Behind the surrounding hills and mountains is where you'll find Eckley Pier, which is a bit of a detour from the more popular tourist destinations. Even so, going there is not a waste of time because the scenery is beautiful in every direction. You can, of course, look out over the bridge, but you can also look forward at Marin county and get an interesting vantage point on some of the city's skyline.
When I went there early on a Saturday morning, it was relatively quiet, and there were only a few people spread out across the area. There is no question that there is more activity at the pier; however, at certain times of day, it is wonderful for going for a little bit of a stroll and engaging in some reflective solitude.
At the entrance to the railroad yard, there was a massive sign. I believe it came from OEHHA. It was an advisory for coastal waters of California, with the exception of enclosed bays and coastal areas that already had advice. The reason for the advisory was the presence of mercury and PCBs in the fish that were caught in these areas. Since there are a lot of people fishing in this area, the sign is probably meant for those people. It doesn't really bother me that much because I can never fish, or rather, fishes never eat my baits, if I'm honest. read more