Lake Chabot Regional Park

I used to come here all the time as a kid, and didn’t realize until recently how spoiled I’ve been! This is a great place to go out on a boat, have a picnic, casually stroll, hike, jog and really just enjoy the wonderful scenery. Basically, it’s a great place to get out and feel like you’ve left it all behind without having to drive for hours.
The trail that goes around the lake is great. It’s paved for the first couple of miles or so on each side and that’s where you’ll see a lot of people jogging, fishing or taking a walk with their families. The scenery is beautiful and you think you’ve seen it all… but it just gets prettier and prettier! Eventually the dirt road starts and the number of people thin out a little, but if you go even further and hike the whole lake, you get deeper into the trees and climb higher above the lake so you get amazing views of the entire lake and can even see across the bay. The entire loop around the lake is about 9 miles but it’s a fairly easy and pleasant hike and definitely worth it! Bring water!
There are also tons of other trails that branch out from there so if your goal is to make it back to the marina, make sure to consult a map. I veered off once before and ended up near a golf course, oops :)

I love going to Lake Chabot Regional Park. First it is very close to our house which is great on a weekend morning when we need to get outside and get some nature and exercise. I am an outdoors person so this is my kind of walk. There are numerous trails around the lake and many people walk this but it is a large enough lake so people are spread out — it never feels crowded. There are a few bikes on the path but they usually are very good about indicating when they are behind you so this is a very calm and peaceful Park for meditation, walking, fishing and hiking.
Yes for the fishing types they do stock this lake with rainbow trout and mark the board with dates and pounds of fish added, so fishing is good here at certain times. We witnessed one person with a stringer of trout and one of the rainbows was at least 4 pounds — winter fishing is good here now!
We walked about 2 – 3 miles and enjoyed the brisk air and noticed that the recent rain had added a little water to the lake, so hopefully within the next few months the lake will continue to rise since it is so very low right now, and all the fishing platforms are not in use due to the low water level. We usually walk from the West end of the Lake but that is very hilly so this time we chose to go to the far end and park on the road and walk down to the lake since the trail on the East end of the lake is less rigorous. The trails are well maintained and the folks that work here are friendly and the restrooms are clean. Overall a very good experience every trip out here. We will be back soon!

Review for runners!
I usually go to Lake Merritt for the sake of convenience but Lake Chabot beats it on every level. It’s clean, well-​maintained, and way less crowded. Not to mention, there’s no geese poop! The lake and scenic views are a great escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life. I highly recommend this trail!
Tip: park your car on Lake Chabot Rd to avoid paying the entrance fee!

If you love nature you are going to love this park. You can breath the nice fresh air. Trees and nature everywhere. I love to come here to feel some peace. It’s just beautiful.

Lake Chabot rocks. I love the views here. This is one of the best East Bay regional Parks to go to. I can here with a friend and took some pictures here. I also road my bike here as well. This place is very nice. I like the lake. I am also glad that this place has a snack bar and bathrooms along the trails.

A beautiful part of the chain of east bay hills parks, from north to south:
— Wildcat
— Tilden
— Sibley
— Huckleberry
— Redwood Regional
— Lake Chabot
Lake Chabot has a special treat that is just outside of the marina entrance to the lake part of the park. Just up the hill towards the bay from the main entrance on the right is a ridge trail with an amazing view of the bay and its sunsets.

Just went for my first time. Gorgeous scenery all around!, and I would probably give this 5 stars, but the signage is HORRIBLE!
My girlfriend and I were maybe 2.5 miles in on the trail, and all of the sudden realized we were heading into a parking lot? No signs noticed beforehand which showed the way to stay on the trail. There were at least 2 other areas that needed signs and left us guessing which way was the right way to go, including one of the last crossroads.
I can’t imagine it would cost too much money to post a few extra signs here and there? This is extremely dangerous and possibly life threatening for people that have not been on the trail before. (there were also 2 couples behind us that also mentioned the lack of signage)
Also, there was not one light anywhere on the paved part of the trail, especially towards the last 2 miles to help guide you back if you happened to be heading back after sunset.
All in all we hiked 10.5 miles, due to the parking lot detour which was fine with us :)
I would love to come back and rent a canoe or kayak. Please add a few signs!

Beautiful place for a serene, scenic 9-​mile hike. Or 10-​mile if you keep walking because you miss the Bass Cove Trail. Whoops.
The 9-​mile route is West Shore Trail to Bass Cove Trail to Columbine Trail to Honker Bay Trail to Cameron Loop Trail to East Shore Trail. (When in doubt, turn right.) It starts off paved and then transitions to unpaved trails. It took us just over three hours, including the 1-​mile detour, moving at a fairly brisk pace. We’re all in pretty good shape and we were huffing and puffing in the middle — great workout!
The only «real» restrooms are at the marina, just down from the parking lot. However, there are rustic bathrooms located along the trail. Be sure to bring plenty of water, especially on a warmer day. Much of the trail is shaded, which is nice, and there are a few «You Are Here» maps along the way.
I think $ 5 is completely reasonable for parking, especially in support of our local regional parks. You can also park for free on the main road. We arrived just after 8 a.m. and had no problem finding parking in the lot, although the main road was already quite crowded.
This hike will definitely be added to the rotation!

There’s everything for everyone! The bike and waking trail by the boat launch to the dam is scenic with plenty of things to see. It’s not very strenuous and so long as one take advantage of the many benches and alcoves for resting, it’s a manageable trail even for the novice. Plenty of shade!

Always knew this was nearby but never came. A friend recommended this place to run trails and what a gem of a location!
Ran the West Side Trail from the Marina to the Estudillo gate and back for a moderately easy 4.5 miles. Not too crowded for. Saturday morning in late August. The oddly misty morning kept the crowds down. I’m glad I brought my own water as the only water along this trail is at the marina. But then again, I’m a thirsty runner! Most of that section of trail is shaded.
I paid $ 5 to park cuz that’s how I roll. I’ll be back!

I’ve been coming here many times to fish but never for other purposes. The times I’ve come to fish I didn’t get much. A few bites here and there but nothing big. They say the fishing is pretty good but guess not when I was there. Lake is stocked with plenty of species. Many people fish for trout and catfish here since that’s what is stocked mostly.
I’ve came here training a few times for my Tough Mudder event. Ran many laps clbed up and down the steep hill they have in store for you. Recently I’ve biked here also. With many miles of interconnecting trails you will definitely get a good workout biking too.
Overall, this place is a all around cool place to do whatever your heart desires. From a walk to a run to fish and bike. Centrally located in the east bay and easily to get to.
Go and take in some fresh air and enjoy nature.

Amended review: In the past few months Lake Chabot’s water has become toxic with algae due to the drought that has killed at least one dog and is harmful to humans. While I would still recommend taking the family here for walks, I would be really careful about making sure your dogs don’t drink the water from the lake & would not suggest boating or any other water activities at this time.
Please read this article:
Please read this post by the East Bay Reg Parks Dept:

What a great park! Very accessible and has most things you’d want for a day outside.
Has: barbecues (stationary), picnic tables (reservable, FYI), boat launch, rentable boats and fishing poles, clean bathrooms in the center of the park, $ 5 parking fee.
Doesn’t have: camping, a high water line (#drought).
We had a great time picnicking with our friends and rented a boat for fishing for the whole day.
The only negative thing was the attitude of Bonnie, the young woman who rented us our poles and boat in the marina. She had a bad attitude from the moment we talked to her. Just… snarky, sharp-​tongued, and not friendly at all. There were several things we needed (like a fishing license to go with our poles) and she acted as if we were inconveniencing her. If I went back, I’d want until someone else was free to help me.
The good: beautiful grounds.
The bad: cell service is bad, so if coming with a group, reserve a place before hand so they can find it. Our friends wandered for about 20 minutes before stumbling upon us.

I have completed 8 half-​marathons since 2009 and a few 10Ks, and Lake Chabot has been and will continue to be one of my training grounds. Though I don’t usually do the long training runs here, I have done the shorter ones here (4 – 5 miles) for hill work, which is especially useful for races like the SF Nike Women’s Half Marathon. The West Shore Trail from the Castro Valley gate to the Estudillo gate in San Leandro is about 4.5 miles round trip and it has some nice hills, so it’s good for training. A good part of it is shaded all day, but by the late afternoon, it is mostly shaded.
Lake Chabot is a beautiful lake that’s surrounded by trails close to the lake level, and trails way up at the ridge. You can rent boats, have picnics on the lawn, have large parties in the picnic areas, play volleyball, hike, bike, fish, walk your dog, camp, and get food at the café at the Marina. 20 miles of hiking trails in by the lake and it connects to another 70 miles of trails in the adjacent Anthony Chabot Regional Park.
The Estudillo gate is only a mile from our house, so we normally use that entrance. If you’re into Disc Golfing, the course is at this end of Lake Chabot. There are also more picnic areas here. The trail from this end goes up right away and is quite steep, but only for about a third of a mile and then you go downhill to the dam.
The park is very crowded on weekends, so keep that in mind if you’re going to do some training runs or rides here. It may be best to do it early or late or on weekdays.
We’ve lived near here for a little over 10 years and I’ve never seen the lake this low. It’s so sad to see it like this. I do hope the winter rains raise up the water level! It’d be nice to see the dam gushing again and the water level high again!

Starting with a gripe this time. Water stations aren’t present anywhere except at the marina so make sure you get plenty of water.
The 9 mile loop is about 60% shaded so it makes a good hike even late in the day during summer. The elevation profile is good enough for a beginner and I’ve seen water falls and mushrooms during winter. Good variation of wild flowers too! One of those booster hikes for me to jumpstart the habit. Good company makes it that much more interesting!

What am I gonna do when I leave the Bay? (I have a feeling I’ll be back.) I’ve never lived anywhere where there are so many freaking parks. It’s such a luxury to be able to contemplate which out of the dozens — I’m sure even more — parks I could hit up in the East Bay.
Today I walked around Lake Chabot and loved it. Well, more like walked along one side of it because apparently the loop is long — maybe 8 miles? Maybe even a little longer. But my 3 or so mile walk was still great — paved, flat, the lake itself is gorgeous. I live near Lake Merritt (love that too) but Lake Chabot you get that feeling that you’re away from the city.
Definitely would want to come back and check out the other trails on the other side of the park.

A lovely place to get in touch with nature! On weekends and holidays, you’ll find families at Lake Chabot. They are either picnicking, BBQ-​ing, napping on the grass, playing soccer, playing volleyball, or all of the above. This is definitely a family friendly place with lots of picnic/​BBQ pits, so no need to fight over the space.
It’s also a great place for boat rentals. My partner and I rented a pedal boat for 2 hours, which was $ 28. Not too bad considering that we got our $$ worth of exercise (don’t be fooled by the calmness of the lake! the winds will make you pedal hard!).
For those who like fishing, it looks like a popular destination as well (although I have never fished here or anywhere). For those that like hiking and/​or biking, this is definitely the place to go. It’s 12 miles around the park and 9 miles around the lake. So, you’ll get some good exercise in. Finally, it’s got bathrooms and parking ($ 5), which are both awesome to have for a park!
Be sure to consider Lake Chabot next time you’re thinking of an outdoorsy adventure and/​or a space to gather larger groups of people.

Realmente un parque precioso, con unas vistas espectaculares, rodeado de naturaleza, romántico, tranquilo. Puedes realizar pesca, pasar el día con la familia los amig@s o tu pareja. Estupendo para desconectar de la rutina.

NIce local park for hiking, mountain biking, and sailing a boat.
This park is big, the lake chabot is located in the east side, but the west side has many trails.
I hiked 21 miles. +/​-​3000 feet elevation gain. Most part very flat.
In April, it is green and a lot of pretty wild flowers.
For casual hikers, just hike around the laked would be short and great.

Awesome!
Clean, well maintained campground!
Showers nice & hot, still free!
Turkeys, deer, & racoons! Be sure to secure your food at night.
Had a great weekend in #61.

Parking is $ 5 to park in the actual park or you can park & walk a little outside of the park. PARALLEL-​PARKING!
Besides getting lost & ending up in the restricted zone which resulted in having to jump a fence, it was a nice hike.
I swear, the hike was going great until we ended up near a campsite then in residential area. We found what we thought was the continuation of the trail but we were wrong, 3 different times! We ended up having to jump a fence to get back onto the trail the opposite way from where we were going.
So we didn’t make it around all of Lake Chabot. Looking at the map didn’t make it less-​confusing. Idk, it was yeah.
But other than getting lost, I love the trail. They have bathrooms, well outhouses along the trail for those who have small bladders.
They have benches where you can sit & relax with a view on the lake, really cool.
There is this tree that is like the PERFECT climbing tree, perfect for a photoshoot :) Just sayin’
This trail is pretty busy so if you’re looking for a secluded trail, this isn’t it.
Some people have their dogs on a leash & some don’t. I don’t care either way, dog are too cute!!!
Okay, okay… yes, I will be back & conquer the WHOLE TRAIL the right way, lol.