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Middle Harbor Shoreline Park

As an international gateway, our airport and seaport operations bring economic value to the world. Here at home, we're bringing social and cultural value to the region. Middle Harbor Shoreline Park offers Oakland its first public beach. The views are some of the most magnificent in the area and the park contains an amphitheater for events and performances.

Since World War II, military use has restricted public access to the shoreline of the Middle Harbor. As part of the Port's Vision 2000 seaport program, the public has regained access to the former naval ship basin. Agencies, community representatives and scientists worked together to design the habitat restoration for the more than 150-acre water area of the harbor and the integration of the park with the habitat. Middle Harbor became an ecological reserve of shallow bay and shoreline habitats for many species, such as Dungeness crab, flatfish, anchovy, herring and perch.

Contact Ramona Dixon

About the Park

Middle Harbor Shoreline Park (MHSP) is a 38-acre shoreline park built and operated by the Port of Oakland for the community, with more than two miles of pathways encircling Middle Harbor Basin. The planning and design of this park was done with extensive community involvement, which identified key goals for the park. Primary goals included creation of a place for learning about the local history, natural environment, maritime activities and stewardship for the environment. In addition, MHSP provides unprecedented access to the shoreline, with associated views of the bay, natural habitats and maritime activity.

History

Middle Harbor Shoreline Park is built on the site of the former Oakland Naval Supply Depot, an important supply center for the Navy's Pacific Fleet from World War II until 1998, when the depot was closed and transferred to the Port of Oakland. This 541-acre facility was equipped with dozens of warehouses with a combined floor area of over 7 million square feet. The Naval Supply Depot that stood on this land played an important role in the World War II war effort--civilian and military workers processed and shipped a wide variety of cargo, including aviation material, electronics, weapons, clothing, food, fuel, lumber, and medicine and medical equipment.

Building 122, which has left its "footprint" at Middle Harbor Shoreline Park, played an important role in the Supply Depot's processing and shipping activities. This structure was a 190,000-square-foot warehouse (4.3 acres) built as one of two primary storage and supply facilities for the Navy's Pacific Fleet. Its irregular shape allowed for rail service on all sides. You can find the footprint of Building 122 by finding the clues in the park's landscape: look for a "ghost" structure marked by wall markers, zig-zag walls, and changes in pavement (even in the parking lot).

Most of the other buildings on the Supply Depot were warehouses and offices. The Supply Depot had its own fire and police stations, library, post office, bank, cafeteria, chapel, bowling alley, movie theater, coffee roasting plant (which at its peak supplied all of the armed forces in the Pacific), several lounges, Naval and Marine barracks, and housing for officers and their families. This self-contained "city" was connected by 42 miles of train tracks and 26 miles of paved roadway.

Middle Harbor itself was dredged to create a 50-foot-deep berthing area for naval ships, and fill was placed to create the land for the depot. Oakland was chosen as the site of this important supply center because of the city's extensive rail and highway connections leading almost directly to the bay and its shipping lanes. The Oakland Naval Supply Depot even had its own internal railroad transportation system with a roundhouse and rail car repair shops.Middle Harbor Shoreline Park Trail Map

Learn About Park Features

Learn about Park Activities & Events

Learn about ongoing Environmental Restoration

Learn about Commercial Film & Photography at the Park

Park Accessibility

There are wheelchair accessible parking areas, drinking fountains and restrooms in the park. All picnic sites, the Port View Park, the observation tower and port operations viewing area at Western Pacific Mole are wheelchair accessible.

To Reach the Park

  • From San Francisco:
    Take I-80 east (Bay Bridge/Oakland) to I-880 south toward Alameda/Airport/San Jose. Exit onto West Grand Ave./Maritime Street. Continue straight, then turn right onto Maritime Street. At the BART tracks, turn right onto 7th Street. Continue straight on 7th Street to the stoplight at Middle Harbor Road. Proceed through the intersection and take the first right turn into the MHSP parking lot.
  • From the East Bay: 
    Take Hwy. 24 west to I-980 west, towards Oakland. Exit at the 11th/12th Street off-ramp onto Brush Street. Continue straight, and turn right (northwest) at 7th Street. Continue straight on 7th Street and past Maritime Street to the stoplight at Middle Harbor Road. Proceed through the intersection and take the first right turn into the MHSP parking lot.
  • From the South Bay: 
    Take I-880 north towards Oakland. Take the 7th Street exit towards West Grand Ave. Turn left onto 7th Street. Follow 7th Street, heading west, past Maritime Street. Continue straight on 7th Street to the stoplight at Middle Harbor Road. Proceed through the intersection and take the first right turn into the MHSP parking lot.
  • From the North Bay: 
    Take I-80 west to I-880 south towards Alameda/Airport/San Jose. Exit at 7th Street/West Grand Ave. Continue straight, through the light and along the frontage road to the light at 7th Street. Turn right onto 7th Street, heading west, past Maritime Street. Continue straight on 7th Street to the stoplight at Middle Harbor Road. Proceed through the intersection and take the first right into the MHSP parking lot.
  • Public Transit:
    AC Transit Bus Line 13 no longer services the middle harbor area. Port Staff are seeking alternative solutions through grants and partnerships.

Contact Information

Middle Harbor Shoreline Park is owned by the Port of Oakland. Please see this website for information and forms related to picnics, special events, photography and educational programs. You may also contact:

Ramona Dixon

(510) 627-1434
[email protected]

Please note that all events must be approved one year prior to date of actual event. Allow a minimum of 60 days to process film or photography requests