Pinole Shores Regional Park AA & B** 1 mile SJ

Pinole Shores, east of the much largerPoint Pinole Regional Shoreline, is a pleasant 1 mile paved hiking-jogging path along a hillside above the busy Southern Pacific railroad track, adjoining houses and condos for much of its length. It unfortunately is not contiguous with Point Pinole EBRP; in fact, even by car, getting from one to the other is a navigational challenge, but if you find yourself in the area, the birds, wildflowers, and views of San Pablo Bay are nice. The frequent trains are interesting to watch.

A low, blackpainted cyclone fence borders both sides of the trail for much of its length, which partly skirts suburban back yards. From the parking lot, a left turn takes you west toward Point Wilson, along the moderate slopes of a grassy hillside and through pleasantly wooded gullies. A little over a half-mile takes you to the turnaround spot, with benches along the way. To the west across the water are the eucalyptus groves on Point Pinole's peninsula; past them Mount Tamalpais and the blue hills of Marin. It's possible to go another 200 yards or so over rough-mown grass beyond the end of the paved trail before reaching the end of the public right-of-way.

A right turn from the parking lot leads you northeast, briefly along an oak-shaded clifftop, then down into Gately Gulch to cross a willow-shaded stream frequented by red-winged blackbirds, before ascending to the gated turnaround on an open knob. The distance from the parking lot to this end of the trail is also about a half mile. It also has benches, but its steep stretches are a bit tougher.

Details: Open 5 am-10 pm.Gates to the small parking lot (one blue space) are open 8 am-4 pm. Dogs are permitted; there's no entry fee and no restrooms. To get there, Exit I-80 East in Pinole on Appian Way. Turn left on Appian, left on San Pablo Ave., and right on Pinole Shores Dr. Last visit Spring 2005