Lake Merritt

Considered by residents to be the gem of Oakland, Lake Merritt offers 3.4 miles of paved walking paths along the shoreline, with many surprises along the way. City parks like this one offer a much-needed urban refuge, but Lake Merritt is more than a picturesque jogging route. The nature center and bird sanctuary here were established in 1870, making the lake the oldest wildlife refuge in the country.

Lake Merritt provides nesting grounds for migratory waterfowl, which you can glimpse close up unlike anywhere else in the Bay Area. Watch American White Pelicans herding fish in groups, then diving in to seize their catch. Greet Canada Geese, several breeds of ducks, and Black Crowned Night Herons that will let you stand up close. If you want to know more about the different birds you see, there’s a bit of reading material in the nature center to help you get acquainted.

Keep strolling from the bird sanctuary, and you’ll find a playground for the kids, with a sand box, play structures, and a field of open grass to keep them entertained for hours. While you’re in this area, you’ll likely stumble across the Junior Center for Arts & Science, which hosts year-round opportunities for learning and enrichment about regional culture and wildlife, the local environment, history, and much more.

If you walk in the opposite direction, you’ll find the Gardens at Lake Merritt, with seven acres of themed gardens. There’s the Bonsai Garden, Mediterranean Garden, Sensory Garden, Community Garden, and numerous others, each of them with unique greenery and a relaxing landscape to share. The garden hosts free yearly events as well, like Music in the Gardens, when local musicians share their talent amid the flowers.

Walk past the garden and you’ll discover the Lake Merritt Boating center, where you can rent canoes, pedal boats, and kayaks to see the lake from another perspective. If you continue on in this direction, Fairyland will be to your right, boasting storybook-themed attractions that inspired Walt Disney himself. To your left, you’ll find a small beach with a sand structure for the kids.

New additions to the lake’s perimeter include Lake Chalet, a restaurant with both indoor and outdoor seating and access to the gondola rentals at Gondola Servicio.

With so many distractions, it’s easy to get sidetracked. But there’s more than one way to enjoy a trip to Lake Merritt, whether you’re going specifically for one or two attractions or for a leisurely walk around the entire 3.4 miles by day or by night, when the lake is crowned with lights.

HelloOakland tip: Help be a part of the Lake Merritt community by volunteering to clean up the lake on Tuesday and Saturday mornings with the Lake Merritt Institute.
 

- 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.