The public will have future access to nearly 2 miles of shoreline along Point Molate in Richmond that have been off-limits to pedestrians for decades, thanks to a recent deal between Chevron and the East Bay Regional Park District.

The 20-foot-wide easement runs in two pieces, from the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge to Point San Pablo, bordered by rolling grasslands, beaches and rocky embankments, with views of San Pablo Bay, the Brothers islands and Mount Tamalpais.

"People have been banging on Chevron for years to get this done," said Norman La Force, chair of the San Francisco Bay chapter of the Sierra Club. "This area has some beautiful vistas and is an important connector to other areas."

Chevron gave the easement in Richmond to the East Bay Regional Park District, which will spend $100,000 on engineering, surveying and title costs.

The district plans to open the trail within the next seven years and will also be responsible for maintaining the path.

This segment of the Bay Trail is a critical link between the portion that begins in Emeryville and ends at Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline, and Point Pinole Regional Park.

It includes the largest stretch of undeveloped land along San Francisco Bay, and has been off-limits to pedestrians for decades.

"It's an extraordinary place," said Bruce Beyaert, chairman of Trails for Richmond Action Committee. "It has drop-dead spectacular views, and so much history. People can renew their souls and exercise their bodies."

The area is home to former Chinese shrimp camps; the last whaling station in the country, which closed in the 1960s; and Winehaven, the largest winery in the United States before Prohibition, which is now on the National Register of Historic Places.

Bay Trail advocates are still working with Chevron to secure another easement, from under Interstate 580 to Miller/Knox park, allowing pedestrians and cyclists to have an uninterrupted 15-mile trail from Emeryville to Point San Pablo Yacht Harbor.

That 3-mile project will probably be finished in three years and will cost about $15 million, most likely covered by grants, said Beyaert.

Ultimately, organizers hope the Bay Trail will encircle all 500 miles of San Francisco Bay. Since planning began 20 years ago, 296 miles are complete, said Laura Thompson, Bay Trail manager for the Association of Bay Area Governments.

The deal was years in the works, as Chevron negotiated safety and security measures with the park district. Chevron spokesman Brent Tippen would not elaborate on the nature of the security concerns.

"Chevron is fully supportive of the Bay Trail as a valuable Bay Area resource," Tippen said. "We just want to make sure the trail is constructed in a way that meets the safety and security needs of residents and the refinery."

Bob Doyle, assistant general manager for the park district, called the area "a very unique portion of the shoreline."

"Nothing was ever built on the Point San Pablo peninsula, which makes it a very rare part of the bay. Chevron didn't have to do this," Doyle said.

The Bay Trail might soon be extended north of Point San Pablo, because the park district recently acquired Breuner Marsh south of Point Pinole Regional Shoreline.