Point Pinole Regional Shoreline

The Point Pinole Regional Shoreline is a regional park on the shores of the San Pablo Bay, California (the northern arm of the San Francisco Bay). It is approximately 9km2 in area, and is operated by the East Bay Regional Park District.HistoryPoint Pinole is located in the city of Richmond, California. It is on the site of a number of former explosives factories; the largest of these was operated by the Giant Powder Company, which was relocated to this relatively remote spot following accidental explosions at its former sites in San Francisco and at Albany Hill. Although the factory operated until 1960, little trace of it now remains, other than its former tramway grades, which provide a network of nearly 20km of gently sloping paths for hiking, cycling and horse-riding. The other relic of the park's industrial past are the large number of eucalyptus glades which were planted around the factory site "for safety reasons" (as the park literature mysteriously states.). The eucalyptus was planted in strategic groves between the Giant Powder Company and the town to block the sound and smell of occasional explosions.The park features the promontory of Point Pinole, located where the East Bay shoreline turns from running south towards Berkeley and Oakland to running eastwards, inland. Geologically, it is a result of movement on the Hayward Fault which runs along its western edge, creating a low scarp. It offers superb views across the bay in all directions, towards San Francisco to the southwest, Mount Tamalpais and the Marin Headlands to the northwest, and inland across San Pablo Bay to the north and east. Fresh and ocean waters mix at this point, so the marine life is rich; a leisure pier has been built at the end of promontory, replacing a former jetty used by the factories, and is a popular location for angling.