With as populated as the Bay Area is, it can be more challenging than some might think to get a taste of nature without leaving the city. This takes me the Emeryville/Berkeley area where I had the opportunity in visiting "McLaughlin Eastshore State Park". There is no actual street address here but it is where University Ave. & W. Frontage Rd. meet. It is also about 1/2 mile from I-80 so it is quite easy to get to when traveling my car.

I had come here during the evening of Saturday 6/23/2022 at around 7:45pm. The weather was a comfortable 64°F while being crystal clear with no clouds in sight as well as no Bay Area fog for that matter. What makes this state park convenient is that they offer a sizable parking lot (which is free of charge) as well as several trash bins and a few porta potties within a mere 50 yards from the bay water and trails.

The hours of operation are from 5am to 10pm seven days a week. Since this is a protected open space preserve area, the park actually extends 8.5 miles along the East Bay shoreline from the Bay Bridge to Richmond, This includes tidelands along the waterfronts of Oakland, Emeryville, Berkeley, Albany, and Richmond. Since I-80 is a very heavily traveled highway, you can witness joggers, cyclists, and walkers exercising from a distance if you look close enough.

Since I arrive right before dusk to check out the sunset, I luckily parked a stones throw from the water, rocks, and sandy beach area. Since this area stretches a very long distance, it never seems super crowded as opposed to a way more densely popular park or bike trail. And if you arrive during the time I did, you can witness some of the most awesome sunsets in all of the Bay Area.

With the good things about this park, you also need to consider the not-so good things as well. On any given day, you will spot quite a few homeless people (in tents, sitting in cars, and even just sleeping on the streets). It is the grim reality of many that hit hard times. But for the most part, many people here are courteous and keep to themselves. I felt safe during my visit and was able to soak in some of that fresh bay air while enjoying a perfect sunset. With that said and done, I am going to give "McLaughlin Eastshore State Park" an above average four-star rating.