We gather in San Francisco on Day 1, so of course we start with a visit to the Golden Gate Bridge. A walk across the bridge gives you an upclose view of every rivet and Art Deco facet, as well as expansive views of the city on each end. We’ll have time to visit the Point Reyes Visitors Center before continuing to our hike on the Earthquake Trail – a nearby nature trail. Finally, we explore Limantour Beach before heading to the Tomales Bay Resort where we will spend all 5 of our nights.
The Estero Trail on Day 2 meanders through coastal grasslands and scrublands with plenty of wonderful coastal views. The trail traverses along the crest of an earthen dam, and is a great location to look for birds. Keep your eyes and ears open for owls, egrets and herons roost, and other shorebirds and waterfowl that abound in the estero. We continue out to the point of Drake’s Head. Here the view looking down into the estero on a clear day is truly spectacular, with the possibility of seeing bat rays and leopard sharks swimming just below the water’s surface.
Get a good breakfast on Day 3 for the loop including Meadow Trail, Sky Trail, Arch Rock and Bear Valley Trail. The meadows are filled with flowers and the woods with Douglas fir. The trail has a surprising number of ups and downs as it follows a bit of a ridgeline towards the ocean. Although Arch Rock actually collapsed several years ago, the views along the coast remain dramatic. We return through the Bear Valley on a much flatter route to complet the loop.
We again visit another part of the Coastal Trail starting from the Palomarin Trailhead on Day 4. This time we parallel the coastline while visiting numerous lakes, and traveling through scrubbrush, blooming bushes and over coastal bluffs. We reach the water level at the Wildcat backcountry campground. From here, if the tide is right and you still have energy, you can walk the flat beach to the base of Alamere Falls – a dazzling explosion of water over the crumbling bluffs from above. The return is on this same path.
Day 5 is a gentler trail starting from historic Pierce Point Ranch. We take the Tomales Point trail to – you guessed it- Tomales Point. Wildflowers will surround us on our steady trip to the point. Tule Elk and other wildlife are often sighted in this area, and there are good vantage points to look for whales in the never ending waters of the Pacific.
Our last Day 6 is reserved for the trip out to Point Reyes itself. We take two shorter hikes out to the famous Point Reyes Lighthouse on the west and Chimney Rock to the east. After a last lunch while scanning for sharks and whales, we return to San Francisco for the conclusion of our hiking tour.
