Shoreline Lake Boathouse

Pros: Good for novice golfers, sailors, windsurfers.
Cons: Bad for picnics, horribly dangerous for kite-flying.

I actually came here seeking a place to fly my performance stunt kites. I ended up driving through the various areas and it looks really nice in here. I've played the golf course once, and it was decent for a public novice-level course but the other recreational areas, especially the lake, looked very picturesque.

The kite-flying area though, which is what I came for, is a big time No-No. They even have a sign that says "Kite Flying Area" but let me point out a couple safety issues that are non-negotiable. First, we have lots of lamp-poles as this kite area is apparently 50 ft. of grass and hundreds of yards of an unpaved parking lot. The lamp poles all have kites stuck on them with lines flying in the wind like some kind of kite graveyard. Secondly, and most dangerously, there are friggin power lines 800 yards downwind. How could the city of Mountain View put up a sign saying this is a designated kite flying area... ?

So far, best kite flying areas in the SF Bay: Crissy Field in SF, Berkeley Marina Green, and Half Moon Bay beaches.

Beautiful space. Great for brunch, a walk, paddling. Too bad doggies are not allowed!

Staff was very friendly!
I went on a pedal boat for 1 hour and it was $30. It's a default 4 seater, so they don't have a 2 seater if you're looking for just a 2 seater.
The weather was really nice out and there were lots of other people in the water doing pedal boats, kayaking, and wind surfing!
It gets pretty tiring after 10 minutes of pedaling but it's chill to just sit and let the water take you around!
They provide life jackets for you to pick up after paying for the rental equipment before heading out to the pedal boats.

Parking: there are a lot of spots available when I went mid day a little after lunch

Lovely place to spend time with friends and family. Rented a sailboat for one hour and a two person kayak for the next, the surrounding park is also very lovely! There's a lot of parking spots, so don't worry about getting there later or earlier. No further comments, other than that I will be returning in the future :)

absolutely love this boat house. Prices are so good!!! it is so lovely that we have something like this nearby so we could go on a boat during a sunny day. I am grateful to Shoreline for this!!! perfect date activity or even just a family outing!!!

Some of my favorite family memories invoke pedal boats and watching the windsurfers zoom through the water. Sitting on the grass with a picnic is great too!
You have to be certified to rent a sailboat - and I never got that far, but it sure looked fun. The pedal boats were perfect for me and the kids. One time my Sis and I brought our two young boys - oh they said THEY would do all the pedaling! But actually they ended up in the back looking out at the lake like little kings of the water! ‍We pedaled the whole time - it was fun and we had lots of laughs. An hour was enough- we loved it!!

If you're looking to kayak, pedal boat, row, parasail, etc. this is the place to do it! There are also walking trails, playground, and eating areas around the lake if you're looking for other activities after your lake activity.

Parking is tight here, so come earlier in the day for a space. No fees for parking. Amenities include an outdoor shower and decent bathrooms.

This was my second time kayaking, and we rented a double kayak at $26 for an hour. Unlike other places that require an individual waiver form, they have a group liability form that you sign.

The staff that were in charge of the boats seemed young and new. I felt like they weren't as attentive and could've done a better job taking care of us. When we finished kayaking and rowed up to shore, no one greeted us and helped us pull our kayak up. We ended up pulling up by the dock and bringing our kayak up ourselves.

Besides that, rowing on the lake itself was wonderfully relaxing. There is a nature preserve that is off-limits, but the signs aren't as obvious so we almost kayaked through it. Be careful because the birds do seem aggressive!

I absolutely love this place. It is so serene and beautiful. I like to do the walk around the lake. Sometimes I venture out and find a bench to view the water. There are geese and bunnies!

There are lots of areas where you can put out a blanket and picnic. They also have rentals for water activities like kayaking and paddle boarding.

Parking can be challenging on the weekends, but I usually just go to the front and wait for someone to walk out and I got a spot pretty quickly.

When I need some fresh air this is my go to spot.

This is such a great place to spend a weekend as there are things for everyone to do and is quite pandemic friendly.
Want to spend your time on the water? You can rent kayaks, paddle boards and peddle bikes!
Want to play golf? Come on by! There's even a designated place near the entrance for kite flying!
It's right next to the Bay Trail for you to walk, do some bird watching, and you can even rent out bikes.
The restaurant near the dock was open and has your standard American grill food. There's lots of grass space to have a picnic.
There's plenty of parking as well!

Awesome spot for everyone and novices as well. Wonderful prices that go by the hour! The manager was great and respectful!

We ordered both the paddleboat and rowboat, which were fun and a great workout. We were told not to go too far or to be very careful because it was a very windy day. The sun was out, and we were given life vests ( you get to choose them yourself). I made sure they checked them out before we headed out. We will certainly be back here with our large family to make use of our energy and then have a nice picnic our there because there are a few spots with little shade. You can bring your large umbrellas, but no dogs are allowed. They had more than enough posts about no dogs. They also have great trails for walking, jogging, or cycling. Awesome spot! We even stumbled upon a really nice and classy wedding going on! Can't wait to return.

This place has been my go-to place for a quick walk with my partner through the pandemic or for organizing social distanced meetups with smaller group of friends given the vast area!

Some highlights are the beautiful evening sunset scenes and the flock of birds that tend to hang out in the absence of humans :-)

Parking might be a problem sometimes especially during the weekends