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Lake Anza
Rating Details »
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
18 reviews for Lake Anza
No one could possibly love the Anz (kinda like "The Hamptons," only it's "The Anz") as much as I do. No one. Sun, fun, sand....oh, love. So much love.
-1 Star for the poison oak that ravaged my left leg after a hike around the park. It didn't help that when I went to the free clinic in Berkeley (yes, I am broke and uninsured), I had a full 10 minutes of freak out after they informed me that while it was very likely poison oak, it could also be syphilis. OH. Great.
Fortunately--not so much. Just horrible, uncomfortable, awful poison oak. (Somehow, that being a step up seems a little pathetic.)
All in all, loads of fun. Take a cooler, watch out for the plants if you plan to hike around, and be prepared for lots of adorable, albeit loud & slightly insane, small children.
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This is one of my families favorite places to go on a hot day. It's cheap, and fun. They have life guards there for safety. The scenery is absolutely lovely. You can even swim with ducks!!!
Pack a lunch, and have a good time for hours!
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My roommate, Gary L., had a dream. He wanted to combine his love of junk food with his love of competitive triathlons. And so, where would this event be held?
Lake Anza provided the perfect venue for the First Annual Iron Stomach Triathlon. Starting with a 400m swim in the lake, competitors moved on to eat 4 Krispy Kreme donuts. The next stage was a 6 mile bike ride on Lake Anza Blvd followed by an In-n-out Double Double animal style with fries. Finally, a 2 mile run ending with 2 cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon. First to cross the line without puking wins.
Lake Anza also had ample grill and picnic table space for the bbq and donut eating contest* following the race. Parking wasn't a problem and waste disposal was also easy with the several provided trash/recycling receptacles. Rental for the facilities was reasonable and Lake Anza will definitely be the site of the 2nd annual Iron Stomach.
So if you have an event or are just LARPing (we saw quite a few of them), come to Anza.
*I ate 7 in 5 minutes...and lost.
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So there are reviews from folks who hate the kids and all their running around and making trouble. Fine, I get it, I used to NOT have kids. Now I do, and when it comes to a safe, clean, easy and close place for my 2 tots to play in water, Lake Anza has no equal.
It's close, cheap, and has lots of families with little ones. The revamped food stand has lots of edible options that don't make you regret you ate it...I had the chili and hotdog and it was better than any other park I've been to, including ballparks.
The water was mild enough for my timid 2 year old and has a low gradient allowing for my 4 year old to run around and not harrass the smaller kids.
Well worth the drive and time and money!
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Loved this place here! Within an hour drive from SF, you get to tan! Real sun, son! I couldn't believe it!
This is a huge park and this lake is mos def a huge plus. Maybe because we went on Thursday, we saw only a handful people, just 3 children (yup I hate kids at public places), no lifeguard or no paying at the door.
The water is so clear here, and I didn't think it was warm but I guess it wasn't freezing. Maybe it was only like 75F, but it felt warm enough to be laying around just in your bikinis.
Go on weekdays, bring picnic, chilax, and save the 2 hour drive to some other beaches around here I guess.
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Scenery, small lake, sand, grassy area, blah blah blah. Here's what you REALLY need to know. ENTERTAINMENT VALUE!!!!!
All in one 30 minute visit:
*two nudists sunbathing across the lake, right next to a heavily traveled walking trail
*couple making out on the sand between swimming and playing catch
*slightly intoxicated young ladies struggling to turn on the construction equipment left on the beach (one of them big scooping things)
*same two young ladies tackle each other across the sand, and one bikini top gets loose....
so I stare and nudge my male friend to look as well....when we hear the partially topless one YELL as she looks up at us:
"Hey, I think that Black guy saw me!"
To which I replied, "Nope, but I sure saw some pale white girl titties!"
I will definitely be back, but with a camera, for sure.
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Being at Lake Anza, to me, feels like being in one of those classical Chinese landscape brush paintings.
Trek the trails at least one revolution around the lake, and take in the scenic views from the various vantage points. Or find a quiet, sunny rock by the lake (away from the family swim area if it's weekend) to read a book. Oh yeah, in the summer it's great for swimming too, if you like swimming in a more natural environment.
Having grown up on the shores of Lake Superior, I usually find myself sniveling that there is no good swimming in the Bay Area during the summertime...I want clean, clear water in which my feet are still visible at 5 feet down, and warm, unpolluted sand to rest my little picnic on. And NO WIND.
Sigh. I've resigned myself to the fact that it's not going to happen. Not here.
So after a notable trip up into the hills of Berkeley yesterday afternoon, I found my findings worth sharing...a actual lovely little swimming hole!!
First point scored: can get there via public transit; BART and the 67 (AC transit drivers are much nicer and more helpful than MUNI, btw) takes you to the Brazil building in Tilden Park, and then a 5-10 minute hike to the lake. (Obviously, this is much simpler if driving; there is a parking lot right by the lake).
Second point scored: location, location, location. Lake Anza is tucked away, sort of sitting there where you would not expect some water to be. We hiked UP a path to get there originally, and it's surprising to arrive at the crest of a trail and look down onto this protected spot; it was like little oasis! Lots of trees, rock formations, and in an area that is spared from major wind, and received ample sun to warm the water and sand.
Third point scored: the general vibe was alright. Yes, there are families that go, and yes, there are children that swim in the water, but that familial feel was welcoming and reminded me of being a kid again, myself. I watched some young teen girls ask some older british women if they would be the judges for their mini-Olympics diving competition, and it wasn't weird that these girls were talking to random strangers. That kind of feel.
Final point scored: The waters. No, I could not see my feet, but that was overridden by the fact that the waters were mild and felt clean and refreshing, and there were minimal encounters with floating seaweeds. The swimming area is roped off into a few different sections; a toddler area, another area pre-drop-off, the deeper waters, and then an area for just doing laps. The swimming hole was as rewarding as it appears when you walk up on it.
Overall, a great find!!
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The weather has been predicted to be HOT for the next week, and I am a huge fan of shirking responsibilities when the temperature rises...I had also promised the 3 Musk-A-Teers we would play hooky & go to the beach today. Well, it's Bike to Work Day as well as a Spare the Air Day. How could I, in good conscious, sit in the parking lot which the Richmond Bridge surely was to become polluting the air?? So, we reached a local compromise: no Stinson Beach or Muir Beach, instead a trip to Lake Anza in Tilden Park!
It's an easy, scenic drive (yep, we drove...too steep for some bikes of ours, tho' not everyone's). We found a nearly empty parking lot at 11:00, parked IN THE SHADE and proceeded to the gate. Guess what?! For some inexplicable reason, today was FREE!!! Whooppeeee!!! Big points for this! Lots of green grass & shade/no shade options. The water was clear, clean, & cold. We brought our lunch, swam, saw ducks with 7 ducklings today, as well as turtles trying to sun themselves despite the racket of near-by toddlers with ever-vigilant moms.
This is a swell local alternative to highly chlorinated pools or the long drive to the beach. I like it a lot. Here's why my review offers 4 rather than 5 stars:
Snotty Life Guard...when I asked why the diving platform in the middle of the Lake had disappeared, he copped attitude, responding that he's worked there "like 10 years" & there'd never been such a thing.
Well, pal, I'm here to tell ya, until very recently there HAS been a wooden diving/sunning platform in the middle of Lake Anza and I was using it happily while you were probably running around with sand in your crack while your mama attempted to change your diapers there. So, don't get snarky with me.
Otherwise, a fine place to swim, picnic, sunbathe (is that still PC??), people watch, and wile away a perfectly good day. We will be back for more fun (probably when we're supposed to be at work or school...). Check it out. Just don't expect much from the Life Guards. My experience tells me they're Weenies.
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Lake Anza is pretty dang gorgeous, and right here in Berkeley. I'm a ridiculous beach fan, but we all know that ocean waters in the bay area are less than warm. Lake Anza is a beautiful alternative, at which you can comfortably swim in blissful temperate waters. There's a sandy beach on which to lay out and sneak a cooler full of "drinks;" coupled with some trashy gossip magazines, this makes for an essentially perfect afternoon.
There's an abundance of green space to play frisbee or picnic, and hiking trails all around the lake area, so I hear. It's best to drive, as the trek up to the lake is steep and winding, but totally worth it once you arrive.
Four stars because: 1) you have to pay to get in. Granted, it's only $3.50, and I totally support park maintenance, but seems a little silly. 2) It's often super crowded, and 3) let's face it--the beach is a little bit man-made, and that's not as awesome as a natural beach.
Despite those things, I love Lake Anza and treasure its presence so close to home--it's gorgeous and happy and a perfect summer afternoon place.
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Friggin' Berkeley. Leave it to Berkeley to shove in a little lake in the hills just right for a dip, and then ROPE IT OFF AND MAKE YOU PAY to cram on their fake beach with all the little yuppie brats. No offense to you, yuppie brats, but your mother who did not raise you right did not even notice when you scrambled down the rock I was quietly relaxing on, nearly cracking your skull, while I was trying to read and detox on Lake Anza's "free", sandless, shore. And then, Little Yuppie Brat, you kicked my frigging water bottle into the nasty lake. And then looked at me like Whatcha Want Old Crusty Bizitch? Hey, kid, (insert neck roll) you don't know me. You are so lucky that I was so into the nice sun, used Cormac McCarthy, and a lukewarm beer that I didn't pick you up and throw you in after it.
P.S. When I said "Try not to kill yourself," I meant it. Stupid kid.
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last i remember, you could treck to the otherside of the lake and swan dive 15 feet off the huge rock for free. otherwise it was 2 bucks. granted, the lifeguards would start to rowboat out and threaten you via megaphone. with what, i don't know.
when i did abide, i would swim laps and get my toes nibbled by turtles.
i used to hop the fence at midnight and naked yoga in the moonlight.
the cops were busy with drunk minors by the carousel, so i felt free.
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Lake Anza is a small lake---I've seen ponds bigger than this in New England---and is overcrowded on weekends and has a teensy little roped-off swimming area.
But here's the thing: should you find yourself with a non-holiday weekday off, go here. Walk around the perimeter. Take the Wildcat Gorge Trail. Swim in the areas where you're not supposed to swim.
It's MARVELOUS.
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I like Lake Anza a lot...it's pretty and I don't think there are a lot of places like it in the Bay Area. Some girlfriends and I got the chance to go up there recently and we lay in the sun, tried to get a little color, and then had lunch.
Then everything went wrong...first we went in the water and I looked around and realized that there were like 60 million kids in the roped off area, and I can guarantee you they were all peeing like crazy in that lake. The "hot-spots" in the water totally freaked me out and I ran screaming out of the lake. Ok...I thought...I'll just lay here and enjoy myself...enough with that water business.
All of sudden lifeguards start freaking out, people start running like crazy and all children are asked to check in with their parents. Aww, missing kids at a lake are so much fun. So then there is still a kid missing, the life guards form a chain and start searching the lake for a body, then they asked all adults on the beach to help them search for a body. A BODY PEOPLE!!!! Then the medical helicopter shows...and we decided that was our cue to leave.
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So there I am, soaking up the sunshine on the fake beach, looking at the kids splashing around in the kid section of the greenish lake surrounded by clusters of trees and I'm thinking to myself-I'm so jealous, that is an accessory I totally don't have. It's almost like having a dog and finding a reason to talk to people at the dog park. Anyways, if I had one, I would get one of those cool little hippie kangaroo pouches and hide mine in it-then when you least expect it, a little head will peak out and won't you be jealous! And then you will tell me how fashionable I am and then we'll go have cocktails, go shopping, and become best friends forever!
Totally off the topic of Lake Anza, but I just realized that last night I bought a pair of sandals at Old Navy, size 3-6 months. I don't have kids, am not pregnant, and don't know anyone with a 3-6 month old little girl that would look stylin' in these little blue strappy sandals (well, at least not one that I would buy a gift for).
I know you're probably thinking I'd make a horrible mother but here's the deal, if things don't work out, it's not like there's someone who wouldn't want it-I'm big on reduce, reuse, recycle-it's called adoption people. Shit. I'd make a horrible mother. I need to stop drinking.
Anyways-back to Lake Anza. It's about $3.50 for adults to get in, it's absolutely beautiful (including the drive there), they have like 3 roped off areas and the kiddies stay in the front area so if you want to swim laps, it's easy to get away from them. Also-because it's Berkeley if you're in between waxing, shaving, or whatever it is you may do to get rid of offending hair-no need to worry, there are many women that go natural so you'll fit right in.
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They have a nice huge lawn area next to the fairly large parking lot, great for picnicking with large groups, but you can't have your dog off leash here apparently. But after one person got yelled at by the pOlice for not having their dog on a leash, the officer left and everyone else who showed up after that had their dog off leash and no one scolded them.
You can have your dog off lease on the little trail that runs around the edge of the pond (I guess it's supposed to be a lake??), and that's cool because there are some rocks to scramble up and down, and a couple of good places for pooch to jump in and cool off. But it's a very short, small distraction.
I can't speak to the "beach" area, but the bathrooms for the beach are outside the pay gates and open to everyone so that's all I cared about.
PS. I have to say this because I have not seen it anywhere else....they have a big sign outside the bathroom that says something like "DON'T leave your dog unattended" Did they have a problem with dogs running amuk while their humans go in to take a pee?......poor pooches...but there were no unattended dogs there whenever I've been there.
Fishing Hooks in Lake Anza.
For Lake Anza dog walkers. . . we found a fishing hook attached to line and attached to a limb. The hook was lodged between my dogs pads.
Where there's fishing hooks, I learned it's a good idea to check before pulling the limb or brush away.
today was a perfect beautiful summery day to spend at lake anza. i felt like i was on vacation, but only about 15 minutes from home! the sand was so hot, it burned, but the water was right there to cool off. there were lots and lots of little kids there (camps have already started it seems). the lifeguards made a few 15 minute swim breaks for the kiddos, during which the bigger kids (grownups) could have a nice calm swim. one lifeguard announced the break: "take a break, drink some water, get a snack, go to the bathroom, spend time with your parents." there were pretty ducks there too. shade and grass for people who couldn't deal with the hot sand. and a group of 8 year old boys playing truth or dare provided free entertainment. i'd like to check out some of the nearby hiking trails soon.
