Near the far northern edge of the Bay Area, there is a stunning piece of national park land that you may not have heard of if you don’t live in the Bay Area: Point Reyes National Seashore. And in this national seashore is one of Northern California’s most iconic hikes: Alamere Falls.
Don’t let the name fool you. This place may not have the words “national park” in the name, but the nature here is stunning and this place is deserving of its place in the National Park Service!
The Point Reyes Peninsula is a piece of land jutting out into the Pacific Ocean on the far side of the San Andreas Fault. When people talk about California falling into the ocean, I guess this must be what they’re talking about! Not really, but this fault line can be clearly seen here in the long and narrow Tomales Bay which nearly makes Point Reyes an island.
One of the most well known hikes among Bay Area hikers, Alamere Falls is something of a must do trail. The falls themselves are stunning, dropping nearly right into the surf, and the trail getting there is beautiful, and laced with dangerous and forbidden regions! This is definitely a must do hike on the Northern California Coast!
Miles/Elevation:
12.5 miles
1,683 feet vertical gain
About Point Reyes National Seashore:
Managed by the National Park Service, the 71,000 acres of Point Reyes National Seashore has been protected as a part of the NPS since 1962. Located a short drive north of San Francisco, the area now serves as a nature preserve, outdoor recreation area, and still provides some agricultural value.
The Point Reyes Peninsula juts out prominently from the rest of the California Coast, and is actually geologically separate. This peninsula lies on the far side of the San Andreas Fault, and as such the soil, flora, and fauna is noticeably different on the peninsula from the land adjacent. This fault line is clearly visible as the long and narrow Tomales Bay between Point Reyes and the mainland.
Point Reyes also provides invaluable wildlife habitat. 50% of North American bird species can be found here. The northern tip of the Seashore near Tomales Point is maintained as an elk preserve. Whales are often visible from the Point Reyes Lighthouse, and seals are often found on the area’s beaches.
Beside the wildlife viewing, most visitors come to see the numerous stunning natural sights. Alamere Falls, which drops 40 feet off a cliff onto the beach below, is one of the area’s most popular day hikes. There is an extensive set of wilderness campgrounds for backpackers, and the Point Reyes Lighthouse provides some of the best panoramic views in Northern California.
Point Reyes has an extremely mild climate with temperatures primarily sticking to the 50’s and 60’s all year, though fog and winds are common.
Getting To The Trailhead:
From wherever you are in the Bay Area, get to Highway 101 just north of San Francisco and exit onto Highway 1. From the Peninsula this likely means heading over the Golden Gate Bridge. From the East Bay, this likely means crossing the Richmond Bridge and then heading south on 101 for about 5 miles before exiting onto 1.
Follow Highway 1 for about 16 miles as it weaves up and over the Marin Headlands. After descending back down to sea level, stay on 1 as you pass through Stinson Beach, and then past Bolinas Lagoon.
Just after passing the northern end of Bolinas Lagoon, turn left onto Olema Bolinas Road. Follow this road for just over a mile, and then turn right onto Mesa Road. Follow Mesa Road for about 4.5 miles until reaching the trailhead. The final stretch to the parking area is unpaved, but the road is pretty nice as far as gravel roads go. I would have no hesitation bringing a sedan here.
There is a large parking lot at the end of the road which marks the Palomarin Trailhead. Many people will also park along the sides of the road on busy days as well. If you enter Palomarin Trailhead into Google Maps, it should bring you here with little difficulty!
Tips:
- Expect fog.
- The famous shortcut here is officially off limits and use is forbidden. This however does not appear to be enforced and you will notice people using it.
- Sections of this loop are overgrown, so if you’re considering pants, I would wear them.
The Alamere Falls Trail:
Starting Off:
This hike begins on a dirt fire road through the woods. There is a fair amount of fire road hiking throughout this hike, but it’s not never a detriment to the overall quality of the day.
The first mile and a half or so of the trail will take you along this fire road through the woods, and then out onto a wide open hillside with panoramic views of the Pacific. That’s all great, but when we hiked the fog was so dense we literally couldn’t even see the ocean below! I was pretty sure the ocean was down there throughout, but I didn’t actually know for sure until the hike back!
There is a little bit of undulation on the first mile and a half, but you’ll never have to ascend or descend more than 50 feet at a time. Enjoy the ocean views, if you have them, and enjoy the walking!
At the 1.5 mile mark of the day, you will begin the climb to the day’s highpoint. This isn’t much of a climb though to be honest, and you’ll only gain 300 vertical feet over the course of a bit over half a mile. It could be hot later in the day since there isn’t much shade here, but it’s not a bad climb at all.
Help keep this place beautiful. Follow Leave No Trace!
You will soon crest the high point, which is pretty unremarkable, and then begin descending down towards the ocean on the other side. You will quickly begin reaching a new and somewhat surprising feature: a small chain of lakes.
The Lakes:
Generally speaking, lakes aren’t really that surprising on a hike, but on the California Coast, lakes are pretty rare. On this hike though, you will pass a number of them! The first couple are tiny, more like ponds, and filled to the brim with all sorts of pond scum. Definitely don’t jump in yet!
A bit further down, you will pass a larger lake below you on the left. This is Bass Lake, and apparently is known as a decent swim spot! Just past Bass Lake is Crystal Lake, though to be honest I don’t think I saw this one from the trail. And then you will pass Pelican Lake, again below you on the left!
It’s nice seeing the lakes, and they definitely break up what would otherwise be a pretty uneventful walk through the woods. Don’t get me wrong, this is a very pretty area, but from the high point through the lakes, there isn’t much for views. The lakes are definitely the main attraction!
After passing Pelican Lake, you will continue descending down towards the ocean, and will eventually reach Alamere Creek. Yes, this is the creek that feeds Alamere Falls, but you still have a ways to go before reaching the falls.
Just after crossing Alamere Creek, you will pass the turn off to the forbidden shortcut to the falls. I honestly didn’t even notice it when we walked past, and even knowing where it is, it doesn’t look like much more than a gap in the trees. I strongly recommend not taking this shortcut here. Not only is it against NPS rules, it also cuts out some really nice hiking, and is pretty dangerous, especially on the descent to the beach.
Soon after the shortcut, you will reach a split in the trail. You can go either left or right here as both trails meet up again, but the route I took was to the right.
Approaching The Coast:
Immediately the trail began to become more and more overgrown, and before long we were walking through tall grass that got our feet soaked, and our pants wet up to the knees! It wasn’t too terrible, but if I were to do it again I would probably go left. My hope was that by being up higher on this trail we would get some nice ocean views, but that never actually happened.
Always follow basic trail etiquette when you’re hiking!
After an annoyingly overgrown mile, we reached Wildcat Lake and took a leftward turn towards the ocean. We were approaching Wildcat Campground, one of the major backpacking campgrounds in Point Reyes!
We soon emerged at the campground, and wow what a spot to camp! The campground itself occupies a small flat area 50 feet or so above the surface of the Pacific! It’s a stunning location, and with great views over the water, and dramatic hills inland, it would be a fantastic place to spend the night!
From Wildcat Campground we took the trail leading down to the beach, and soon we were on Wildcat Beach. Don’t expect sunny skies, aquamarine waters, and great tanning weather on this beach though. It was gray, windy, and rocky!
Wildcat Beach To Alamere Falls:
The beach is very pretty, and with the coastal cliffs running in either direction it was a really cool spot. From here, Alamere Falls is an easy mile south down the beach. That might sound easy, but beach hiking is never as easy as you would hope!
For the best Bay Area hike, check out this route form Muir Woods to the summit of Mt Tamalpais!
I’ve been on some pretty brutal beaches for hiking before: think loose sand where every step means sinking to your ankle, big ankle busting rocks, and loose pebbles that are just annoying. But honestly, Wildcat Beach was pretty good. Yea, you’ll sink in a little bit, but stay near the line between wet and dry sand and it should be pretty decent.
Soon after starting down the beach, we began seeing glimpses of Alamere Falls far off in the distance. The fact that you can see it might make it seem close, but remember you’ll have the better part of a mile to go from your first glimpse!
Before long though you will reach the stunning Alamere Falls! This place is truly stunning, and the waterfall, ocean, and coastal cliffs make for a tremendous all around ambiance! We got to the falls pretty early on a foggy day so it wasn’t too busy, but even as we hiked back we could tell it was getting busy. This was later confirmed when the parking lot was overflowing and spilling out down the road!
Enjoy your time at the falls; take a picture on the small ledge on the left side, and then begin the hike back.
Hiking Back:
While there is a commonly used shortcut on this hike, it is clearly stated to be off limits on the NPS website. Despite that, you will almost certainly see masses of people using it. I would say at least 90% of the people we saw at the waterfall came through the shortcut and not down the beach.
Just north of the falls right up the beach, the initial climb up and away from the ocean is pretty clearly visible. It is a steep and slippery chute up through the cliffs, and hopefully the rope will be there for whoever is using it. If the rope isn’t there, it would be extremely dangerous. Even with the rope there is risk here.
Montara Mountain is a great coastal hike near Half Moon Bay!
Above the first chute, there is a large open area directly above the falls that actually is quite beautiful. You can look down the falls over the beach, and just upstream there are some smaller waterfalls as well. If taking the shortcut, there is another steep and sketchy scramble you’ll have to take after crossing Alamere Creek right above a 40 foot waterfall. Not the safest spot. After the second scramble, it’s a walk through overgrown forest back to the main trail.
If you prefer to follow the rules, hike back the way you came along Wildcat Beach to Wildcat Campground. From there, retrace your steps past the coastal lakes back along the main trail. You will soon reach the point where the illegal shortcut rejoins the main trail.
If we’re being honest here, we all know most people take the shortcut, and nothing I say will likely change people’s minds on if it’s ok or not. But for real, it’s dangerous. Do not underestimate the potential for serious injury, especially going down to the beach. I would much rather be climbing up than down, and this is pretty sketchy on the up.
Back on the main trail, you will soon begin passing the chain of lakes you passed earlier as the trail slowly but surely climbs to the day’s highpoint. The climb is gentle but sustained, and while you’ll probably feel it, it’s not bad.
Hike the Spine Trail for more great coastal views!
From the highpoint, it’s a pretty easy hike back to the trailhead along the wide open coastal cliffs. The fog had broken by the time we were hiking back, so the views of the ocean were superb. It would have been great to have these views the whole time, but I’m just glad we got them at all! And then before you know it you’ll be back at your car done with an iconic Northern California hike!
Topdown Lifestyle Rating: 9/10
This trail has an awesome and memorable final destination, a short section of scrambling, generally good trails, and lots of big time views. You will pass numerous lakes, and walk along a beach next to the pacific ocean.
When you think of it like that, it’s pretty hard to disparage this hike, and that’s why I’m giving it a 9/10. This trail get’s a ton of hype on social media, and I understand why. In the vicinity of the Bay Area, this is definitely one of the best hikes I have done. Is the scenery as incredible as the big mountains or even the rugged Big Sur coastline? Probably not, but this is still an awesome hike deserving of the hype!
Pros:
- Incredible waterfall
- Beach hiking
- Multiple lakes
- Lots of big coastal views
Cons:
- Frequent foggy weather
- Some overgrown stretches
- Potential use of a dangerous unsanctioned trail
Alternative Hikes:
Dipsea Trail From Stinson Beach To Muir Woods
When To Hike To Alamere Falls:
This is a place you can visit all year long, and you could get great weather any day of the year, or you could get rough weather any day of the year! That’s kind of the great thing about the northern California Coast, and the terrible thing! You’ll get amazing days in winter, and you’ll get nasty days in summer!
I would mostly say the best time to visit is a day calling for clear weather in Point Reyes, but to be more general, spring or fall are probably the best times of year to visit. Summer generally brings lots of fog, and winter brings rain and storms. Fall especially is a beautiful time to visit, but anytime of year, check the weather, and look for sunshine!
Links For Further Reading:
Alamere Falls – Point Reyes National Seashore (U.S. National Park Service)
Alamere Falls via Coast Trail from Palomarin Trailhead: 4015 Reviews, Map – California | AllTrails
What you should know before hiking the Bay Area’s Alamere Falls
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