Directions to Lake Anza
What To Google
No exact address for Lake Anza is provided by Tilden Regional Park. Our parking lot is the only thing that shows on a Google map, so google “Lake Anza Parking Lot” before you enter Tilden Park and lose reception.
Directions From Richmond, Albany, El Cerrito and Berkeley - Canon Dr Entrance
Tell GPS to take you to 600 Parkside Ct. This private home is located next to the Canon Dr's entrance, which is off the Grissly Peak and Spruce intersection. We'll use this address as a way to get you to Canon Dr. Descend on Canon Dr into Tilden Park until you see a Lake Anza sign pointing to your right. The road to your right is Central Park Drive, but there might not be a sign. Make a right on Central Park Drive.
You'll see a succession of signs naming picnic areas and trailheads. They are (in this order): Big Leaf, Lone Oak, Meadows, Stream, Fern. Pass the Merry-Go-Round sign. Turn left on Lake Anza. Once you are on Lake Anza Rd, pass Buckeye and Brook to get to the Lake Anza parking lot at the very end of the road, where we’ll meet. You won’t see the lake from the parking lot, but take the paved path towards the levee if you are late and you’ll find us. If you are late, cross the green-grassed flat area next to the parking lot (it might be wet), go down ten steps and walk across the path towards the levee, where we will be painting.
Directions From Oakland, Emeryville or San Francisco - Shasta Rd Entrance
The Shasta Rd entrance at 1180 Park Hills Rd, Berkeley is your best bet. Go north on Grizzly Peak, then turn right on Shasta Rd. Make an immediate left on Park Hills Rd. Stay to the left at the fork on Park Hills Rd. Continue on Park Hills Rd, then cross Wildcat Canyon by making a right and an immediate left onto Central Park Dr. There may not be a sign. Go left until you get to the multiple intersection. Make an extreme right on Lake Anza Rd and pass Buckeye and Brook signs to get to the Lake Anza parking lot at the very end of the road, where we’ll meet. You won’t see the lake from the parking lot, but take the paved path towards the levee if you are late and you’ll find us. If you are late, cross the green-grassed flat area next to the parking lot (it might be wet), go down ten steps and walk across the path towards the levee, where we will be painting.
Description
This gorgeous lake turns an orange-green color during the summer because of annual algae blooms. Bathing for dogs and humans is forbidden and the number of visitors drops, making this a quiet location. On its levee, there are many shaded "nooks" from which to see the lake, its ducks, and a children and teen summer camp on the other side. The lake has a great trail. You can start from the left and go around clockwise as far as you can. Check out the huge magic rock halfway!
A bathroom is located mid-way from the parking lot. There is a water fountain near the bathroom and a kiosk dispensing snacks on the days when the park runs a summer camp. An admission fee required is required for swimming. During the swimming season, there is a life guard on duty. Other amenities include wheelchair accessible features, plenty of parking, picnic grounds, and changing rooms. The parking lot is large and flat, with lots of spaces.
History
Prior to being a public park, the land around Lake Anza belonged to the Ohlone. Spanish colonizers and their descendants drove the Ohlone off the land as ranching became the dominant activity in Wildcat Canyon. American ranchers replaced them later. Eucalyptus plantations were planted at the turn of the 20th century by the Eucalyptus, Mahogany, & Land Company. Lake Anza did not exist then.
This man-made lake was created in 1938 during the construction of the Tilden Park Dam with money from the Public Works Administration. It was going to be a spring-fed reservoir that would provide water for the Tilden Park Gold Course, but that is no longer the case. This is why you can still see remnants of the water system used for this purpose. The old bath house burned down in the 1960s. It was named after Juan Bautista de Anza, a Spanish colonizer.
