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.

Good place to chill out. Nice views of the city and people watching. Check out Grand Lake Theatre, Heart and Dagger Saloon and all the places to eat there. Great spot for family outings like renting a paddle boat, or gondola ride. You don't really know Oakland until you get to know Lake Merritt and all it's surrounding communities (Chinatown,... More

I love Lake Merritt. I often walk my dogs here, and sometimes bask in the sun on the grass if it's warm enough. You will see many walkers, joggers, and runners here. You may even catch some hipsters partaking in a horrible drum circle (stay away!). This is a true Oakland gem!

Loved everything about our time here. It was slightly crowded but was nice to see all the families that were out together and spending time with each other. It was also nice and quite shocking to see all these little kids running with their parents and practicing good health skills by staying fit and active.