Though there are some tree covered stretches, much of the Coastal Trail is under open sky.The parking lot gets full, meaning crowds and long roadside walks to get to the trailhead on weekends. Bass Lake is a popular weekend hiking destination, as is Alamere Falls which is further up this trail.There is a parking area for the Palomarin Trailhead at the end of Mesa Road out of Bolinas.Adding a bit of wandering along the lake to get to the rope swing or lakeside hangout area, think of this as about 6 miles round trip. It is approximately 2.6 miles from the Palomarin Trailhead to Bass Lake, making for a slightly more than 5 mile round trip hike out and back. Point Reyes National Seashore map link (National Park Service):Īlamere Falls Map (with Bass Lake marked along that trail) map link (National Park Service):įor Google Maps or other map app of your choice: Search words: Palomarin Trailhead, Bass Lake, Bolinas, CA, Bass Lake, Point Reyes Seashore Point Reyes National Seashore Guidelines for visiting Bass Lake/Alamere Falls (National Park Service):īass Lake info link (National Park Service): From the western edge of Bolinas, take Mesa Road and follow it past the Point Reyes Bird Observatory to the end of the road, which is the trailhead parking area.įor all web links, if a link doesn’t jump directly, copy and paste into browser. Starting Point: Start at the Palomarin Trailhead, from the Palomarin Trailhead parking area. Location:Bass Lake, Point Reyes Seashore, west of Bolinas, CA Rhododendron Dell Golden Gate Park Strollīattery Wallace-Marin Headlands View Path Purisima Creek Trail from Higgins Canyon Road Mountain Theater from Bootjack Campgroundīootjack Trail-Mountain Theater to Bootjack Campground San Pedro Valley Park-Weiler Ranch Road Trail Jug Handle Ecological Staircase-Mendocino San Pedro Valley Montara Mountain-Brooks Creek Loop Jack Early Park - San Francisco Stair Walk Goldsworthy Spire to National Cemetery Overlook Lyon Street Steps - San Francisco Stair Walk Magnolia Stroll - San Francisco Botanical Gardenīill Williams -Tucker Trail Waterfall Hikeīison, Fly Fishing and Horses - Golden Gate Park With careful planning, it is possible to travel from the falls back to the Palomarin Trailhead parking area on the beach at low tide, but don't be caught out! Most sensible folks opt to retrace their steps back to Coast Trail - South and head back to the Palomarin Trailhead.Marin Headlands Visitor Center to Rodeo Beach Also involved is a somewhat harrowing leap across the stream below the second falls! Rangers do not recommend this direct approach due to the danger to the eroding cliffs (instead, from Wildcat Camp, walk south on the beach to Alamere Falls). To get to the beach and see both parts of the falls takes some scrambling through ruts and over rock benches. When the tide comes up, the falls actually hit the ocean water rushing in. The waterfall drops over a bluff and forms two sets of falls which can grow to 25' across after it rains. A popular viewpoint and lunch spot is just next to the falls on an open, wide part of the cliff. The narrow trail to the top of the falls is somewhat overgrown with scrub (and possibly poison oak) in places. Take this is short, less than 1/2 mile Alamere Falls access trail down to the cliffs where the 50 ft falls land on the beach. Next up is the grand finale: Alamere Falls. The Pacific Ocean peeks out between two hills (called Double Point) that form a "V." Hard to describe, easy to enjoy! A spur trail goes from here to the craggy overlook of Double Point, a favorite place for whale watching in March. Just after the junction with Crystal Lake Trail, the descent starts with a spectacular vision of Pelican Lake perched high on a bluff. Off-peak times are more relaxing, with ducks and other waterbirds paddling about. Popular with picnic-ers, anglers, and swimmers- it can feel very crowded on summer weekends. To visit the lake, keep going until you reach the Bass Lake Connector, about 100 yards after you first glimpse the lake. After a moderate climb, the trail passes a handful of seasonal ponds and approaches the northern edge of beautiful Bass Lake. The wide doubletrack trail starts out nearly level, crossing small creeks and offering views of the ocean. The Coast Trail - South begins from the Palomarin Trailhead and parking area in a eucalyptus grove.
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