What do you call the end of a dock or pier that touches land?

Question

As in, "They stepped off the boat and ambled toward the ___ [of the dock]."

Answer 1

shore end

They stepped off the boat and ambled toward the shore end of the dock.

Here's an example of it in literary use:

Rejoicing in Quork's continued good luck, his neighbors helped him unload his catch. There were trout, flounder, bluefish, and mullet. There were spot, croaker, redfish, and drum, but not a single trash fish in the lot. When they were loaded onto the shore end of the dock, they made a great pile. You could almost see the wheels turning in Quork's head as he tried to compute his profit on this one haul.

Source: "Old Quork" by Charles Harry Whedbee

And here's an example of it in technical use:

Conspicuous signage shall be located at the fire apparatus access road termination point and the shore end of piers, wharves and floats.

Alternatively, you could just say:

They stepped off the boat and ambled along the dock toward dry land.