Point Molate Park Beach is a calm, easy to get to beach just over in Richmond. The tranquil waves and uncrowded sandy beach make it a perfect day trip for younger kids, though it’s the abundance of sea glass that we love.
My son loves searching for sea glass, so we’re always on the lookout for new beaches to bolster our sizable collection. We stumbled upon Point Molate Beach Park in Richmond last weekend when we asked Siri for a nearby beach (Keller Beach is another great option we’ve tried in the past, though there’s not nearly as much sea glass).
You get to the beach by taking the last exit before the Richmond Bridge toll plaza (Stenmark Drive). When you arrive, there’s ample free parking and a rather run-down BBQ area with picnic tables. This upper part of the park is nothing to write home about, but when you stroll south down the trail from the parking lot you’ll find a stunning view of the Richmond Bridge and the rolling hills of Marin County.
The calm, sandy beach is ideal for a leisurely walk or a thrilling hunt for sea glass. Even just throwing rocks into the surf is exciting for little ones. Hunting for sea glass was a fun bonding experience with my son and surprisingly exciting (we even found a piece of red glass; very rare!). The calm water and soft breeze make it a welcome reprieve from the hustle bustle of the city.
Plan your visit to Point Molate
Sponsor
Check tides before you go: the water feels a bit fresher at the higher tide, though there’s likely more sea glass to be found during low tide. Parking is ample and free. Just make sure to bring valuables with you. There are many ways down to the beach, though the easiest is left of the parking lot through the trees. Check out the website for any updates.
What to bring:
- A pail for collecting sea glass or other treasures
- Shovels and sand toys if that’s more your speed
- Layers since it can be windy
- Change of clothes for little ones
- A towel and baby powder to dust off sandy feet
- There’s a port-o-potty, though we didn’t test it out. Hand wipes are always a good idea
Interested in more East Bay Beaches? Check out our guide to the Best Bay Area Beaches
[All photos by Julie Herson at Point Molate Park Beach in Richmond, CA]
Sponsor
3 thoughts on “Hunting for Sea glass at Point Molate Park Beach in Richmond”
We actually went here today and it was a nice spot. By very weird coincidence, we received an email from our realtor informing us that Richmond plans on selling this property to a developer. It feels like there aren’t a lot of public shoreline places left and they should be preserved. The developer, SunCal, was also “fired” by Alameda apparently. If you want to voice opposition to this, I urge you to consider emailing the Richmond City Council: cityclerk@ci.richmond.ca.us Subject: Opposition to Pt. Molate Proposal.
This is horrible – just came upon this by chance after tooling around Pt Richmond I looked online at info about the area and this is what I found. Once a site like this is ruined, you don’t get it back.
And all those apartments are an eyesore, but ….
Thank you.
Carol
Just wrote my objection. Please consider updating article to highlight this new (threatened) political context? Thank you!