The re-landscaped Lake Merritt offers a chance to stretch your legs on a flat and beautiful 3.2 miles surface while observing the wonderful water birds that congregate in this age old sanctuary.

My daughter, her fiance, my partner and I took a walk around the lake, enjoying the fabulous Oakland weather, and the joy of being together.

Sparkling waters in the middle of town with marvelous view of Oakland hills. Watch the pelicans fish for dinner ,quite dramatic. Visit the lovely gardens surrounding the lake . Or rent a small boat and go for a sail. Lovely place to spend an afternoon.

We received a gift of a sunset, moon lit gondola ride for Christmas from our kids. What the heck, we waited for good bay area weather and headed out. Real Italian gondolas, gondoliers. We had champagne, a beautiful view of Art Deco architecture and knowledgeable tour by our singing gondolier. Was tons of fun and great restaurants near by. An... More

I've run around this lake hundreds of times. Trail is just over 3 miles but can get busy on a weekend. Lots of regulars around the lake. Can get shady late night and early morning but never had an issue. I always thought Oakland should do more to make this a focus of the city....they need to figure out how... More

After strolling through urban Oakland, coming out upon Lake Merritt is like walking into another world--fresh air, light, serene. It's like walking into a definition of beauty. For us (family, all ages, including young children) it was walking distance from downtown Marriott Hotel, where we were staying.

We had a fun time riding bikes around Lake Merritt. Great views and colorful people watching all the way. Great for a stroll, too. The path has been here so long that there are no guard rails. Beautiful strings of light at night that look like pearls.

Merrit Lake is a beautiful serene park to relax and take in the views. Ducks and other wildlife is around. A wonderful family outing and a nice way to get that excersise. :)

Good size lake (3.1 miles around) and within walking distance from the hotel. Sidewalk is rough. Lots of people walking. I recommend not walking alone early in the morning or late at night.