NORTHERN SHORELINE
Point Pinole To Wildcat Creek
Also see North Richmond Shoreline Open Space Alliance website

The Northern Shoreline is a unique area.
San Pablo and Wildcat Creeks - the two largest creeks in Contra Costa County - flow under the Bay Trail within 0.6 miles of each other, and Wildcat Creek Regional Trail intersects the Bay Trail.
Moreover, located on San Pablo Bay, 2,147-acre Point Pinole Regional Shoreline is the largest shoreline park in the entire Bay Area.   East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) has completed the Bay Trail within the park; however, there are no Bay Trail connections linking the park with nearby residential and shoreline areas.   Point Pinole is the only shoreline park in Richmond lacking a Bay Trail connection.

North to Point Wilson in Pinole:
EBRPD has completed a planning study for closing this gap. A second entry to Point Pinole Regional Shoreline will be created from the end of Atlas Road by building a new bridge across the Union Pacific (UP) rail corridor.   The Bay Trail will follow the UP rail corridor north to reach the shoreline and Point Wilson.

South to Richmond Parkway:
EBRPD has completed a planning study for extending the trail south of Point Pinole Regional Shoreline on public, UP and PG&E lands along the west side of the UP rail corridor and acquired the former Breuner property, which connects with Goodrick Avenue. On June 29, 2009 EBRPD announced a tentative arrangement for $3 million in funding for the first phase of a project to restore 100 acres of Breuner Marsh habitat with public access improvements which could include a new staging area near Goodrick Avenue, trail access to San Pablo Bay, and closure of a key gap in the San Francisco Bay Trail connecting North Richmond with Point Pinole Regional Shoreline.

West County Landfill Loop:
Republic Services opened the 1.4-mile phase 1 Bay Trail segment in 2006. This is the first phase of a planned 3-mile trail completely encircling the landfill and offering spectacular views looking over Wildcat Creek Marsh and San Pablo Bay with abundant birds and other wild life.   The balance of the circumference trail will be built in stages with completion of the entire loop in 2010, including, including parallel higher elevation trails and picnic facilities.   Currently, the only access is west off the Richmond Parkway on Parr Blvd, which is not pedestrian or bicyclist friendly, to park in a staging area on the left side of the landfill entry. As described below, safe, attractive hiking and biking access is in the works.

Wildcat Creek / Landfill / San Pablo Creek Connector Trail:
The completed Bay Trail running between these creeks is not scenic -- rather it is a Class I trail on the west side of the Richmond Parkway. An attractive Bay Trail route is planned between the creeks and to the landfill trail from the end of the Wildcat Creek Regional Trail overlooking Wildcat Marsh.  EBRPD has completed construction documents and is ready to advertise for bids to build this trail in 2009  The planned trail runs from the viewpoint at the end of the Wildcat Creek Regional Trail along the Wildcat Marsh side of West County Wastewater District (WCWD) property to the landfill entrance and follows the south bank of San Pablo Creek to the existing Class I Bay Trail along the Richmond Parkway.