Search results
Lake Merritt is a lake located in a large tidal lagoon basin in the center of Oakland, California, just east of Downtown. It is named after Samuel Merritt, Oakland's mayor in 1867–1869, who had the lagoon dammed turning the tidal lagoon into a salt water lake. It is surrounded by parkland and city neighborhoods.
Lake Merritt. 926 reviews. #7 of 179 things to do in Oakland. Bodies of Water. Write a review. About. Saltwater lake in the middle of the city. Suggest edits to improve what we show. Improve this listing. Tours & experiences. Explore different ways to experience this place. See options. All photos (501)
Lake Merritt is a tidal slough that is part of the San Francisco Bay. In 1869, Dr. Samuel Merritt donated 155 acres that included the headwaters of "Indian Slough" and money to build a dam at the 12th Street Bridge, across the "neck" of the inlet. This created the present day lake.
Lake Merritt is not a swimming lake. It is a brackish lake, mostly salt water with a little fresh water coming in from some seasonal streams. I have never seen a swimmer in the lake.
Lake Merritt in Oakland, California is one of the most unique urban spaces in the United States. Its three mile Necklace of Lights shoreline in the center of an exceptionally diverse city is a special place where nature and nurture migrate and mingle daily.
Lake Merritt was the United States’ first official wildlife refuge (in 1870). If you only have three hours Encircled by art deco buildings and 1950s flats, this saltwater and freshwater lake, fed by the estuary and bay, is the first official wildlife refuge in the United States.
Jan 1, 2001 · Less than 200 years ago what is today Lake Merritt was a slough, the swampy north-pointing appendage (sometimes a finger, sometimes a hand) of San Antonio Creek, part of the tidal channel that would later become the Oakland Inner Harbor, and an integral piece of a 3960-acre watershed situated on a wide alluvial plain.
