Roberts Regional Recreation Area (RRRA) is an area adjacent to

Redwood Regional Park Dr. Aurelia Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park (formerly known as Redwood Regional Park) is a part of the East Bay Regional Parks District (EBRPD) in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is located in the hills east of Oakland, California, Oakland. The park ...

located in

Alameda County Alameda County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,682,353, making it the 7th-most populous county in the state and 21st most populous nationally. The county seat is Oakland. Alam ...

next to

Oakland, CA Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...

and is part of the East Bay Regional Parks (EBRPD). It is across Skyline Drive from the City of Oakland's Joaquin Miller Park. Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical Corp. adopted Roberts Park in 1979, under the newly-developed Adopt-a-Park program, which promised continued funding. This was the first park in EBRPD to be so adopted."Roberts Regional Recreation Area." East Bay Regional Park District.
Accessed September 7, 2017. Roberts Regional Recreational Area has picnic tables, playground and a seasonal pool with lifeguard.

History

1986 Memorial plaque for California Historical Landmark Blossom Rock Navigation Trees

California Historical Landmark #962, "Blossom Rock Navigation Trees," is located in the Madrone Picnic Area of the Roberts area. It describes how two of the most prominent redwood trees were used by sailors entering San Francisco Bay during the early 19th Century to avoid hitting a submerged hazard known as Blossom Rock. The rock was between

Alcatraz Island Alcatraz Island () is a small island in San Francisco Bay, offshore from San Francisco, California, United States. The island was developed in the mid-19th century with facilities for a lighthouse, a military fortification, and a military pri ...

Yerba Buena Island Yerba Buena Island ( Spanish: ''Isla Yerba Buena'') sits in San Francisco Bay within the borders of the City and County of San Francisco. The Yerba Buena Tunnel runs through its center and connects the western and eastern spans of the San Franc ...

and the

Port of San Francisco The Port of San Francisco is a semi-independent organization that oversees the port facilities at San Francisco, California, United States. It is run by a five-member commission, appointed by the Mayor and approved by the Board of Supervisors. Th ...

.Williamson, R. S. and W. H. Heuer. ''Report Upon the Removal of Blossom Rock San Francisco Harbor, California.'' 1870.
Accessed September 6, 2017. The rock was first reported in 1827 by a British sea captain. It was finally rendered non-hazardous in 1870 by the Corps of Engineers, using a combination of drilling and blasting. Meanwhile, the "Navigation Trees" were cut down between 1851 and 1855,"Site of Blossom Rock Navigation Trees - Historical Landmark." California Office of Historic Preservation. November 13, 1984.
Accessed September 7, 2017. leaving ships entering and leaving the Golden Gate for nearly two more decades. The RRRA area was covered by redwood trees that were logged between 1840 and 1860 to provide building materials needed to support the explosive population growth in San Francisco and Oakland immediately following the discovery of gold in California. Redwood trees presently in Roberts and Redwood parks are second growth. Roberts Regional Recreational Area opened to the public in 1952. It was named for Thomas J. "Tommy" Roberts, then secretary to the East Bay Regional Park District board of directors for 24 years. He continued to serve on the board until his death in 1958, at age 95.

Activities

The RRRA opens at 8:00 AM, year round. Closing time varies from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM, depending on the month. The park may close earlier than the posted time if the weather turns bad or if there are judged to be too few visitors. Parking fees are $5.00 per vehicle, $4.00 per trailer, and $25.00 per bus. Dogs on the inside of RRRA must be leashed. There is no charge for guide/service dogs. Owners are charged $2.00 for all other dogs.

Picnicking

There are eight reservable picnic locations in the main part of the park (capacities are shown in parentheses): * Bay Vista (300) * Manzanita (300) * Diablo Vista (150) * Huckleberry (100) * Sycamore (50) * Madrone (50) * Oak (35) * Roberts Grove (35) Two additional sites in the Redwood Bowl area are suitable for larger groups: * Redwood Bowl (50) * Anna Costa (50) All picnic sites have serving tables, individual picnic tables, cooking areas, barbecue pits and drinking fountains. Reservations can be made by calling 1-888-EBPARKS or 1-888-327-2757, press option 2. Reservations are not necessary for family picnicking when there are fewer than 25 people in the group.

Swimming

The RRRA swimming area features a heated pool, long and to deep, but with no diving board. Besides the pool, the swim complex has a wheelchair accessible bathhouse, vending machines and lawn area. There is also an accessible lift into the pool. The swimming area is normally open from mid-April until the end of September. Special times are reserved when only disabled visitors are allowed to use the pool.

Notes

References

External links

Roberts Regional Recreation Area official web page

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