• The 65 East Bay parks dot the east side of San Francisco Bay.coucher de soleil sur san francisco bay area image by S??bastien Closs from Fotolia.com
  
  Established in 1934, the East Bay Regional Park District is an extensive system of California parks stretching through two counties and numerous cities, including Oakland. The 65 East Bay parks, shorelines and preserves cover more than 100,000 acres of land on the east side of San Francisco Bay and contain campgrounds, lakes, beaches and more than 1,100 miles of trails.
  
  

Middle Harbor Shoreline Park

• At 38 acres, Middle Harbor Shoreline Park is one of the district's smaller parks. Visitors can use free binoculars to view the bay, explore the educational viewing tower and take in a show at the amphitheater, which overlooks San Francisco Bay.
  
  A park with a storied history, Middle Harbor Shoreline Park was constructed on the site of an old naval supply depot. In 1998, the enormous depot was moved, but signs of its existence can still be spotted in the park.
  
  There are nearly three miles of walking and biking paths throughout the park, as well as numerous picnic areas, some of which have barbeque pits available. Ample shore access provides opportunities for both birdwatchers and fishermen.
  
  

Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve

• A natural gem, the 241-acre Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve has a year-round display of flora and fauna that are found in only a few other locations.
  
  The preserve contains a 1.7-mile nature trail; the self-guided trip will take you through the lower forest and then along the upper, plant-laden ridges of the park. Due to the park's delicate natural balance, dogs, bicycles and horses are prohibited---except on the Skyline National Trail---and jogging is discouraged.
  
  

Anthony Chabot Regional Park

• The Anthony Chabot Regional Park, just a 20-minute drive from downtown Oakland, covers more than 5,000 acres. Hiking, biking and riding trails litter the park, twisting through fields and forests and tracing the shoreline of Lake Chabot. The East Bay Skyline National Trail is 31-miles long, and a portion of the Chabot-to-Garin Regional Trail connects the park to Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area.
  
  The Chabot Gun Club operates a marksmanship range in the park, with rifle, shotgun and pistol ranges, as well as a hunter safety course. The range is the only facility in the East Bay Regional Park District where firearms are allowed.
  
  If you're looking to stay overnight, the Chabot Family Campground has 75 campsites; is open year-round; and provides hot showers, campfire programs, lake access and an amphitheater.
  
  

Martin Luther King Jr. Shoreline

• Near the Oakland International Airport on San Leandro Bay is the Martin Luther King Jr. Shoreline, a 741-acre park completed in 1993. The park includes the 50-acre Arrowhead Marsh, a part of the area's once-massive marshland that is now in the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network.
  
  Built with community backing, the park includes a wall inscribed with donor names. The park is also home to "Duplex Cone," a sculpture by California artist Roger Berry. The sculpture traces the sun's path through the sky.
  
  The park, located at the intersection of Swan Way and Doolittle Drive, contains areas for picnickers, birdwatchers, hikers, bicyclists, fishermen, boaters and sunbathers. Keep in mind that if you are older than 16, you can't fish without a California State Fishing License; and that bird migration and nesting means motorized boats are restricted during parts of the year.