| Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline | |
|---|---|
 Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline, March 1, 2014. Photo courtesy of Federico Pizano | |
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| Location | Contra Costa County, California |
| Nearest city | Martinez, California; Port Costa, California |
| Area | 1,400 acres (5.7 km2) |
| Operated by | East Bay Regional Park District |
| Open | All year |
Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline is a regional park, part of the East Bay Regional Park District system, located in northwestern Contra Costa County, California.
The park, which is divided into two sections, that is divided in two sections by privately owned property, is located on the southern shoreline of the Carquinez Strait and eastern San Pablo Bay and in the adjacent hills, within the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. Total area of the park is 1,400 acres (5.7 km2). [1]
The steep coastal hills rise as much as 750 feet (230 m) above the strait. [2]
The western park section extends from Crockett and Crockett Hills Regional Park eastwards to Port Costa.
The larger eastern park section extends from expansive natural open spaces in the Crockett Hills, eastwards to the city of Martinez, the Martinez Regional Shoreline park, and the John Muir National Historic Site. Trails in the Crockett Hills have unobstructed views across Carquinez Strait to Suisun Bay, Benicia, and southern Solano County.
The 500 miles (800 km) - long San Francisco Bay Trail passes through the park. Part of the Bay Area Ridge Trail also passes through the Crockett Hills area of the park.
The state built the 1.7 miles (2.7 km)-long Carquinez Scenic Drive along the southern shore of the strait in 1912. Decades later, it turned the road over to Contra Costa County. Major storms and landslides in 1983 caused huge gaps in the road, forcing its permanent closure to auto traffic. Instead, the county decided to convert the abandoned road into a trail for exclusive use by hikers, joggers, cyclists and equestrians. EBRPD negotiated with Contra Costa County for nearly a decade before it reached agreement in December 2012 on an easement that allowed converting the idle roadway to a trail. Even so, it still cost about $5.5 million to install piers, drains and walls to ensure stability of the new trail. It took several years to obtain sufficient funds for this project. [lower-alpha 1] The new trail, which did not open for public use until the Fall of 2014, was named for former U.S. Representative George Miller (D-Martinez), who was instrumental in obtaining $3.5 million in Federal funds for the project. [4]
Crockett is a census-designated place (CDP) in Contra Costa County, in the East Bay sub-region of the San Francisco Bay Area, California. The population was 3,094 at the 2010 census. It is located 28 miles northeast of San Francisco. Other nearby communities include Port Costa, Martinez, Vallejo, Benicia, Rodeo, Hercules, Pinole and Richmond.
Hercules is a city in western Contra Costa County, California. Situated along the coast of San Pablo Bay, it is located in the eastern region of the San Francisco Bay Area, about 10 miles (16 km) north of Berkeley, California. As of the 2020 census, its population was 26,016, according to the United States Census Bureau. The site of Hercules was first developed in 1881 as a manufacturing facility of the California Powder Works for the production of its patented dynamite formulation, Hercules powder. In 1882, the Hercules Powder Company was incorporated and assumed responsibility for the Hercules site. It was one of several explosive manufacturers that were active along the Pinole shoreline in the late 19th to the mid-20th century. The small company town that grew up near the facility subsequently became known as "Hercules", and was incorporated at the end of 1900. Starting in the 1970s, Hercules was heavily redeveloped as suburban bedroom community that lies along the I-80 corridor in Western Contra Costa County. It has a very ethnically diverse population.
Martinez is a city and the county seat of Contra Costa County, California, United States, in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. Located on the southern shore of the Carquinez Strait, the city's population was 37,287 at the 2020 census. The city is named after Californio ranchero Ygnacio Martínez, having been founded on his Rancho El Pinole. Martinez is known for its historic center and its waterfront.
Port Costa is a small village and census-designated place (CDP) in Contra Costa County, California, located in East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. Situated on the southern shore of the Carquinez Strait, the population was 242 at the 2020 based on United States Census Bureau.
Interstate 680 (I-680) is a north–south auxiliary Interstate Highway in Northern California. It curves around the eastern cities of the San Francisco Bay Area from San Jose to I-80 at Fairfield, bypassing cities along the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay such as Oakland and Richmond while serving others more inland such as Pleasanton and Concord.
The East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) is a special district operating in Alameda County and Contra Costa County, California, within the East Bay area of the San Francisco Bay Area. It maintains and operates a system of regional parks which is the largest urban regional park district in the United States. The administrative office is located in Oakland.
Point Pinole Regional Shoreline is a regional park on the shores of the San Pablo Bay, California, in the United States. It is approximately 2,315 acres (9.37 km2) in area, and is operated by the East Bay Regional Park District. It includes the Dotson Family Marsh and the Point Pinole Lagoon and hosts the North Richmond Shoreline Festival.
San Pablo Bay is a tidal estuary that forms the northern extension of San Francisco Bay in the East Bay and North Bay regions of the San Francisco Bay Area in northern California.
The Carquinez Strait is a narrow tidal strait located in the Bay Area of Northern California, United States. It is part of the tidal estuary of the Sacramento and the San Joaquin rivers as they drain into the San Francisco Bay. The strait is eight miles (13 km) long and connects Suisun Bay, which receives the waters of the combined rivers, with San Pablo Bay, a northern extension of the San Francisco Bay.
The Bay Area Ridge Trail is a planned 550-mile (890 km) multi-use trail along the hill and mountain ridgelines surrounding the San Francisco Bay Area, in Northern California. Currently, 400 miles (640 km) have been established. When complete, the trail will connect over seventy-five parks and open spaces. The trail is being designed to provide access for hikers, runners, mountain bicyclists, and equestrians. It will be accessible through trailheads near major population centers, but the trail will extend into more remote areas. The first trail section was dedicated on May 13, 1989.
The East Bay is the eastern region of the San Francisco Bay Area and includes cities along the eastern shores of the San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay. The region has grown to include inland communities in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. With a population of roughly 2.5 million in 2010, it is the most populous subregion in the Bay Area.
The San Francisco Bay Trail is a bicycle and pedestrian trail that when finished will allow continuous travel around the shoreline of San Francisco Bay. As of 2020, 356 miles (573 km) of the trail have been completed. When finished, the trail will be over 500 miles (800 km) of paved and gravel paths, bike lanes, and sidewalks, linking 47 cities across nine counties and crossing seven toll bridges. It is a project of the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), in collaboration with other agencies, private companies, non-profit organizations, and advocacy groups.
Wildcat Canyon Regional Park is a 2,789-acre (1,129 ha) East Bay Regional Parks District park bordering the city of Richmond in Contra Costa County in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. It includes a portion of Wildcat Canyon as well as a portion of the adjoining San Pablo Ridge, and is directly connected to the more heavily used Tilden Regional Park.
Las Trampas Regional Wilderness is a 5,342-acre (21.62 km2) regional park located in Alameda and Contra Costa counties in Northern California. The nearest city is Danville, California. Las Trampas is Spanish for the traps, or the snares. The park belongs to the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD).
Radke Martinez Regional Shoreline (RMRS) is a regional park on the shoreline of Carquinez Strait in Martinez, located in northern Contra Costa County, California. Formerly known as the Martinez Regional Shoreline, it was renamed on December 6, 2016, in honor of the late Ted Radke and his late wife Kathy Radke.
Hercules Transit Center is a major commuter hub in the western Contra Costa County city of Hercules, California. It is anchored by WestCAT bus services. The center was originally on San Pablo Avenue. In August 2009, the transit center was relocated to the other side of I-80 with additional paid parking, which is $3/day.
Crockett Hills Regional Park is a regional park in Contra Costa County, California, just south of Crockett. opened to the public in 2006. Part of the East Bay Regional Park District, it consists of 1,939 acres (7.85 km2) of rolling grasslands, wooded ravines and shoreline along the south bank of the Carquinez Strait. Its elevation ranges from 100 feet (30 m) to 800 feet (240 m) above sea level. The higher elevations offer good views of San Pablo Bay, the Sacramento - San Joaquin Delta, Mount Tamalpais, and Mount Diablo.
John V. Robinson is an American writer and photojournalist who specializes in photographing heavy construction work with a focus on bridge construction and the men and women who do the work. Robinson goes onto construction sites and does detailed photo essays of the iron workers, pile drivers, carpenters, laborers, and crane operators who do this demanding and dangerous work. He frequently collects oral histories of the workers.
Big Break Regional Shoreline is a regional park in Oakley, Contra Costa County, northern California. It is a part of the East Bay Regional Park District system.
Canada del Cierbo is a valley and 2.5-mile-long (4.0 km) northwestward-flowing stream originating in the Crockett Hills Regional Park and flowing to eastern San Pablo Bay near the Carquinez Strait at Tormey, Contra Costa County, California.