Roberts Regional Recreation Area (RRRA) is an area adjacent to
Redwood Regional 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. A ...
next to
Oakland, CA
Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, California, Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major We ...
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.](_blank)
Accessed September 7, 2017.
Roberts Regional Recreational Area has picnic tables, playground and a seasonal pool with lifeguard.
History

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 about 1.25 miles offshore from San Francisco in San Francisco Bay, California, near the Golden Gate, Golden Gate Strait. The island was developed in the mid-19th century with facilities for a Alcatraz Isla ...
,
Yerba Buena Island and the
Port of San Francisco.
[Williamson, R. S. and W. H. Heuer. ''Report Upon the Removal of Blossom Rock San Francisco Harbor, California.'' 1870.](_blank)
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.](_blank)
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
See also
*
HMS Blossom (1806)
HMS ''Blossom'' was an 18-gun sloop-of-war. She was built in 1806 and is best known for the 1825–1828 expedition under Captain Beechey to the Pacific Ocean. She explored as far north as Point Barrow, Alaska, the furthest point into the A ...
*
Blossom Rock Navigation Trees (California Historical Landmark)
*
Report Upon the Removal of Blossom Rock San Francisco Harbor, California. Williamson, R. S. and W. H. Heuer. 1870.
References
External links
Roberts Regional Recreation Area official web page
{{East Bay Regional Parks
East Bay Regional Park District
Parks in Oakland, California