Pinole Bayfront Park - Mar. 7, '11

Walking Distance: 3 mi. (estimate)
Walking Time: 2 hrs., 3 min. (1:14 - 3:17 p.m.)
Start and End Point: Pinole Bayfront Park parking lot, near waste treatment plant, Pinole, CA

Pinole Bayfront Park was a very pleasant place to walk out by the water's edge; there were benches along the way, strategically placed at locations with scenic views -- including one on a small hill. The small loop trail around this hill is closed on the side closest to the water; erosion seemed to have caused the asphalt trail to collapse in one spot.

At one point there was a sign with descriptions of views, and small holes (one shown at right) to look through (showing where high tide might be with respect to the description).

If you like trains, you may see a few rumble past nearby. After walking around Bayfront Park, we ventured Northeast toward Railroad Avenue. The paved, dog-friendly trail ran roughly parallel to the train tracks, until we started walking on Railroad Avenue (the residential street).

After passing Sala Resteraunt, we continued through a neighborhood with older, wood boarded-up buildings on the Bay side of the road, and a relatively new community of houses on the right side, and turned around at Railroad Ave. and Sycamore Ave., as I did not have my Bay Trail map with me and it was unclear how far we would be allowed to continue walking through this development.

Looking at the map later, we might have been able to continue a few more blocks, before turning around and walking back to the car.

Thank you to Matt and Nugget for joining me on my walk today.

Wildlife Sightings:
9 sea gulls; 6 crows; 12 little brown jobs (LBJs); 1 hummingbird; 2 black oystercatchers; 1 coot; 1 Western grebe; 12 starlings; 12 pigeons; 4 ducks; 1 small unidentified brownish shorebird; 12 ladybugs; 1 pillbug; 3 turkey vultures