The Bulb — Albany

Albany Bulb is a perfect walk with panoramic views of The Bay and encounters with community-produced art.

A marshland turned, clean debris landfill, turned “bums’ paradise”, turned dog walker/nature hiker and community artists heaven sits on a mile-long 31-acre peninsula that sticks out from the shore in the shape of … a bulb.

Here you will find all sorts of people coming together to enjoy and embrace the intersection of nature, history, and art. There are all sorts of trails, from the muddy and rocky yellow bricks to the dirt and pebble paths through the tall shrubs.

Here on this unique space, you’ll get breathtaking views of The City, Port of Oakland, the Golden Gate Bridge, Angel Island and Tiburon.

There are so many trails that the possibilities are endless. You can literally walk for hours and never step foot on the same ground and never see the same art.

Entering from the street you’ll encounter the shoreline with a sandy beach and plenty of dogs enjoying the water. Nearby are picnic tables and bathrooms. Enter The Bulb and begin your exploring. Look for the art. Mosaics driftwood sculptures, graffiti, murals, and a labyrinth are a few. If you begin on the right (the higher trail) you can experience the walking multimedia tour of Cal student art telling stories of industrial, social, and mining history of the Bay Area and California. Download the app, Artivive to experience each display’s augmented reality. (So cool!). There is also an audio tour to listen to as you walk but with kids this might be hard to juggle both the constant demands for snacks, water, hand-holding, “uppers,” off path discoveries, and the occasional child magnet created from off leash dogs.

There are some hilly spots and although there were some strollers seen, the path we took was not stroller accessible. At the tip of the bulb is a lagoon. I saw dogs and people both enjoying a dip on a hot day. The paths close to the water can be covered depending on the tides so be sure you don’t start on those it high tide is soon.

I know there is so much we didn’t see and I can’t wait to go back to see it!

Parking near the entrance is possible but can get busy as the day goes on. It’s free. Other parking can be found farther down Buchanan Street.