8 Lake/ River/ Ponds to Explore in Alameda County

A beautiful a man-made lake covering 317 acres was built in 1874-75 as a primary source of water for the East Bay. Currently, the lake serves as a standby emergency water supply. For this reason, visitors are asked to observe certain necessary regulations to keep the waters pure. There are also blooms of toxic blue-green algae in the lake during the summer and fall that make contact with the water dangerous

Lake Chabot Regional Park is a regional park located in the southern Berkeley Hills in Alameda County, California. It is part of the East Bay Regional Parks system. The northern part of the lake and park lie within the boundary of the City of Oakland, while the southern part lies in an unincorporated area of Alameda County adjacent to Castro Valley and San Leandro.

Lake Del Valle is a storage reservoir in Alameda County, California. The lake is surrounded by over 5,000 acres of beautiful oak-covered hills at an altitude of 745 feet. The water level at Del Valle Lake fluctuates seasonally from a high of 703 feet in the summer to a low of 678 feet in the winter. The lake stretches for 5 miles and has 16 miles of shoreline. Thus normally stores 37,000 to 52,000 acre-feet. The lake is a popular destination for hikers, bikers, and boaters.

Lake Elizabeth was created by excavation of part of Stivers Lagoon Marsh in 1968. It has a 2 mile walkway around the lake. The park is home to a large number of birds. Many people come to bicycle or jog around the lake's perimeter, and many families come for the two playgrounds in the park and the other three that it connects to by walkway.

One of the unique urban spaces in the United States. It is historically significant as the United States' first official wildlife refuge, designated in 1870, and has been listed as a National Historic Landmark. It is surrounded by parkland and city neighborhoods. It features grassy shores, several artificial islands intended as bird refuges and an interpretive center called the Rotary Nature Center at Lakeside Park. It has a boating center where sailboats, canoes and rowboats can be rented.

Lake Temescal is a man-made lake, originally almost a mile long and covering 18 acres, that was created by damming Temescal Creek in 1868.It is the centerpiece of Temescal Regional Recreation Area, also known as Temescal Regional Park.The lake currently supports an artificial recreational beach and is stocked periodically with rainbow trout, largemouth bass, redear sunfish, bluegill, and catfish. The park is open to all visitors from 5 am to 10 pm, and receives around 200,000 visitors a year.

A public water park with slides, a picnic area, hiking, fishing, swimming and fun for the family.The swimming beach on the main lake and a refreshment stand that are open on weekends in Spring and Fall and daily in summer. Pets and glass containers are not allowed on the sandy areas of the beach.

Temescal Regional Recreation Area is a beautiful, large park in Oakland California that offers a variety of activities for people of all ages. The lake is the main attraction in the park, which also offers trails, picnic areas, forest habitats, and bird watching. The lake was originally constructed as a drinking water reservoir for the city of Oakland.