Martinez Regional Shoreline Park, cont. - Jan. 5, '11

Walking Distance:  1.82 miles
Walking Time:  58 min. (4:07 - 5:05 p.m.)
Start and End Point:  Public parking lot (closest to the park entrance near Ferry St.), Martinez Regional Shoreline Park, Martinez, CA

Two days ago, I walked most of the trails in Martinez Regional Shoreline Park. However, it got dark before I could finish. Today, I returned to walk the Pickleweed Trail, and the Western end of the Park. I walked from the parking lot, toward the Carquinez Strait, and over the arched, wooden bridge.

I followed the trail closest to the water, past the burnt ruins of a schooner near the shore, until I reached a point where a sign indicated that the trail had been closed for safety reasons. Just past this point, I saw what looked to be an area of collapsed bank and trail -- part of which had caved into the water.


I then followed a curving trail that headed back toward the train tracks. This is a good spot for train watchers. For a time, I followed a paved trail/road past a park building, and crossed through the Granger's Wharf area, before returning to my car.

Wildlife Sightings:
43 ducks; 1 little little brown job (LBJ) by water's edge/rocks; 15 sea gulls; 2 tiny unidentified brownish shorebirds; and 1 snowy egret.

Martinez Regional Shoreline Park - Jan. 3, 2011

Walking Distance: 2.5 mi. (estimate)
Walking Time: 1 hr., 13 min. (4:06 - 5:19 p.m.)
Start and End Point: Public parking lot, Martinez Regional Shoreline Park

I drove into the historic downtown portion of Martinez and passed an old depot, and train, near the entrance to the Martinez Regional Shoreline Park, where I went walking today.

I was looking for a place to park to walk the tail (Martinez) end of the Benicia-Martinez bridge and Marina Vista (double red lines on bottom of map image shown); but I could not find a legal place to park on the side of the road, or near the refinery operations that sit on the south side of this bridge. So, I kept driving down Marina Vista -- to Martinez Regional Shoreline Park and Martinez Marina.

In the Park, I walked as far east as far as I could go (to a wire fence, marking what I believe was the boundary with the Shell oil refinery). Then I made my way from this fire road trail north to the water's edge and toward the Martinez Marina, then out to the end of the fishing pier, and around the big pond/small lake.

It was nice to be in the Park at sunset where there were good views of the bridge to the east. Look carefully and you can see older ("mothballed") ships just beyond this bridge.

There was one trail (shown in black and white, right) that I wasn't able to walk, due to the Park closing after sunset. I'll have to finish up this last (Western-most) trail next time. Next time, I'll also study up on Google maps and other maps to find a place to park near Marina Vista/Vista Point area. If that's not possible, I'll park somewhere near the train station, or in a metered parking space, and walk back toward the bridge.

Wildlife:
52 little brown jobs (LBJs); 15 Canada geese; 48 sea gulls; 14 ducks; 13 coots; 3 cormorants; 3 large white geese and 2 other -- white-fronted -- geese with the white geese.