McLaughlin Eastshore State Park

• About The Park
• Park Features
• Park Activities
• Park Accessibility
• To Reach The Park
• Trail Map
• Park Map [PDF]
• Interpretive Panels

About The Park

McLaughlin Eastshore State Park is one of the most outstanding achievements in the history of open space protection. It is the result of decades of citizen efforts to protect San Francisco Bay as a public open space resource. Over 4,000 major stakeholders and interested parties reached a substantial consensus on the future uses and improvements for the park. The newly designated State seashore is a recreational facility harmonious with its natural setting. It is located in the midst of one of the most highly urbanized areas of California.

On October 3, 2012, the California State Park and Recreation Commission renamed this 8.5-mile shoreline parkland McLaughlin Eastshore State Park in honor of Save The Bay co-founder Sylvia McLaughlin.

The park extends 8.5 miles along the East Bay shoreline from the Bay Bridge to Richmond. It includes 1,833 acres of uplands and tidelands along the waterfronts of Oakland, Emeryville, Berkeley, Albany, and Richmond.  The park parallels the most heavily traveled corridor in the East Bay, making it a highly visible, highly accessible area of parkland.

The East Bay Regional Park District, acting as agent for the State, used funds from the Park District's 1988 Measure AA and state park bonds to acquire the property and clean up contaminated areas at a cost of more than $33 million. The McLaughlin Eastshore State Park General Plan identifies the future preservation, conservation, and recreation uses and improvements for the park.

• Albany Beach Habitat Restoration and Public Access Project
  

The Park District is the operator of the park using funds from the Park District's Measure CC, approved by District voters in 2004. The City of Albany currently owns and operates the Albany Bulb which is adjacent to but outside of the park boundaries.The park does not yet include the Albany Bulb.

Habitat Restoration

The East Bay Regional Park District is enhancing and restoring a number of ecosystems and habitat types throughout the park. The Berkeley Meadow Habitat Restoration is one such project that improved public access and ecological habitats in the Berkeley Meadow.

The 72-acre Berkeley Meadow was operated by the City of Berkeley until the 1960s. Hazardous materials were removed in 1998. Habitats in the Meadow consisted of non-native weeds, small patches of native vegetation, and several seasonal wetlands that had developed atop the subsiding landfill. A three-phase restoration plan was completed in 2011.

The 72-acre meadow, a former landfill site, was restored in three phases over five years at a cost of $6,000,000. The finished meadow has seasonal wetlands, coastal prairie, and coastal scrub areas, creating a diverse and thriving habitat for plants and animals in an urban area. Walking paths and interpretive signs welcome the public.

The first portion of the park to be opened to the public by the East Bay Regional Park District was the multi-use trail connecting Pt. Isabel Regional Shoreline to the Richmond Marina. Additions to the San Francisco Bay Trail will likely be the next park facilities to come online as environmental remediation projects are completed. Portions of this section of the Bay Trail are now being designed.

Park Features

The shoreline reflects the influences of both natural systems and human intervention, with natural features such as tidal marshes and beaches intermingled with man-made elements such as former municipal landfills.

Albany Beach is a conditionally designated official San Francisco Bay Water Trail trailhead.

Park Activities

Pedestrian and bicycle trails run almost the entire length of the park and provide a panoramic view of the Bay.

Tom Bates Regional Sports Complex

The Tom Bates Regional Sports Complex (also known as the Gilman Fields) is managed and operated by the City of Berkeley’s Recreation Department. For field reservations/permits, please contact DRobles@CityofBerkeley.info.

Park Accessibility

The 2 trails in the Berkeley Meadow are wheelchair accessible. A wheelchair accessible restroom is at the end of Buchanan Street in Albany.

To Reach The Park

Driving directions: The park is located along 8.5 miles of the San Francisco Bay shoreline just west of Highway I-80 (the Eastshore Freeway) and Highway I-580. There are many entrances to the park. The major entrances are located at the following interchanges along I-80 and I-580: Central Avenue in Richmond; Buchanan Street in Albany; Gilman Street, University Avenue, and Ashby Avenue, in Berkeley; and Powell Street in Emeryville.

• Central Avenue in Richmond:
  From I-80 (the Eastshore Freeway) and from NORTHBOUND I-580 in Richmond, take westbound Central Avenue (towards the Bay). Then either 1) turn RIGHT at Rydin Road and then continue to the Point Isabel Regional Shoreline portion of the park, adjacent to the U.S. Postal Service Bulk Mail Center, or 2) turn RIGHT at Isabel Street and continue to the Point Isabel Regional Shoreline portion of the park, adjacent to Costco. PARKING is available at either location.
  From SOUTHBOUND I-580 in Richmond, take the Central Avenue exit. Then, either 1) continue FORWARD onto Rydin Road and to the Point Isabel Regional Shoreline portion of the park, adjacent to the U.S. Postal Service Bulk Mail Center, or 2) turn LEFT onto Central Avenue, and then turn RIGHT at Isabel Street and continue to the Point Isabel Regional Shoreline portion of the park, adjacent to Costco. PARKING is available at either location.
• Buchanan Street in Albany:
  From NORTHBOUND I-80 (the Eastshore Freeway) or from SOUTHBOUND I-580 in Albany, take Buchanan Street westbound (towards the Bay). A limited amount of PARKING is available at the western end of Buchanan Street.
• Gilman Street in Berkeley:
  From I-80 (the Eastshore Freeway)/I-580 in Berkeley, take westbound Gilman Street (towards the Bay). At the western end of Gilman Street, PARKING is available in the parking lot on the south side of the street.
• University Avenue in Berkeley:
  From NORTHBOUND I-80 (the Eastshore Freeway)/I-580, take eastbound University Avenue (AWAY from the Bay). Then make a U-TURN at 8th Avenue onto westbound University Avenue (towards the Bay).
  From SOUTHBOUND I-80 (the Eastshore Freeway)/I-580, take westbound University Avenue (towards the Bay).
  PARKING is available 1) at the corner of University Avenue and West Frontage Road, in the unpaved parking lot behind the Seabreeze Market; 2) along University Avenue, between West Frontage Road and Marina Boulevard; and 3) turning onto Marina Boulevard, along the unpaved shoulder of Marina Boulevard.
• Ashby Avenue in Berkeley:
  From SOUTHBOUND I-80 (the Eastshore Freeway)/I-580, take westbound Ashby Avenue (towards the Bay). Turn LEFT onto Frontage Road. A very limited amount of PARKING is available at Point Emery.
• Powell Street in Emeryville:
  From NORTHBOUND I-80 (the Eastshore Freeway)/I-580, take westbound Powell Street (towards the Bay). From SOUTHBOUND I-80 (the Eastshore Freeway)/I-580, take the Powell Street exit. Turn LEFT at Frontage Road, and then RIGHT at Powell Street. A limited amount of time-restricted PARKING is available along Powell Street.

• Public transit information.
  

Trail Map

Maps are available at most of the bulletin boards at trailheads in the park, or you can print your own.

Click the map image below to see an enlarged version.

• Park Map [PDF]