I am always up for discovering new spots I haven't been to in Norcal, Bay area specifically. I had no idea Richmond had a beach! Point Molate Beach park is a somewhat hidden spot right off 580. There are picnic benches, and steep grassy area. You can get down to the sand at a couple spots with care and ninja like agility (LOL). I enjoyed some time here on a Friday morning. The views of the water and the beautiful San Rafael-Richmond bridge is one of my favorite sites in the Bay. The park wasn't crowded. The parking lot is small. The port-o-potty was surprisingly well maintained and was just cleaned when I arrived. There was some construction going on. After some research, turns out a pedestrian and bike path is coming sometime in 2027. I honestly have no complaints. I'm happy to find a nice, secluded spot to get away and take in some beautiful views. I plan to return again sometime soon. read more

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Nature and bay come together here with breathtaking views. Drive the road to the end and have lunch at the park tables or on out to The Sailing Goat. View the bay, see deer and Osprey (sea eagles) nesting. Easy access at the last exit heading west to San Rafael. just before getting on the Richmond/San Rafael bridge. read more

This is an area of Richmond that is a little off the beaten path. It was very windy here, the grass was really not kept up, it almost seems like this was a forgotten type place. Coming here, you will almost miss the entrance to the parking lot if you're not paying attention. You do get a good view of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge from here, but that's about all. Honestly, when I was here, it seemed a little desolate to me. read more

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If you're already on your way to isolated Point San Pablo Harbor, you're already a bit of an eccentric or really into the brisket at Black Star Pirate BBQ (review: https://bit.ly/3ts46qc). En route you will notice this rather unkempt beach on your left. The turn-off was so quick, you may miss it. I sure did. There is a paved parking lot overrun with weeds, and the beach is over a slight bluff. It's clean enough for an easy walk, and there are picnic tables and a fine view that looks out to the Richmond San Rafael Bridge. Time to leave. RELATED - Exploring this part of Contra Costa County? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2VyCP18 read more

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This place is absolutely adorable. Cute and quiet with mellow ocean waves. Many little shellfish hid under the rock along the shore! It was a great place for a mini adventure for curious toddlers, or grownups! read more

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This place leaves you speechless on the right day. Saying that because it's completely and utterly cold by the water haha! I love hiking so the water gets colder to me at times. Hot days this place I would recommend 125 percent just because of simply how gorgeous the view of the city, and bridge is. There's just so much life looking out on the water. This is a place to just look for seashells or possibly take a family/ solo photoshoot at ! One thing I would like to not is you NEED shoes you will not ruin/ clothes you'll be able to move around in since there's a steep drop to get by the water. You will crease your shoes if they are new. Just got my shoes and didn't think about it before I left so we had to leave earlier than we would've liked. So just take good clothes and shoes so you won't have to leave ! Not many people in the surrounding area when we pulled up and parked. However as we got out multiple people started piling in and that wasn't ideal. Also I'd like to add, the street it's on is a sharp turn into it so pay attention! Thanks for reading hope this helps. read more

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This location is gorgeous, plus all the standing arteork is incredible. It will give you a different perspective on the bay. You should really go here to enjoy some fabulous delicious Brazilian food and drinks at Sailing Goat! Absolutely devine in a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. Or any day really!! read more

The last exit before the toll to the Richmond Bridge from the 580W. At the fork in the road, veer left towards Pt. Molate. There's a small signage right smack dab in the middle. Venture all the way down and there's the parking lot to the left for point molate beach. There's picnic tables with trash cans, grassy areas and a dog friendly beach access. No bathrooms or port-a-pottys because I've seen a guy relieving himself next to a tree when I first drove by. Gorgeous views of Mt. Tam and the Richmond Bridge. Quite windy, but the sunset makes up for it. There's not allot of people here the two times I stopped by and it gave me a bit of a creepy vibe. Not much of a designated trail to hike, but if you're looking for a short stroll along the beach, this is the place. If you keep driving past the beach there's an old naval housing area with a lonely playground and slide in the distance. The houses are boarded up and completely deserted. Hey, if you're into slightly creepy locations with the threat of being prosecuted due to trespassing, this place is for you! Interesting place to see, but I wouldn't frequent here to walk my dogs because there's tons of ticks from the tall grass. Yuck! read more

Point Molate - Beautiful view of the Richmond Bridge - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me

Very sunny, warm, and blue as we took advantage of a lazy late wake-up, unseasonably warm winter temps in East Bay, and the proximity of 3 month old newly reopened beach area. Was closed for a decade or so. Between navy and Chevron and what-have-you, at least the beach area with decent number of picnic tables, grills, and ample parking was open!! Went hill walking near the National Historic East Brothers area. Did not know there is a rod and gun club here as well ( perfect, as I want to learn how to shoot), Most interesting highlight was driving down to the Sportsmen club yacht harbor area. Patrons of the island B&B will be parking here and ferries. Y boat to the island for their overnights... Another lovely vista and angle from which to admire Marin and its mighty mountains....and the City. Love views. read more

Point Molate - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me

I'm only putting Yay! I'm a fan because I enjoyed taking photos there. It's a shame that whenever our government shuts down Naval or Military Bases in general they leave perfectly good homes to rot. My sister and I were on our way home from the East Bay, and decided to kill some time while my Granddaughter napped until 3:00 to go in the carpool lane home. The houses are beautiful although they're falling apart, one house still had the "snow" decor on the windows ... santa and a sleigh, a fallen angel (part of it is missing, hence fallen), etc. The views are spectacular, although I noticed the sky was much bluer over the hills behind the abandoned Pt. Molate Village houses than across the bay where it was smog filled. Someone reviewed stating they thought there may be a hazmat situation and that was why things were left in a hurry. No one left in a hurry, good old President Clinton closed NUMEROUS Military Bases in the Bay Area in the 90's, this being one of them. IT appears the city, county and state have locked horns over what to do with the land. Chevron occupies some of the space, as does the Pt. San Pedro "Pirate" Yacht Harbor, and the beautiful East Brothers Light House is a bed and breakfast. We noticed a bike route, and asked a security guard where we would park if we wanted to ride our bikes, he told us we couldn't that it was all gated and chained off (it wasn't) ... it's always such a shame to see beautiful homes go to waste when we have so many struggling to survive and living in their cars, on the streets, or piling up ten to a two bedroom. It's time for a change. read more

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The beach is nice, with a view of the Richmond bridge. The park could be really pretty, but it's neglected. I work in the parks, so always sad to see trash everywhere. My husband and I did a small beach and park cleanup from the urban plight. It's pretty isolated and I wouldn't feel comfortable coming her alone. We brought our two large dogs and they loved it. read more

Point Molate - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me

Late afternoon drive to Point Molate in Richmond California. 1st stop was past the beach, up and down a ridiculously bumpy and winding road to the Sportman's Yacht Club which was littered with rusty art, farming equipment truned into flower havens for hundreds of butterflies and incredible views of the bay and Mt. Tamalpais. I then headed back to the old Winery grounds which is closed off to the public (although there seems to be plenty of places to get in if you were so brave). Didn't get all the shots I would've liked but the area has a great feel for the creeper in us. I ended my trip at the recently opened Point Molate Park Beach. Wow! I only heard of this area that morning so I was overwhelmed by the site. From the lot you walk down a few steps to the beach - straight ahead and in the distance was beautiful Mt. Tamalpais, to the right an old pier that extends quite far into the bay, and to the left the incredible span of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. The beach is great for walking and just enjoying the view, especially at sunset. There are plenty of grassy areas and tables with BBQ pits to enjoy alone or with friends. I thoroughly enjoyed this short day trip and would LOVE to do it again - I'd just bring someone brave with me so we can explore the hidden nooks & cranies of this little paradise! read more

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My home town has an honest-to-god mental hospital that was built to house Civil War vets and was shut down in the 1980's (THANKS REAGAN for helping to turn a bunch of people onto the street who were so institutionalized that they didn't know how to care for themselves!). When I was in high school, it was (hypothetically - this is all hypothetical, since it's illegal) very cool and very creepy to break into the old buildings and sneak around, especially (again, hypothetically) in the basements because all of the buildings were connected by over 4 miles of tunnels. What made this especially terrifying (and, hypothetically, thrilling), besides the fact that the buildings had housed generations of mentally insane people, and so much sadness and horror (electroshock, anyone?), was that when the buildings were shut, they were just... shut. There was so much stuff left behind (hypothetically) in the buildings, like patient medical records and children's paintings on the walls, that the buildings breathed the sense that at any moment, the folks who'd walked out the doors 20 years prior would stroll right back in, caught in mid-life. The Village of Point Molate has this same creepy, dropped in mid-motion feeling. I stumbled upon Pt. Molate one afternoon while my daughter was napping in the back of the car. I was already in the East Bay on business, and had to keep cruising to keep her asleep for a bit longer, so, after discovering "Pt. Richmond," I thought to check and see if there were any public roads that go to the tanks you see on the north side of the Richmond bridge. Lo and behold, as I drove along the disintegrating roadway, I came across a battered sign announcing my arrival to the "Village of Pt. Molate." Further down the road, there were all these houses, and a basketball court ,still with the nets, trapped behind a high chain-link fence. The buildings were clearly empty, but some still had frosted window decorations of reindeer in them. CREEPY. I LOVED THIS PLACE and the only thing that kept me from hunting around was: A) the slumbering daughter B) the security guards I drove past on the way in C) the slightly terrifying feeling that things were stopped in mid-motion because of a haz-mat issue. After some subsequent research, it turns out that Richmond is in the throes of trying to develop Pt. Molate into a casino (http://www.baycrossings.com/Archives/2005/01_February/in_richmond_today.htm). Given that Richmond is not a rich city, this is actually a pretty cool idea. Ostensibly, this area is cordoned off because it's in a state of suspended animation - in the middle of being repurposed from a Naval oil station to a private casino... But, why all the fencing, even around "harmless" picnic areas, in the meantime? Why not let the public still enjoy the area until it's re-used? Perhaps Chevron's environmental issues play a hand: http://www.umich.edu/~snre492/sherman.html Anyway, if you're in the east bay sometime, possibly checking out the Rosie the Riveter national park, swing by Pt. Molate for a little creep out. Other Nifty Features On the Drive Through Pt. Molate: The Galley Cafe at Pt. San Pablo (http://www.yelp.com/biz/V8oVdOiN3k1kDYCGurT9ag#hrid:UKgY1FkOtEOgIpCdVNj0WQ/query:point%20molate) A Shooting Range for Chevron Employees Point San Pablo Yacht Harbor (http://www.pspyh.com/) Old Fishing Boat Sunken in Waters Collapsed Dock Sunken in Waters Goats Grazing on Hillsides Lots of Raised Old Oil Pipelines Chevron's Tanks (http://www.chevron.com/products/about/richmond/) Wine Haven Buildling Creepy Picnic Tables with BBQ Pits Chained off by Fences read more

This is one of the most interesting older places I've visited because it looks, from some angles, as if people are still living there. It's cared for and yet not cared for. There was so much life there between the Winehaven days and the Naval depot days, and as we walked around we tried to picture what it was like when filled with workers and their families. The views there are just gorgeous for one thing. Right by the water as it is, the air feels good too. I thought it must have been great to grow up there. We took a lot of pictures and there were homes we wondered about - especially one with torn curtains in place, with its own brand of beauty even now. After putting up pictures in our galleries, people who did live in those homes began contacting us on our photo pages as they found themselves missing the life back then and wound up googling Point Molate. Between the 1940s and the 1990s -- they still look for that time in their lives and so, they've written on our pages. I was also sent photos of a family using the swings, which I will put up this month, linked to the pictures as they are now. There are sets of photos from the 2 different trips -- and on the set from the 2nd visit, I link to the photo sets of 5 photobug friends who enjoyed the day there too. The guard had offered to show us the Captain's House AKA Director's House if we gave him advance notice and so we were taken through it and that was a lot of fun, seeing what it was like in the best housing of that area and the views from it (on top of a hill). The two sets are at - http://www.pbase.com/andrys/daylight - http://www.pbase.com/andrys/pt_molate2 with 5 other sets of photos linked to at the 2nd one If you like this kind of thing (historical /preservation sites) and live nearby, go before they start building the casino hotel... UPDATE (Started earlier but left it incomplete and am editing 8/23/11) The Casino project was voted down in April 2011, after a long conflict over the effects of gambling places that had been built nearby, so this place can still be enjoyed for now. - Andrys read more

I checked out this beach and although the views are nice there were too many cons to make me want to revisit. I smelled a strong odor of natural gas when driving up the road. I asked one of the security people and was told it's the smell of crude oil being off loaded from one of the tankers to Chevron. At the beach it was extremely windy and the tide was way out so the smell of rotting vegetation and sea life was overpowering. My dog ventured into the edge off the rocks a little and got some very black mucky stuff on her feet which really stank and was difficult to wash off later. I was told the Navy, who used to occupy this area, left a lot of toxins, so who knows how safe it is. Also, the right hand lane right before the exit was totally backed up with at least a hundred cars, that's the cash lane. There must be a lot of people without Fastrac trying to cross into Marin. The Fastrac lanes were wide open. I'll stick with Miller/Knox park. read more

Lovely little spot to picnic in with water-side views, lots of parking and picnic tables with charcoal grill stations. We found a few families picnicking on a Sunday afternoon. It was bright and windy and I was told the (noxious to me) smell that permeated the air was from rotting seaweed. Pretty but windy and smelly, the bridge and water looms beautiful but odiferous. read more

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This is another really beautiful, little secret in Richmond! I used to ride the steam train here as a child. Yes, where my love of trains began! No active trains anymore, but in addition to letting us all keep a collective eye on what Chevron is up to, the views are incredible and make me remember why I will always live here. Yes, the Bay still gives me goosebumps after more than 30 years. read more

Thanks Richmond, for creating yet another ghost town as our favorite beach and playground when we were kids is fenced off now. Homes lie empty, and I've been in several of them as my friends lived there, including in the commander's house (slept over a bunch of times there). What was once fun is now just empty, frozen-in-time and sad.... read more

came across this point by being lost. I was going home but missed my exit and had to take this exit and I am so glad i did because the view from this place is gorgeous!! you can see the san rafeal bridge.. great place for photographers to take pictures of sunsets, bay and bridge. read more

@ Hannah Q. Funny how I found this place as it is the last exit before crossing the bridge and I had missed my exit. Interestingly as we drove down Western Drive, my husband kept saying "this place gives me the creeps, it must be haunted" as we drove through. So then I come home to do some research because those cottages would be really nice homes with an awesome view and out of all the comments, yours really stood out as he totally agree with you. I am usually the one "creeped out" but was over taken by the amazing views and abandoned boats and other interesting items left floating in the water. It did make for an excellent trip for my 18 month old who was asleep in the car. After doing quick research those who think this place is creepy it only makes sense. This place use to be home to the indigenous Native Americans tribes the Ohlone and Miwok. Although burial mounds once remained on the property, they have been destroyed by years of industrial activity. In the early 1800's, the land was used by the padres of Mission Delores and later became a Spanish Rancho (courtesy of http://www.cfspm.org/About-the-Point.html). I guess putting an Indian Casino would bring peace to the haunted grounds of Native Americans. read more

I grew up on the naval base at Pt. Molate during the war and for the rest of the1940's. My dad was the superintendent of the base from 1942 until 1953 and he and my step mother lived in the second home down from the north gate. WW II was an exciting time for a pre-teen age boy on the base. It was operational 24/7 and my dad took me to work with him every day I was there. I actually lived in East Oakland with my mother, but spent all summer and holidays at Pt. Molate. It is interesting that Richmond wants to build a big casino on the property. I vividly remember times when rivers of oil would run down the mountain gullys from breaks in the lines and leaks in the tanks. The whole property must be an environmental disaster today. It is too bad that fences prevent us from roaming the roads and trails today as we did as kids during the war. It would bring back a flood of memories. read more