Beauty of Lake Temescal

Lake Temescal, derived from the spanish word for sweat house, is a delightul hidden treasure just off of Broadway Terrace in the Oakland hills. The lake was orginally damed for storing drinking water  in 1868.

The shores of the lake were a popular camping sport with bohemian writers and artists in the late 1800s.

During the first half of the twentieth century tracks of the  Sacramento Northern railroad ran along the eastern side of the lake.  Also, an electric train called the Comet ran across the lake. 

In 1936 Lake Temescal  opened the park as a public park, including swimming  fishing, and picnicing.

It is one of my favorite walking paths-in the middle of dense urban living,