Middle Harbor Shoreline Park

Middle Harbor Shoreline Park
Middle Harbor Shoreline Park
	Middle Harbor Shoreline Park in the Port of Oakland
Location	Oakland Bay/Alameda County, California
Nearest city	Oakland, California
Area	38 acres (15 ha)
Created	2004
Operated by	Port of Oakland
Open	Monday - Friday

Middle Harbor Shoreline Park (MHSP) is located on San Francisco Bay and the Oakland Seaport entrance channel, west of downtown Oakland, California.^[2] It is owned and operated by the Port of Oakland. The park entrance is at the intersection of 7th Street and Middle Harbor Road. It is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to dusk.^[1]

History

The park is primarily on land that was the former site of the Oakland Naval Supply Depot (1940−1998), which was an important supply base for the Pacific Fleet of the U. S. Navy throughout World War II. The Naval Supply Depot closed in 1998, and the 541 acres (2.19 km²) facility was transferred to the Port of Oakland, which still owns it.^[1]

The section adjacent to the Port of Oakland, which includes Port View Park, was originally part of the Oakland Long Wharf or Oakland Pier−Mole, which was the massive western terminus of the Southern Pacific Railroad into San Francisco Bay. The interlocking tower from the railroad's pier has been moved and partially restored as a small commemorative museum. The mast of the USS Oakland is displayed at the entrance of the park.^[1]

Additionally, parts of the park used to be the Western Pacific Mole, a former railroad station/ferry pier of the Western Pacific Railroad. Before the WP transferred its operations to the Oakland Long Wharf, passengers can transfer from WP trains to ferries to San Francisco. The Mole was demolished in 1940, and its land is now part of the MHSP.^[3]

Former services at Western Pacific Mole
Preceding station	Western Pacific Railroad			Following station
Terminus		Feather River Route (1910 to 1933)		Oakland towards Salt Lake City

A 38 acres (0.15 km²) area was redeveloped for the park from 2002 to 2004. Redevelopment of the land included restoration of beaches and creation of a lagoon.^[1] The park was opened to the public on September 18, 2004.^[4]

Features

There is an amphitheater overlooking San Francisco Bay where live entertainment performs.
The Chappell R. Hayes Memorial Observation Tower, named to honor the West Oakland leader, offers good views of the Oakland Estuary and the Port's shipping activities.
Interpretive signs throughout the park present the history of the site, the environmental resources here and the adjacent maritime activities.^[1]
A viewing area for observing the super-Panamax cranes in operation at the adjacent Hanjin Terminal.^[4]

Accessibility

The following facilities are wheelchair accessible:

Parking lots
Restrooms
Drinking fountains
Picnic sites
Port View Park
Observation Tower
Viewing area at Western Pacific Mole

Rules

The park is open from 8:00 a.m. to dusk 7 days a week, all year. It is closed from dusk to dawn, except for special events authorized by Park Use Permit.
The park will only be closed to the public during special events. Those are conducted no more than 3 times per year, and advance notification is posted.
Dogs are not allowed within the park, except that Service Dogs ON-LEASH ONLY are permitted on trails and parkland areas (Oakland Municipal Code).