn to recognize poison oak.

The park also has an ADA-accessible trail, along with paved and unpaved walking trails. The City reports 134 native plant species from the hill and creek.

Creekside Park has additional access points: you can reach it from Pierce Street via the creekside trail north of Bayside Commons, or from the north end of Madison Street. Listed hours for Albany Hill & Creekside Park are 5:30 am to 10 pm unless otherwise posted or permitted.

For a longer stretch of shoreline, McLaughlin Eastshore State Park runs for 8.5 miles along San Francisco Bay, west of I-80 and I-580. Its parklands span Richmond, Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville and Oakland. Pedestrian and bicycle trails run along almost the entire length, so choose an access point that suits the part of the shoreline you want to visit.

In Berkeley, major access points are at Gilman Street, University Avenue and Ashby Avenue. Other major entrances are at Central Avenue in Richmond, Buchanan Street in Albany and Powell Street in Emeryville.

Parking options vary by entrance: there is parking at Gilman Street on the south side of its western end, limited parking at the western end of Buchanan Street, and very limited parking at Point Emery off Ashby Avenue.

At the University Avenue entrance, parking is available in an unpaved lot behind Seabreeze Market at University Avenue and West Frontage Road, along University Avenue between West Frontage Road and Marina Boulevard, and on Marina Boulevard’s unpaved shoulder. The two trails in Berkeley Meadow are wheelchair accessible. A wheelchair-accessible restroom is at the end of Buchanan Street in Albany.

Keep to the trails, avoid posted marshes and tidal mudflats, and don’t wade or swim outside designated areas. The park district also advises against feeding or approaching wildlife. Drones and smoking are prohibited, overnight camping is not allowed, and bicycles are permitted only on designated trails.

Dogs must stay under voice control; leashes are required within 200 feet of a trail or entrance and in parking lots, picnic areas, developed areas such as lawns and play fields, and some trails.

Albany Beach is a conditionally designated official San Francisco Bay Water Trail trailhead. The park’s history is tied to the wider Bay Trail: a first segment connecting Point Isabel Regional Shoreline and Richmond Marina opened in 1998, new trail at Albany Beach opened in 2018, and a one-mile connector completed in 2020 closed a critical gap. The park took its current name in October 2012 to honor Save the Bay co-founder Sylvia McLaughlin.

Park hours and access details can affect your plans, particularly if you’re driving to a specific shoreline entrance. McLaughlin Eastshore State Park’s listed hours are 5 am to 10 pm unless otherwise posted or permitted.

For current details on hours, access and transit, check the official site before you go; the East Bay Regional Park District directs visitors to its public-transit information page or to call 511 to confirm transit information.

For Ohlone Park, you can start from downtown and walk over, or use North Berkeley BART, which is within walking distance of the park. At McLaughlin Eastshore State Park, choose among the Berkeley entrances at Gilman Street, University Avenue and Ashby Avenue, keeping in mind that parking availability differs by access point.

Albany Hill’s listed location is at the end of Taft Street; for Creekside Park, the City also identifies access from Pierce Street and Madison Street.

If you’re pairing outdoor time with a campus-area stop, the Lawrence Hall of Science visit guide can help with that part of your Berkeley plans.