Albany Bulb
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Beautiful experience! Incredible views of the SF bay, buildings, bridges, skyline,fog banks, and shorelines. A wide variety of plants and wildlife inhabit, and visit this park. This island spit, or Bulb, is a perfect example of what kind of creative solutions can be thought of and brought to life in order to resolve the issue of "what to do with all the debris from a natural disaster"...in this case, the massive bay area earthquake of 1989. The Albany Bulb is a mostly cement, pieces of roads, and solid metal debris landfill from the '89 earthquake. Dogs, families, walkers, wagons, bicycles, and indie film stars all welcome here, even off leash. There are incredible works of art made from debris, driftwood, and natural surroundings along the trails, and hidden amongst the trees. An off leash nirvana for your wave loving, ball chasing, outdoor canine enthusiast. Your teens and toddlers will love the soft sandy shore area. Wear layers, sunscreen, sunglasses, and a good brim hat to avoid feeling uncomfortable on your adventure. Be sure to bring a leash!
P. Flinn SchanuelP. Flinn Schanuel
00
I read about this place In a weekend magazine and was intrigued by the sculpture of the yearning woman. I had been around here before but until now, never ventured out thru the land to the waters edge. I was astounded at the amount of local art that was on display throughout what must have been 10 to15 acres. Paintings, sculptures, installations, poetry, "found" art. A treasure of creativity and expression ranging from meditating with nature to Black Lives Matter. The place pulsed with energy that drew you from one piece to another. Climbing the uneven concrete slabs painted to look like stars to a relaxing beach walk on the "yellow brick road", I lost myself for more than 2 hours in the magic of this place. There is no admission but the works on display rival any curated gallery. Do yourself a favor and take a stroll through the Albany Bulb and let yourself connect with the artistry and imagination you won't find anywhere else like this.
Richard ElliottRichard Elliott
30
Weird, quirky, locally significant site. You'll find a small but quiet beach with good waves, and some rambling trails dotted with interesting graffiti, random art, and evidence of architectural elements discarded after the earthquake. This former landfill was once home to an encampment whose occupants built a somewhat primitive (but very artistic) community of houses, prior to shutdown by local authorities. A few of these small, colorful buildings are still standing, and you'll stumble across remnants of various unsanctioned artworks if you wander around for a bit. Awesome for a laid-back day hike, though it's been a bit crowded since COVID lockdown began. Parking is very limited - carpool if possible, and be prepared to walk a ways to get to the shoreline. Wear good closed-toe shoes, as there is rubble and rebar everywhere - and bring a jacket. It's very windy, even on sunny days.
Meg KensingtonMeg Kensington
10
A fun place for a walk on a spit of land that juts into the Bay, especially on a hot day when the Bay breezes will cool you. There are several artistic sculptures in various states of repair, especially along the water. The main path is flat, wide gravel road and easy to walk on. There are many paths off the beaten path down to the water, some of which are quite challenging as they were not professionally built or maintained. So wear good shoes for those and be careful. You can easily finish the walk there in half an hour to an hour. There is quite a bit of parking, about 20 cars in the park lot and along the entry road and many more in a secondary parking lot for a racetrack. I enjoyed the Marble Run on my last trip, which is a work in process but a playful bit of interactive fun. The view of the San Francisco skyline is spectacular. I’ll have to remember to return for sunset!
RobertRobert
00
"The Bulb" is increasingly popular for good reason but plenty of parking if you know when/where to go. Short jaunt to a 100+ meter beach with views extending from Port of Oak, BB, SF and the GGB. If you walk a bit, views continue north to Marin, Mt Tam, Angel Is, Alcatraz Richmond...and you get surprigly far out into the bay. Birders paradise. There are options to explore and even find solitude in this "clean", construction landfill that was home and refuge for those needing a free place to exist. The artwork that originated from these homesteaders pepper the strange landscape with new art added regularly. I won't spill all the beans on everything because surprise is the best part...you have to explore this unique spot
Christopher SeegerChristopher Seeger
00
This is a very interesting place for a little hike and break from the city. Definitely not your typical, managed park There's a small beach and, while we were there, lots of off leash dogs (with their humans nearby) were enjoying the water and sand. There's a trail along the water which starts off on an even surface but has various offshoot paths over rocks. Wild blackberry bushes were full of sweet fruit in July. In several places you can see a variety of ad hoc art in the form of sculptures and graffiti. It could be described as a hidden treasure and I would recommend allowing 1 to 2 hours to explore. Wear good shoes.
Bonnie EsrigBonnie Esrig
00
Nearby Attractions Of Albany Bulb
Albany Beach
Albany Waterfront Trail
Albany Beach
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Albany Waterfront Trail
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Learn more insights from Wanderboat AIBasic Info
Address
1 Buchanan St, Albany, CA 94706
Map
Phone
(510) 524-9283
Call
Reviews
Overview
4.7
(555 reviews)
Ratings & Description
outdoor
pet friendly
family friendly
Description
The Albany Bulb is a former landfill largely owned by the City of Albany, in California. The Bulb is the west end of a landfill peninsula jutting west from the east shore of San Francisco Bay.
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