East Bay Regional Park District,
Alameda County
3.2 mile out and back on paved sidewalks and the beach.
Distance, category, and difficulty:
This 3.2 mile out and back walk is very easy. Trail and beach are flat.
Exposure:
Totally exposed.
Trail traffic:
Moderate.
Trail surfaces:
Paved sidewalks and sandy beach.
Walking time:
1 hour.
Season:
Nice year round.
Getting there:
From Interstate 880 in Alameda County, exit Broadway/Alameda (exit 42). Follow the signs for the Webster Tunnel, and when you come above ground again, stay to the left on Constitution Way. Constitution Way changes to 8th Street at Lincoln Avenue -- proceed on 8th Street to Otis Way and the park entrance on the right. Once past the entrance kiosk, continue to the last parking lot.
GPS Coordinates for Trailhead:
Latitude
Longitude
Gas, food, and lodging:
Gas, stores, and restaurants back along Webster (runs parallel to Constitution Way), and in a shopping center off Shoreline Drive. No camping.
Trailhead details:
$5 entrance fee -- no charge when kiosk is unattended. $2 dog fee. There is plenty of parking in a series of paved lots, with pit toilets, drinking water, and pay phones in the park as well as along the beach. There are designated handicapped parking spots, wheelchair accessible pit toilets, and a flat paved trail suitable for wheelchairs. This beach is accessible by public transit. Visit the Transit Info website for details.
Rules:
Beach is open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., unless otherwise posted. Dogs are permitted on leash on the paved trail, but not on the beach.
The Official Story:
EBRPD's Crown Memorial Beach page
EBRPD's Crown Beach brochure (pdf)
Map Choices:
• Use AAA's San Francisco Bay Region map to get there.
• Map from EBRPD
Crown
Memorial Beach in a nutshell -- a printable, text-only guide to the
featured hike.
View
photos from this hike. Alameda
is surrounded by water yet miles 
from
the coast, but at the southwestern edge of the island, locals stroll a
sandy shoreline and enjoy the sound of waves at
Crown Memorial Beach. Although the beach mimics an ocean shoreline, the
waves and wildlife are pretty tame. The park's paved trail runs parallel
to Shoreline Drive, and is more a sidewalk than nature path. Dog walkers,
parents with strollers, cyclists, and folks in wheelchairs will likely
get the most from this paved Bay Trail segment. A leisurely walk along
the beach is much more enjoyable, but you'll likely see some garbage,
and plenty of squirrels, seagulls, and geese along the route. The beach
is probably at its best on a hot summer day, when cool breezes drop the
ambient temperature significantly.
Begin at the edge of the parking lot.
Start walking on a paved path, past the sailboard concession building.
The broad paved trail bends left and 
follows
along Shoreline Drive. Low dunes, planted with buckwheat, fuchsia, gumplant,
sages, rockrose, primrose, and ceanothus, create a buffer between the
path and beach -- unfortunately there is no such obstacle between the
path and the street. Occasionally paths connect the trail and beach. Squirrel
burrows are common in the dunes. At 1.38 miles the paved path enters Elsie
Roemer Bird Sanctuary. On the right the beach fades into a marsh, where
fennel blooms in summer. Just before the end of Shoreline Drive, at 1.52
miles, turn right onto an elevated overlook. The dead-end boardwalk
permits a glimpse into the marsh, where egrets and clapper rails nestle
in the aquatic grasses. Airplane traffic from Oakland and SFO is
constant. When ready, head back to the paved trail and turn left, returning
north.
As you leave the bird sanctuary, 
turn
left at one of the beach access points (note that dogs are not permitted
on the beach). Seagulls bob on the gentle waves or snooze on the sand,
but you may also catch a glimpse of a traveling pelican, sweeping over
the bay. There are fantastic views across the water to San Francisco and
San Bruno Mountain. When the wind is really blowing most of the attendant
city noises are obliterated. At 3.13 miles a sandy path breaks off to
the right, skirting the sailboard concession and returning to the parking
lot. Turn right and walk the short distance to the trailhead. Option:
you can continue along the beach to the northern section of the park,
where there are picnic areas and a visitor center.
Total distance: 3.20 miles
Last visit: Tuesday, September 3, 2002
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