Partially obscured by foliage, tucked between San Leandro and Alameda, is a gem of a little park many people have driven past, but may have never visited.
Martin Luther King Jr. Shoreline Park sits off Doolittle Drive and Swan Way not far from the Oakland Airport.
The 741-acre park leased from the Port of Oakland, helps protect the remainder of a once-extensive marshland at San Leandro Bay.
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It offers picnic areas with barbecues and a boat launch ramp. Although swimming is not allowed, the park's views can be breathtaking.
It is surrounded by the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Grove. The grove, completed with community support and dedicated in 1993, consists of a group of trees surrounding a grassy glade.
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The 50-acre Arrowhead Marsh which is part of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network is also part of the park.
There is even public art on display. A Roger Berry sculpture titled "Duplex Cone,'' is there which traces the
summer and winter solstice paths of the sun through the sky.
Entrance to the park is free. It is open daily from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., unless otherwise posted.
For more information about the site you can call 510-562-PARK. Picnic reserations can be made by calling 510-636-1684.
Martin Luther King Jr. Shoreline is part of the East Bay Regional Park District. You can visit its website here.
