Robert W. Crown Memorial State Beach

If this beach were in San Francisco, it would be on everybody’s radar, alongside Ocean Beach and Baker Beach. But instead, it’s in the small town of Alameda, where it has what San Francisco can’t offer – clear skies without too much wind, plenty of warm days across the seasons, shallow water near the shore, and no dangerous riptides. It’s one of the few beaches in the Bay where swimming is permitted all year round, and it stretches with sand for a generous 2.5 miles. All this and it stays relatively low-key.

Even on the hottest days, when Crown Beach is sprinkled with mats and picnic baskets, you’re sure to find a nice big patch of sand to call your own. A bicycle trail borders the length of the beach, and joggers love to come here to enjoy sweeping views of San Francisco as they test out their running shoes.

The trail begins at the newly renovated Crab Cove Visitor Center, where naturalist programs are hosted year-round, and continues on to the Elsie Roemer Bird Sanctuary, with three viewing platforms to spy aquatic birds and creatures of the salt marsh. If you want to keep jogging, bicycling, or strolling beyond the limits of Crown Beach, you can keep on going across the bike path over to Bay Farm Island. 

While dogs aren’t allowed on the beach, there’s a dog park near the premises, with play areas for both big and small dogs. Crown Beach hosts yearly sandcastle building contests and Concerts at the Cove, with live music and a festive outdoor crowd.

Formerly the home of one of the biggest amusement parks on the West Coast, Crown Beach has scaled down quite a bit as an attraction. Today, it’s more for the nature lovers, kite surfers, picnickers, beachgoers, and athletes. It’s also for those who’ve discovered the perfect place to watch the sun set.

Crown Beach has been through many ups and downs, including erosion and restoration by the State of California, City of Alameda, and East Bay Park District. Its name changed from Alameda Beach to Robert W. Crown, after an assemblyman who campaigned for its preservation.

HelloSanFrancisco Tip: Need to buy some goodies for your picnic spread? The Towne Centre is across the street from Crown Beach, accessible from Park Street. There's a Safeway and Trader Joe's here, along with a range of restaurants and cafes.

 

- by Renee M. Rutledge, San Francisco Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)

Renee M. Rutledge

Renee M. Rutledge currently writes articles on local travel and culture for Red Tricycle, Parents' Press, Oakland Magazine, and Alameda Magazine.