Address: 37.709491,-122.192286 (Dead-end of Neptune Dr, San Leandro)
Parking: Ample free street parking in cul-de-sac at the address above
Hours: 5 A.M. to 10 P.M.
Type: Hike (easy)/ Swim
Regulations: Dogs allowed off-leash if under voice control in the main park, must be on leash on outer paved trail around the water
Best time to visit: Anytime, as long as it's not too hot. This park generally stays cooler since it's near the water, but trails can get hot under your dog's paws

Description: It is rare to find off-leash places in this area, and this is a large park with lots of scenery. Almost the entire center of the park is off-leash, and it has a few hills, but the trails are easy. This is a great place for playing ball. The circumference of the park is surrounded by a flat paved bike trail where dogs must be leashed. There are some easy areas to access the water from here so your dog can go for a swim. However, make sure you check the tides because some afternoons it's low tide, and there's only muck until you reach the water, a hundred or so feet out. This park also features some interesting art, such as the "Rising Wave" sculpture pictured above. Recently, EBParks has added some improvements and it now has a large grass field in the center which is great for kids, an 18-hole disc golf course, and a pollinator garden. Surrounding the grass, there are several BBQs, picnic tables, and one restroom. There's another restroom closer to the water.

Don't let your initial impressions scare you away from checking out this park. There is a garbage dump next door. On some summer days when the sun is baking, you get a whiff of it when you enter the park, but once you get up the first hill the smell disappears. You'll have a huge park to explore and beautiful open areas with views of the bay and the planes landing at the Oakland Airport.

The entrance is split by a row of barriers. The right/dirt side leading uphill is off-leash and the left, paved trail is on-leash.

The paved trail near the water is for on-leash dogs only. It's great for dogs who don't react well to off-leash dogs running up to them, but not great if your dog does not do well with bikers. There are a lot of bikers who whiz by, so be alert. Unfortunately the paved trail does not connect to the entrance, so if you have a reactive dog, once you reach the end of the paved trail at about 1.7 miles, you'll just have to retrace your steps back to the entrance. If you're dog is OK with other off-leash dogs, at the end of the paved trail, you can take the dirt trail uphill and it's a short walk back to the entrance. There are beautiful views along this trail, and since it's across from the airport, you can watch planes land. There's plenty to explore, as there's a short jetty than extends out into the water with easy water access (about 1.5 miles in from the paved trail), and a large green bridge that continues along the Bay Trail for a longer walk. Your out-and-back walk along the paved trail is about 3.5 miles long.

This park has two pit toilets and running water at the entrance (even a dog faucet).

See larger trail map here courtesy of EBParks