Middle Harbor Shoreline Park

Photo Credit: The Port of Oakland

General Info & History

Middle Harbor Shoreline Park sits at the edge of Oakland’s working waterfront, framed by sweeping harbor views, container cranes, and the quiet curve of a restored shoreline. It’s a rare place where the city’s maritime past and present meet—once closed military land, now one of the East Bay’s most open public waterfronts.

The park occupies roughly 38 acres of what was formerly the Oakland Naval Supply Depot, a 541-acre logistics hub that operated from World War II until 1998. During its peak wartime activity, thousands of civilian and military workers moved aviation parts, electronics, weapons, uniforms, food, lumber, and medical supplies through this site. Point Arnold, now a scenic lookout, was once a major pier used for cargo movements during WWII and the Korean War.

After the base closed, the land was transferred to the Port of Oakland, which undertook a large-scale redevelopment between 2002 and 2004. The project restored beach habitat, re-established parts of the historic shoreline, added native plantings, and created a new tidal lagoon that echoes the original harbor footprint.

What to Expect

Since opening in 2004, the park has been one of Oakland’s most distinctive pieces of public waterfront: flat, open, and designed for unbroken bay views. Visitors love MHSP for its mix of quiet shoreline, sweeping harbor panoramas, and the surreal, up-close perspective of Oakland’s working port that you can’t experience anywhere else in the East Bay. Here are some park basics and key rules:

• Hours — Open daily from 8:00 a.m. until dusk; closed at night except for permitted events.
• Closures — Rare; limited to major special events with advance notice.
• Conservation — Stay on trails and avoid disturbing the restored shoreline environment; no collecting natural materials.
• Pets — No dogs allowed, except service dogs on leash.
• Alcohol & Safety — No alcohol without a permit; no glass or hard liquor.
• Prohibited Activities — No swimming, drones, skateboarding, fires, or weapons.

Because MHSP sits inside the Port area — with shipping terminals and industrial roads — getting there via non-driving transit or walking may be less straightforward than it looks. Many locals recommend riding or driving rather than walking through the port zone.

Plenty to Do and See

Middle Harbor Shoreline Park offers some of the most wide-open, unobstructed waterfront views in Oakland. For the first time in a century, the public can stand at the edge of the bay and watch ships, tugboats, cranes, and the San Francisco skyline all at once. Free viewing binoculars at Point Arnold and the observation tower make the panoramas even better. Across the park, restored dunes, lawns, and shoreline paths give visitors room to explore:

• Birdwatching — Seasonal migrants and year-round residents frequent the lagoon and shoreline. You’ll regularly spot Forster’s terns, western gulls, brown pelicans, cormorants, and other coastal birds.
• Walking & Biking — More than two miles of flat, easy trails make this an ideal place for a waterfront walk or bike ride.
• Fishing — Fishing is allowed with a valid license; the long, quiet shoreline offers good vantage points.
• Picnics & BBQs — Ample tables and lawns are available; BBQ tables must be reserved in advance.
• Amphitheater Lookout — The grass amphitheater overlooking the bay is a sculpted rise facing the water—ideal for outdoor performances or sunset-watching.

Programs offered in partnership with Stepping Out Stepping In bring environmental education to students and families throughout the year.

Ecology & Wildlife

Middle Harbor Shoreline Park is more than open space—it’s the result of a major shoreline restoration effort designed to reintroduce habitat and support coastal life. The tidal lagoon, modeled after the site’s historic shoreline shape, moderates water flow and creates feeding areas for shorebirds. Native plantings throughout the dunes and upland areas stabilize soil, reduce erosion, and provide shelter for insects, small mammals, and ground-nesting birds.

The park’s shallow waters and mudflats attract sandpipers, scoters, and grebes during migration seasons, while harbor seals are occasionally spotted offshore near shipping channels. The restored vegetation (salt-tolerant grasses, coastal shrubs, dune species) helps anchor a small but increasingly resilient ecosystem at the edge of a working port. For many visitors, the contrast between container cranes and active wildlife is one of the park’s most memorable features.

Middle Harbor Shoreline Park remains one of the East Bay’s most distinctive places to experience open sky, working waterfront scenery, and a restored shoreline all in one visit.

Directions from Fourth Street East

Middle Harbor Shoreline Park is about 3.5 miles away from luxury apartments at Fourth Street East; click here for Google Maps directions. Because MHSP sits inside the Port area, with shipping terminals and industrial roads, non-driving transit or walking may be less straightforward than the distance number suggests. Many locals recommend riding or driving rather than walking through the port zone.