Knowland Park - Oakland

Knowland Park - CC SA-BY Our Oakland

Knowland Park is the largest and wildest public park, owned by the City of Oakland. Many people know the lower (western side) of Knowland Park from their visits to the Oakland Zoo. In recent years, the zoo has been expanding, and the Save Knowland Park group was formed to help protect the park from further expansions into undisturbed areas that are home to many species of wildlife and precious plant communities, such as rare Maritime Chaparral and oak woodlands, that are beautiful and enjoyed by the public for no charge. Ironically, some of the zoo expansion plan is for a "native species" exhibit, created at the expense of the habitat of existing native species.

Besides the lower part of the park where the zoo is, the rest of the western portion is natural and undeveloped. There are fire roads and a cell phone tower/station, but no other infrastructure or restroom facilities.

History

The park is named for Joseph R. Knowland, with the full name Joseph Knowland State Arboretum and Park. Knowland was chairman of the California State Park Commission, and under his direction, the state purchased 453 acres. On April 30, 1948, the property became a State Park. The Park was ceded to the City of Oakland with the proviso that Knowland Park always remain a public park. This occurred in either 1949 or 1973; the Wikipedia article says both. ¹