On a sunny weekend, the Richmond shoreline can look like a dog convention. Point Isabel Regional Shoreline is one of the Bay Area's largest off-leash areas. The East Bay Regional Park District counts more than a million visits a year, most of them on four legs.
How it came to be
The shoreline joined the park district in 1975 under a 50-year lease from the U.S. Postal Service, which owns the neighboring land. That lease ran through October 2025. The park has stayed open and free. North Point Isabel added about 20 acres across Hoffman Channel in 2002. It was once called Battery Point because of the battery casings dumped there in the 1950s and 1960s, and it was cleaned up in a 14-month project that began in 1985. A volunteer group, Point Isabel Dog Owners and Friends, helps care for the park.
The off-leash rules
The park district says the main park is 23 acres, plus 20 at North Point Isabel, and is open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Dogs may be off-leash, with conditions:
- Carry a leash no longer than six feet for every dog.
- Keep your dog in sight and under voice control at all times.
- Leash up in parking lots.
- Pick up waste, and don't let dogs dig.
- Professional dog walkers, and anyone bringing more than three dogs, need a permit from the district.
Beyond the dog run
The park sits on the San Francisco Bay Trail, so it works as a starting point for a walk or ride along the shoreline. It's also popular for birdwatching and fishing. Mudpuppy's Tub & Scrub, a dog-grooming concession, and the Sit & Stay Café are on site, so a muddy dog can be hosed off before the drive home.
The park sits next to the Postal Service's large bulk mail facility. Bikes are allowed on the nearby Bay Trail, but not for riding inside Point Isabel itself.