Mosswood Park

6.19.25 Juneteenth was going on at Mosswood Park today. Only thing is that first I saw one or two Oakland PD officers then I noticed which must have been a dozen cop cars on MacArthur. Then I saw a pistol in the holster of one cop so at that point I left I hate being around guns. It should be illegal for guns to be around children. My dad was on OPD in 1971. And dad used to leave a loaded rifle in the corner of the house. Or a loaded pistol handgun behind the driver's seat in the camper van. Like if you don't feel safe bringing you family to sneak up on someone's open land in the middle of the night and you need a gun to protect yourself maybe it's not a safe thing to do. Also Oakland PD we need cameras installed further down on MacArthur near my apartment where on the weekend sometimes people are doing wheeling or street racing. This is Carol Fife's district. I did have some ginger juice and some mango Irish moss juice which is very good for hypo thyroid. Mosswood park might be the largest park in Oakland. Today they are celebrating Oakland Roots with a festival

Way too many tents, trash piles. I can see some ppl enjoying the park, but I didn’t feel comfortable here with my dogs. Looks like the courts are popular, but the open in fenced grassy areas are NOT a dog run.

I ordered wings, which was pretty good. But they garlic noodles were ok. I wanted a more garlic taste but it was a little sweet. I tried ordering online to save time but for some reason, my order didn't go through however the guy dropped my order in person so the wait was less than 10 minutes. Which worked out even better. Overall service was great. They do have TV for games.

I've lived in the mosswood park for several years along other parts of Oakland my experience has always been somewhat tranquil and relaxing it became a little unbearable when the residents of the homeless encampments started showing signs of ungrateful sentiments overall a cool place to chill and enjoy nature's beauty

a review from @amom2kidsandapark Grab your swords and eye patches. This ship-inspired playground is perfect for your little swashbuckler. With open grass fields, two playgrounds, softball fields and basketball courts you’re sure to have a good time. The bigger playground, as mentioned is shaped like a ship! There are two slides (double and spiral), stairs, a ladder, pirate activities (I loved the treasure maze!), and crawl through holes. In this play area, there is a swing set with bucket and standard swings and a water spigot/water play feature(it was off). Most of this play area is sand but under the play structure and the bucket swings is the soft rubber. My kids like to take their shoes off in sandboxes but since this sand was more like small rocks with some small branches and leaves mixed in I tried to make sure their shoes stayed on (but if you check out the bottom corner of the second photo you’ll see some little shoeless footies…. She survived). The second w area is completely gated and designed more for younger kids/toddlers. The flooring is completely soft rubber. The structure is short and has steps, ladders, a bridge, two slides (double and sidewinder), and activities. Other fun elements of this gated play area include a climbing boulder, a spinning cup, a covered snacking bench, and community-given toys. There are benches and picnic tables inside the gate. There are no bathrooms and street parking could be tricky. Sometimes you’ll see “campers” at this park but they tend to stick to their people. The small incident we encountered was redirected by the camper's friend. That's what friends are for right? 😊

6/1/2024. 1st Saturday of June. Oakland Carnival. Oakland struggling with solutions for homelessness in park.

Just stay close to each other. Kids park and basketball court are very nice if you like urban. At this park you can play and not be afraid to get a lil dirty.😁

Moss wood festival each year Hell yeah

a review from @amom2kidsandapark Grab your swords and eye patches. This ship-inspired playground is perfect for your little swashbuckler. With open grass fields, two playgrounds, softball fields and basketball courts you're sure to have a good time. The bigger playground, as mentioned is shaped like a ship! There are two slides (double and spiral), stairs, a ladder, pirate activities (I loved the treasure maze!), and crawl through holes. In this play area, there is a swing set with bucket and standard swings and a water spigot/water play feature(it was off). Most of this play area is sand but under the play structure and the bucket swings is the soft rubber. My kids like to take their shoes off in sandboxes but since this sand was more like small rocks with some small branches and leaves mixed in I tried to make sure their shoes stayed on (but if you check out the bottom corner of the second photo you'll see some little shoeless footies.... She survived). The second w area is completely gated and designed more for younger kids/toddlers. The flooring is completely soft rubber. The structure is short and has steps, ladders, a bridge, two slides (double and sidewinder), and activities. Other fun elements of this gated play area include a climbing boulder, a spinning cup, a covered snacking bench, and community-given toys. There are benches and picnic tables inside the gate. There are no bathrooms and street parking could be tricky. Sometimes you'll see "campers" at this park but they tend to stick to their people. The small incident we encountered was redirected by the camper's friend. That's what friends are for right?

Tennis, basketball, play structure and large fields. Great park that on the surface has it all... but dig a bit deer and its just a ok. I think this whole park needs a scrub down with some warm soapy water. Its fine but it doesn't really shine. In the heart of downtown - i think its best for a little walk during lunch hour if you work at the nearby businesses - maybe Kaiser. Needs a refresh. Some new energy. A feng shui master.

Mosswood Park has been here hiding here in plain view since 1907. it's a convenient outdoor space for community events like Juneteeth, kaiser demostrations, picnics, as well as private events. amenities: large grassy area, children's play area, tennis & basketball courts, baseball field. it's a great resource for nearby residents. i haven't been here for years. parking isn't a problem as there are many parking lots around. homeless tents have been sighted on da moss. (not surprising).

The dog enclosure has been completely taken over by a revolving door or encampments. Not safe for pups with needles & glass everywhere. If your dog needs a fenced in area (still working on recall), go elsewhere. Don't waste your time coming here.

This is a great place to bring the family for a day at the park. I came here to skate with the group that gathers here on Saturdays from 3-9pm. Didn't stay the whole time because it was getting cold. This place has a baseball field, large grass area, lots of trees, playground for kids. Since the basketball hoops are taken down, that's where we skated. Had lots of fun skating with other people even though I'm not that good. Will come back again with my spouse.

9-2-2018...Had a really good time at the PAN AFRICAN FESTIVAL...The park was perfect for the 400 or so people attending the event...good food and lots of merchandise was available...pony rides, jumpers, and plenty of things for kids....great turn out

Mosswood Park is a huge, beautiful park located in Oakland on MacArthur & Broadway (funky, funky Broadway). There is a parking lot located on the Webster Street side of the park. It is also easily accessible by public transportation (AC Transit buses 51A, 57 and the MacArthur BART Station is about 3 long blocks away). Even though I love this park during the day, I would not recommend hanging around by yourself when the sun goes down. You can never tell who is lurking around during the late evenings. It's a great place to have picnics with plenty of BBQ grills, shoot a few hoops on the basketball courts, play softball and/or kickball, relax and chill with a good book to read. This past weekend I was at a reunion picnic with many of my high school classmates and friends from Oakland Tech. It turned out to be a nice event and the music was soulful (from the 70's to the present). I hate that I missed out on doing the cupid shuffle, and I just learned how to do that dance about 2 years ago at another OTHS event. Still, it was fun gathering together to share laughter and memories. I will return next year for the annual event of the OTHS Class of '72 picnic.

Mosswood is known for basketball and the courts were renovated in 2011. The day I went by there was just a single person shooting hoops but it's still a nice venue.I'm glad they (Good Tidings Foundation, Golden State Warriors, Dryco) joined forces to renovate the courts.

This is a Town favorite for ballers. I always see people on the court getting down with their 3 point shots and cross overs. A teenagers chilling haven. There's always people here. Sometimes people will have events here in the park which is great! So sad that an arson had tried to burn it down... I still cannot believe that. But I'm glad they were able to recover the damages and open the park back up. There aren't enough basketball courts in Oakland and this is an all time favorite place to play ball. Baseball too, and tennis.

Went here with my son on Thanksgiving morning to volunteer our time putting together snack and food kits for the homeless. It was the 7th annual Thanksgiving in the Park. We helped put together 300 bags. So glad we did this... Made me appreciate and be thankful for what I have. Hope to do it again next year. It was a great, diverse group of people all working together to try and make someone else's Thanksgiving a little better. 3 stars because it was freezing cold! Brrrr.... (Glad I brought ny gloves) and the bathrooms were locked. Had to walk to the bathrooms across the street in Kaiser's lobby.

Very disappointed. I took my little one here to play in the playground after an appointment at Kaiser. It was a beautiful day, the playground was really nice. But I didn't feel safe there. I counted 11 tents just yards from the playground. No other kids were there either. I wouldn't recommend trying.

Even though I went to this park at night, it seems really nice. Wide open spaces, a soccer field, baseball diamond, and basketball courts. But man, watch out for the drunks. I had this huge guy invade my personal space and started telling me his whole life story. He had the stench of alcohol on him as well as a plastic water bottle filled with booze. He even spouted a poem that seemed to last forever. Several things I learned from this poet: -Mosswood Park supposedly has a lot of basketball history. -This guy is trying to make a book. -His psychiatrist says poetry is a good thing for him. -He's taking a journalism night class. -Retired post office workers can make $800 a month. -Girls from Ohio are slutty. -Girls from China are hot but don't mess with their boyfriends. -Ex-marines can fall from grace. -Do not do crack. -Booze will make you lose your job as well. After ten minutes of me nodding my head, he wrapped it up asking me for $2.

Looked at this park to host a bday party. The city of Oakland wanted to charge me $75 for my request being less than 30 Days. And $15 an hour with a 4 hour minimum, with a $100 deposit! Ha!! It's beautiful open and nice basketball courts as well as a flourishing garden! Too bad there's a homeless encampment directly at the back.. walking around I felt that I may step in human excrement. Now rather than hosting a bday party I'm contemplating how/ what I can do to help this..? The filed is very bumpy- watch for twisted ankles. But it is beautiful and is history.. just needs help.

I confess: though I have passed by this park possibly thousands of times in the last 7 years since I have moved to the East Bay - Broadway being the major thoroughfare that it is - I did not actually realize that this was the name of this park til last November when I had a small wildlife relocation project. You see - in my Temescal neighborhood - we have a surfeit of squirrels. The little jerks just fall out of trees as babies after their hussy moms have given birth and abandoned them (or gotten squished on 51st St by human jerks speeding over the 30 mph speed limit). We also have jillions of birds in this neighborhood - and not quite enough bees (another review) - and I like feeding birds. I do not like feeding squirrels, the greedy little bastards that they are. In the last couple of years, one squirrel in particular has grown muy macho - chasing off the other newbies, climbing my feeders and spraying black wax sunflower seeds all over the place. He runs along the fences - peeps in my windows at my cats - waggles his sizable squirrely bits at us and then scratches off fleas into the yard. Jerk. Finally, a few months after having used my medium size Hav-a-Heart trap to TNR a feral colony in my friend's yard by Helloakland cafe - I decided to try to trap this jerk of a squirrel and put the trap on top of my little tin shed with a handful of dog food. Shockingly - it worked. I had no idea that a single squirrel could set off a trap of that size! I wanted to drop him off in Tilden but my friend suggested Mosswood - he'd have to cross MacArthur and 40th Sts to return to this neighborhood so off we went. We pointed the trap at a redwood tree, opened it and he was off like a rocket, climbing up his new home like a pro. Unfortunately, the two junior punk squirrels have started double teaming my bird feeders so they will soon be relocated to Mosswood Park along with their mentor. If you happen to head to Mosswood Park and are in a charitable mood - bring along some breadcrumbs to feed my former nuisance squirrel. The finches will thank you!

I used to live about a 10 minute walk from this park, so I would go on runs (during the day) through here. There's a nice grassy knoll and usually people lazing around on the grass, playing sports, and sometimes BBQing. There's a playground as well as a basketball court and a baseball field behind it. I was part of a WAKA kickball team and we had some matches here. On the weekend, there are children playing soccer and dads teaching sons how to toss the ole pig skin around. The only reason I can't bestow a full 5 stars to this park is because the parking here is pretty limited. You usually have to look for street parking. Also, might not be a very good idea to come here at night.

Mosswood Park, Memorial Day 2012 & SambaFunk baby! Drumming for days was off the hook! SambaFunk drumming, dancing & parade were bangin. Hangin with cool people was awesome This park has no benches, picnic tables or bbq pits. Bathrooms were not open. Posted signs said 'No Dogs' but there were plenty of them there. There were about 5 that I saw. If I would have known I would have taken TBO 'The Beautiful One'. Plenty of parking on the street. There was no Oakland violence...just a lot of urban people havin a funky goot time! North Oakland baby...nine four six oh nine!

I was surprised that no one has mentioned the two dog runs at Mosswood in any of the previous reviews. They are tucked away behind the tennis courts in a park 2x the size of Dolores Park so perhaps they've just gone unnoticed. So this review is for the Small Dog Run (small dogs under 30lbs- dogs over 30lbs have their own enclosed run right next door!). Roughly the size of a tennis court, the small dog run is completely enclosed. 4.5 Star Rating! So yesterday I decided to take Madison, my 7th month old Rat Terrier to her first dog park. Being only 10lbs she is still afraid of large dogs but plays well with all the small dogs in my apartment complex so I was delighted to find a place that had a seperate area for small dogs. So I packed Madison into a sholuder bag (she likes to stick her head out and watch where were going) and hopped on my bike and off we went. We arrived about ten minutes later, an easy ride from downtown Oakland. As I was pad locking and triple chaining my bike to the fence (if you're not careful in Oakland people will steal your bike while you're riding it) a bunch of cute 20lbs mutts came running over barking a non stop greeting. Madison watched with puppy patience from the safety of her bag. It took the other pups Moms a minute to realize why their beloveds were barking at me. Once they saw Madison their pups were called off, asked to sit, and told to wait. So I opened the gate, set Madison down, expecting her to run delightedly inside to play with the other dogs. No sooner did her paws hit dirt than every hair on her back stood up straight enough to make any feline green with envy- and she shot back through the gate and straight to my bike.. I guess to her all those dogs (who although small were twice her size) sitting there looked like they were in line for scooby snacks. But everyone was a Mosswood regular and all the dogs behaved fantastically. After a few minutes Madison relaxed and had the time of her life! She liked it so much that we're back today waiting for our new puppy pals to arrive! NOTES: 1. The park itself is truly a wonderful spot. There are tennis and basketball courts, a baseball field, a soccer field, indoor restrooms in the community center, BBQ pits, picnic tables and benches, an ampitheater surrounded by 100ft tall trees. Tons and tons and tons of grass, gravel paths to skate and bike on, pick up softball games and kick ball games on Sundays, and play grounds for the kiddies. The only reason I gave it a 4.5 stars instead of a 5 is that in a park so big I think they could've given the dogs more room and perhaps some grass.. other than that it's perfect!

Relatively clean park. The structures and benches are in good shape. I didn't see a bathroom nearby and there was some trash piling up. It's right across from the hospital so that's handy if you need to spend some time there.

Just recently had what might be one of the last BBQs of the season at Mosswood. The park was abuzz with life, children, birthdays, sports, as per usual. This time, we chose the grills by the baseball dugout. In the spirit of community, I doused the nearby drinking fountain with hand sanitizer after a young man proudly and calmly used it to wash his dick. We also noticed a pile of about 20-50 mostly-empty crack vials, which inspired me to ponder how a recycling program/crack-vial exchange would positively impact my neighborhood. And also whether or not anyone was going to finish all that leftover crack! Waste-not, want-not! Grassroots, yo. One more thing......the slew of aesthetic-nightmare-pictures of dogs with a background of dirt, or pouty 20-somethings on a swingset in all black glaring into the camera are "not helpful" to my review. I just want to re-assert this in writing.

Let's keep this short and to the point. lol This is the best park if you want to experience the "Oakland Urban Park" experience without getting shot. During the day you can find all sorts of cool people playing basketball, flying kites, or having lunch. During the night... You better night be seeing anything because it would be in your best interest NOT to be in the park after the sun goes down. I know Kaiser is right across the street from the park, but I wouldn't press my luck. lol

During the day time, this park is awesome, plenty of room for the kids to run around, multiple play structures to climb, and brand new basketball courts. I also like that this park has a youth center with tons of free activites, and that they host a variety of free festivals and tournaments throughout the year. On the opposite end of the spectrum, this park is awfully shady at night, tons of hood ass people smoking weed and drinking; which inevitably always ends in a shooting, stabbing, or robbery(Sometimes a combination of all three plus rape). Come here and I guarantee your kids will have a blast, just be wise and leave before sunset and leave all valuables out of open view :)

The park is a welcome green patch in the middle of urban Oakland. It has picnic tables, a rec club, a soccer field, lots of green grass and trees, and a lighted base/softball field. It's a pretty sketchy area after dark, so park your car where you can see it. Sundays you can meet up with the hipster pickup softball team that plays there. They're a blast and very good so bring your A game. If anything sketchy starts happening, they have a few bats.....

A good park is sometimes hard to find. Here, you have: 1. baseball diamond 2. open picnic areas 3. small stone amphitheatre - good for impromptu performances and photo shoots 4. indoor bathrooms in the community center (good for those of us who can't seem to master peeing while standing up!) 5. a nice variety of dogwalkers, hipsters, punks, crackheads and your other garden variety oaklanders. 6. a nice place to drink some cheap wine on a sunny sunday afternoon. (brown bag required!) a nice place to meander while recovering from stuffing your fat face full of deliciousness at mama's royal around the corner.

Today as I lay drinking a mai tai in the grass a man more Jack Sparrowy than Jack Sparrow showed up with a cat in a bag and played the accordion. So yeah. Also there was a french bulldog named Chicken playing soccer and it was the most gleeful thing I have witnessed in my life. Apparently there is an amphitheater there too.

This park offers many things! But "No dogs in the Park?" That's fucked up!!! If there's no one around and people pick up after their pets, what's the big problem?

Mosswood on a sunny Sunday = perfect. Play ball. There is a pickup softball game here every Sunday so if you're going to do something else other than play softball, stick to the north side of the park along Broadway.

Late afternoons in Mosswood Park with the long shadows of the trees stretching across the wide field of grass are awesome. You'll probably find one of the widest cross sections of Oakland peeps here, everyone from hipsters to homeless and all in between. All so very Oakland which is why I love this park despite that it isn't always taken care of real well by the city. One thing you gotta say, it's one of the only major parks in Oakland that isn't full of goose poop!!

Nice park. Big grass field to walk your dog, have a picnic or throw the football around. Of course there is a playground for the kids. There is a baseball field, basketball courts, a community garden and a decent size parking lot. I got a good cardio workout too...3 games of 3 on 3 basketball.

I live just a few blocks from here so maybe I'm a bit biased but Mosswood is one of my favorite places in Oakland to take my dog or relax in the park. There are not one but two fenced in dog runs (one for dogs under 30 lbs and one for larger dogs). I love the diverse community at Mosswood; lots of families from ethnic backgrounds reminds me a lot of when I lived in Queens in NYC. There are tennis and basketball courts free to use, a small baseball diamond, and a few grills and picnic tables scattered around the main grassy area. The only things I don't love? The feral cat colony --seriously those cats are aggressive and have gone after my dog on more than one occasion; the occasional homeless people asking for money; and the fields and dog parks have terrible drainage so after it rains make sure you wear high rubber boots otherwise you'll be soaked with mud.

I'm not a resident of Oakland - but I will be sooner or later. A few words describe this place. Mosswood Kickball. Bike party. I've had some good times here the few times I went.

YELP 100 CHALLENGE 2014 47/100 This park is big & beautiful! There is plenty of space for lounging, BBQing, playing basketball, kickball, baseball. There's also a park for the kiddos, one gated off section for little ones, and one un-gated for bigger kids. I take my one year old here fairly often and there's always plenty of people for him to interact with while at the playground. This park is teeming with all walks of life and we love visiting!

You know, I live really close to Mosswood Park, but don't hang out here nearly as much as I should. It's a great city park with a great balance of open space with foilage and trees. Mosswood is great because: -You can usually find gang-bangers playing hoops with mohwak'ed punks. -Sunday punk-rock kickball games (are these still happening?) -Bike punks having romantic picnics -Cute dogs galore.

Super cool park. Seems like there is always some live music or something or other going on here. Lots of space to BBQ, frisbee, relax etc.

This is a good park. The location is central/ north oakland within walking distance of McArthur BART. I occasionally play drums in the park. I usually go only in the day, so I can speak to the night scene. It loses a star because the bathrooms on the back side of the building can be a little sketchy, so you might want to go with someone if you can't fight. Every memorial day monday several hand drum groups come together and jam through out the afternoon. You can get your samba- rumba- African-dance groove on in true Oakland style..

This is nice. To have a park in the middle of all that Kaiser hospital construction. Just glad that I can have a place to run away during lunch time and get away for a bit.

Mosswood is fine on some levels but it fails on others. I have a problem with irresponsible dog owners (not the dogs themselves) who use the park as an off-leash park. Is it?? If so, that is fine, but there should be posted signs to remind owners of the rules of etiquette and safety. Pt. Isabel provides a wonderful example--dogs must be vaccinated and licensed and under voice command and within sight at all times, etc. Firstly, I do have a dog myself. I am not at all against dogs. It is the nonchalance of dog owners with their faces in their phones who saunter throughout the park and allow their dogs to run all over and do whatever wherever. I have seen loose dogs running at full speed and nearly colliding with strollers when turning a corner on the path. I thought the dog runs were for off-leash dogs?? However, if dog owners want a larger area to toss a frisbee, then let's petition the city for a confined, fenced, grassy, safe area--one that is well-lit and maintained. That makes the most sense, doesn't it? That cannot cost too much. The city could even use some of that leftover fencing it had put up to "hide" the homeless encampment.

Street ball is alive here. ... historical basketball park so much history here. ... not to many people come to mosswood anymore bit that should change soon with Kaiser Permanente's new development Come here in see how good your skills are!

Tennis courts are locked all the time???however my grandson loves the swings and toddler park.

Right now (2/2018) the small dog park is trashed and the big dog park is empty. Unfortunately a waste of my time today.

Agh I love it here! Best hoops courts around, gotta love the graffiti on the courts saying "indigenous permanente" so coy and biting and poetic, and they have solid tennis courts too. Lovely park, just the heart of Oakland right here.

In an area not known for greenery, you will be shocked to see this much available when you step into Mosswood Park. The oak trees are stately here. I would venture here on a sunny day, but not sure about the night time element.

This place is awesome. Wifey and I ride our bikes up here all the time. You can always get on a basketball or tennis court without a wait. Back in Jersey City, you'd have to wait hours sometimes to grab a court (tennis or hoops) for private use by your crew. They also have open public bathrooms here, which are nasty, but useable, and a place to refill your water bottles.....

Used to come to this park more when I lived up the street, been wanting to check back since they had the dog parks set up. Anyhow, others have spoken on the sketch factor, so I won't touch on it. But after dark, it's crackville like most Oakland parks. I always thought the view was nice, tucked in the middle of the town. The grass is always in good condition and hey...NO FUCKIN GEESE, or their shit. The poor mans Acropolis is always good to kick back in.

While I do appreciate that there is some green open space near my apartment, I am too often distracted by the smell of roasting meat from constant barbecues, and the seemingly non-stop drone of the sometimes rhythmically-challenged drum circles. Once, I looked out my window to see a guy tearing shit up on a four-wheeler, just doing donuts over and over again in a park about the size of a soccer field. I called the cops about ten times, but they kept putting me on hold. I love Oakland!

i fell in love with mosswood park over the weekend. i ride my bike past it all the time as i live right down the street from it. it's big grassy knolls were so inviting i decided to throw a little party there. this park is perfect for playing with the aerobie. it got stuck in the trees about 4 or 5 times but we managed to knock it out of the tree with an empty beer bottle. at one point we tried to use a big steel pipe we found but it was hard to throw up in the air. all in all, a great park for cute picnics and little parties with your friends. also acceptable for children, there are swings and slides & other fancy things too. pro-tip: dont come here during geese-migrating season. there is duck shit everywhere.

Kick ass basketball courts! for a park bordered by two big streets it's surprisingly peaceful

This is a true city park--- historic basketball court that is alive with players, thriving Mosswood Community Garden, little ones playing, softball games, picnics and a dog park. If you want to be invited in to the rainbow of Oakland life-come here. If you prefer a pristine, manicured environment this might not be your spot. I am so honored to live near this park.

These parks is where everyone plays basketball and have picnics' remember growing up as a kid this park always had something going on here for the kids to try to keep them out of trouble. The professional athletes that's from the bay area played at this park and I'm pretty sure that they have their one stories tell about this park.

My face Oakland Rec Park. Basketball with everykind of baller. Indie hipster kickball and softball. Wide open space for frisbie, football, soccer. A generally chill atmosphere. Yah, there's some sketchiness but I haven't seen any trouble in the years I've been going.