Point Reyes' Five Brooks Trailhead offers easy access and miles of trails to visitors, but is primarily used by equestrians. With heavy horse use, trails can be muddy well into summer, and in hot weather the smell from the horse poop, and plague of flies, is quite unpleasant. Normally I recommend visiting horse-friendly destinations in winter, when trail use is lighter, but since these trails are muddy even in summer, I'm visualizing quagmire-like conditions in the wet months.
     This trailhead suffers from a close proximity to CA 1. Traffic noise is audible for many miles on trails running parallel to the road. If you're just starting to explore Point Reyes, you'll find trails with more peace and quiet deeper in the park. Since Five Brooks is somewhat under the radar for visiting tourists, you might escape the crowds in summer, but I will only recommend this trailhead for horse-tolerant hikers.
     Unlike the easy grades of Bear Valley Trail and Coast Trail, the trails departing Five Brooks offer more challenging routes to the ocean. Hikers must ascend over 800 feet, cross the ridge, descend, then face more climbing on the return. Trails vary from broad fire roads to vegetation-choked footpaths. You can chose a straightforward (and somewhat dull) moderate climb on Stewart Trail, or the steeper option of Olema Valley and Bolema Trails. Once at the ridge, drop down toward the ocean on Greenpicker Trail or Old Out Road, and return via Stewart or Bolema/Olema Valley Trails. Take care not to overdo it, since these loops can stretch into treks of more than 12 miles.
     For the featured hike, start at the gated entrance to Stewart Trail (unsigned here). A few picnic tables sit off to the left in a cleared area. The broad, multi-use trail sweeps past coyote brush, willow, and alder. Douglas fir loom slightly back from the perimeter. At 0.14 mile, you'll reach a signed junction with Rift Zone Trail. Continue to the left on Stewart Trail.
     In a few places where vegetation thins on the left, you might catch a glimpse of a rather large pond, previously screened by shrubs and trees. At 0.26 mile, you'll reach a signed junction with Olema Valley Trail. Turn left onto Olema Valley Trail.
     The broad trail continues to skirt the pond. At 0.33 mile, Olema Valley Trail forks at a signed junction -- the trail to the left returns to the stables. Turn right.
     Almost right away, the multi-use trail begins to narrow. Keeping a level course, you'll pass through a lush display of hazelnut, bigleaf maple, ferns, Douglas fir, tanoak, California bay, thimbleberry, poison oak, and nettles. Olema Valley Trail crosses a bridge and curves left, beginning a moderate climb. The path is deeply rutted in sections, and damp in other stretches. Be sure to yield to any equestrians. Starflower blooms in late spring, beneath some pretty maples and huckleberry. As the trail levels out some, a well-worn path departs to the right at 1.23 miles. Ignore this shortcut and continue to the signed junction at 1.30 miles. Turn right onto Bolema Trail.
     The nearly fire road width trail, closed to cyclists, climbs moderately through Douglas fir, madrone, California bay, and tanoak. Creambush, hazelnut, and honeysuckle mingle with ceanothus in the understory. Pine and coast live oak are added to the mix as you ascend. In some spots there are partial views across a canyon to a forested ridge. Bolema Trail begins to shrink, and at 2.08 miles the trail ends at a signed junction (most sources report the trail's length as 1.1 miles, but I tracked it as less). Turn right onto Ridge Trail.
     You'll begin an easy descent on the broad, multi-use fire road. Ridge Trail curves right around a hill overgrown with tanoak, hazelnut, and towering Douglas fir. To the left there's a small meadow rimmed with more gigantic Douglas fir, blocking any views toward the ocean. You might notice red elderberry trees along the trail, conspicuously fruited with poisonous berries in late spring. In some sunny stretches coyote brush thrive. Ridge Trail steps into a forest, in the quietest area of the hike. On my trek, although there was plenty of traffic on the other trails, I met no visitors on this path. In June, look for bright pink flowers on tall foxglove plants. Some of these stalks top out at 4 feet in height. At 2.77 miles, Ridge Trail bends left at a signed junction. Continue straight on a connector to Stewart Trail.
     A few steps later, at 2.80 miles, a shortcut path breaks off to the left. Continue a little further to the signed junction with Stewart Trail, at 2.90 miles. Turn right onto Stewart Trail. (Option: you can extend this hike another 1.6 miles with an out-and-back trip to Firtop, elevation 1324 feet. Turn left and ascend to the top, then return to this junction.)
     The wide fire road, open to equestrians, hikers, and cyclists, starts downhill through familiar vegetation, with Douglas fir, California bay, hazelnut, and tanoak dominating. The grade is a steady one, on the easy side of moderate. Where the tree cover thins on the right, look east for a view to Bolinas Ridge. I must confess I was nearly bored to tears on this trail; even the cheerful bird song failed to mitigate a descent I found tedious. Ever increasing traffic noise filtering into the woods from CA 1 didn't help the mood. After a long uninterrupted stretch, Stewart Trail reaches a signed junction with Greenpicker Trail, at 4.98 miles. Stay to right, continuing on Stewart Trail.
     The trail arches right, still descending. As Stewart Trail takes a sharp curve left at a creek, look for moisture-loving plants such as currant, elk clover, bigleaf maple, five-finger fern, and gooseberry. Trilliums, forget-me-not, and candyflower bloom at various times in the spring. At 5.87 miles, a gated trail veers left, leading to Stewart Horse Camp. Continue straight on Stewart Trail.
     After a short easy uphill stretch, you'll arrive at a previously encountered junction with Olema Valley Trail, at 6.10 miles. Turn left and retrace your steps back to the trailhead.

Total mileage: 6.35 miles
Last hiked: Thursday, June 6, 2002

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