Lake Merritt

Common card · No. 416588

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 varying tidal lagoon into a stable brackish lake. It is surrounded by parkland and city neighborhoods. Historically significant as the first official wildlife refuge in the United States, designated in 1870, the lake has been listed as a National Historic Landmark since 1963. The circumference of the lake is 3.4 miles (5.5 km), with an area of 155 acres (63 ha). The lake features grassy shores, several artificial islands intended as bird refuges, and an interpretive center called the Rotary Nature Center at Lakeside Park. There is a small fairy-tale themed amusement park called Children's Fairyland and The Gardens at Lake Merritt is also in the park. A popular walking and jogging path runs along the lake's perimeter.

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