Overview
Nov.-Jan.: 8am-5pm, Feb.: 8am-6pm, Mar.-Apr.: 8am-8pm, May-Aug.: 8am-9pm, Sep.: 8am-8pm, Oct. 8am-7pm
Parking: No fees* | *Parking for major sporting and Coliseum events: $40 per vehicle | Dogs: No fee. Dogs are not allowed in the marsh areas. Dogs must be on a leash (six-foot maximum) elsewhere in the park.
Doolittle Dr. & Swan Way, Oakland, CA
MLK, Jr. Shoreline Center: 7250 Doolittle Dr. Oakland, CA 94621
Tidewater Boating Center: 4675-A Tidewater Ave. Oakland, CA 94601
(510) 544-2558
Toll Free: 888-EBPARKS (888-327-2757), option 3, extension 4541
Internet & Cellular Access
Check AT&T, T-Mobile & Verizon Coverage.
Select 'Map Layers' and switch on 'No Data Coverage Areas'
Next to the commercial bustle of Oakland International Airport is a 748-acre park leased from the Port of Oakland, protecting the remainder of a once extensive marshland at San Leandro Bay
At the intersection of Doolittle Drive and Swan Way is the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Grove, completed with community support and dedicated in 1993. The grove consists of a group of trees surrounding a grassy glade. There is also a brick wall inscribed with donors' names.
The 50-acre Arrowhead Marsh is a stopover on the Pacific Flyway and is part of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network--dogs must be on-leash at all times.
Roger Berry's sculpture "Duplex Cone" traces the sun's summer and winter solstice paths through the sky.
Another part of San Leandro Bay is accessible from a parking lot at the north end of Edgewater Drive. Garretson Point is named in honor of the late Fred Garretson, a Tribune reporter whose stories inspired successful efforts at bayland preservation. Access to Damon Marsh is from Oakport Drive in Oakland.
Community Engagement Meeting
Watch a video of the Community Engagement Meeting held on Tuesday, December 8, 2020 at 6:00pm. The meeting provided an update on two park projects: Tidewater Day Use Area Public Access Improvement project and the SF Bay Trail Gap and Improvements project. Meeting Flyer [PDF]
To Reach The Park
Maps
Park Accessibility
Wheelchair access in the park includes parking, curb cuts, paved trails, fishing access, restrooms, drinking fountains, and a marsh overlook platform. The Shoreline Center is wheelchair accessible.
Accessibility Resources
Access Northern California, in partnership with BORP, provides information related to accessibility at Martin Luther King Regional Shoreline. Access Northern California Martin Luther King Regional Shoreline Accessibility Page
(Disclaimer: The Park District has not reviewed and does not guarantee the accuracy of the information provided by Access Northern California Accessibility.)
Attractions
Shoreline Center
The Shoreline Center is temporarily closed for NEW RESERVATIONS AND TOURS. We look forward to sharing a reopening date with you once that has been determined.
Please check back here for updates in the new year.
Tidewater Boating Center
The Tidewater Boating Center, located off Tidewater Avenue in Oakland, sits on the shore of the Oakland Estuary in San Leandro Bay at Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline. This shoreline complex has a public ADA accessible paddle craft dock that is the first official San Francisco Bay Water Trail site in the Park District. Also available are turf sites for picnicking and shoreline access for fishing. The 12,300-square-foot complex consists of a boathouse, training area, boat storage facility, Recreation Department offices, and a security residence. The Oakland Strokes, a non-profit junior rowing organization for middle and high schools, operates the main boathouse and indoor training area and provides outreach to neighborhood youths in the sport of competitive rowing.
Picnicking
The park has reservable group picnic areas, view our Martin Luther King Jr. Picnic Areas webpage for information. For additional information or to make a reservation, call 1-888-EBPARKS or 1-888-327-2757, press option 2. Several picnic areas can be reached by way of a park road leading north from Swan Way. At the road's end is Arrowhead Marsh picnic area, with one of the largest turfgrass playing fields in the District. Next to the picnic area is an observation platform with a wheelchair access ramp and a children's play area.
Birdwatching
Have breakfast with the birds at Doolittle Pond or observe their fascinating daylight antics from many San Leandro Bay perspectives. Hike along the trail from Hegenberger Road along the San Leandro Creek Channel to Arrowhead Marsh, or enter the park from the north end of Edgewater Drive.
Hiking and Bicycling
Throughout the 741-acre Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline there are paved trails suitable for hiking, bicycling, running and jogging. Glimpses of the changing sunset are best caught at Arrowhead Marsh and Garretson Point.
Fishing
State Fish and Game rules apply at San Leandro Bay. A California State Fishing License is required for those 16 years and older when fishing from shore in open bay waters. For additional information on fishing in the District, visit the Fishing section of this site.
Sunbathing
Off Doolittle Drive, a mile north of Hegenberger Road is Doolittle Beach. Facilities there include picnic areas with barbecues and a boat launch ramp. Swimming is not allowed.
Boat Launching
A two-lane boat launch is located at the south parking lot along Doolittle Drive. There is no boat launch fee. Motorized boats and hovercraft are not allowed in marshland areas. Jet Skis and hydrofoils are prohibited from November 1 -March 31, due to bird migration and nesting in the marshes. The Doolittle boat launch and the smaller dock at the Shoreline Center have been conditionally designated as a combined official San Francisco Bay Water Trail site. For more boating and sailing information, and a schedule of fees, visit the Boating and Sailing page.
