In brief:
6.3 mile loop through woods on Point Reyes, with heavy horse traffic in
summer.
Distance, category, and difficulty:
There are a few steep stretches, but overall this 6.3 mile loop hike
is easy. Trailhead elevation is about 280 feet. The featured hike climbs
to about 1130 feet, then descends back to the trailhead. Total elevation change is about 1100 feet.
Exposure:
Mostly shaded.
Trail traffic:
Moderate.
Trail surfaces:
Dirt trails and fire roads.
Hiking time:
3 hours.
Season:
Nice year round.
Getting there:
There are two routes to the trailhead, both long.
• From US 101 in Marin County, exit Mill Valley/Stinson Beach. Drive
on Shoreline Highway to the junction with Almonte, about 1 mile. Turn left
and drive about 2.5 miles to the junction with Panoramic Highway. Turn right
onto Panoramic and drive about 1 mile to the junction with Muir Woods Road.
Continue straight (middle lane) to stay on Panoramic. Drive about 8 miles
on Panoramic, until the road ends at a T junction with CA 1. Turn right
and drive about 10 miles to the signed trailhead entrance, on the left side
of the road.
• From US 101 in Marin County, exit San Anselmo (Sir Francis Drake).
Drive about 20 miles west on Sir Francis Drake. Turn left onto CA 1, and
drive about 3 miles to the signed trailhead entrance on the right side of
the road.
GPS coordinates* for trailhead:
Latitude
37°59'50.49"N
Longitude 122°45'28.58"W
(* based on Google Earth
data, shown as degrees, minutes, seconds)
Gas, food, and lodging:
Gas, restaurants, and stores in Point Reyes Station, with additional limited services
in Stinson Beach and Olema. There are overnight accommodations available
on the eastern fringes of the park, including a handful of motels in Inverness,
and numerous bed and breakfasts just off Sir Francis Drake. Point Reyes
has several hike-in campgrounds -- enquire at the Point Reyes Ranger Station
in Bear Valley, or read more about the options here.
No car camping in the park. Point Reyes Hostel, down Limantour Road, is
an inexpensive lodging option. Read my page describing Point Reyes hikes, accommodations, food, and more.
Trailhead details:
Once you've turned off CA 1, drive about 0.5 mile on a gravel road to the
trailhead at the end of the road. Lots of parking in a circular dirt lot.
No parking or entrance fees. Pit toilets and a drinking fountain at the
trailhead. There is no designated handicapped parking, but visitors in wheelchairs
may be able to travel a short distance on Stewart Trail. Maps and pay phone
at the visitor center: from the Highway 1/Sir Francis Drake junction, head
north on CA 1, then make the first left onto Bear Valley Road. Drive
on Bear Valley Road and turn left at the red barn and "Seashore Information"
sign. The visitor center is at the end of the road. There is no direct public
transportation to this trailhead.
Rules:
Some trails are multi-use, and others do not permit bicycles. No dogs.
The Official Story:
Point Reyes website
Bear Valley Visitor Center (Ranger Station) 415-464-5100
Map Choices:
• Download
the park map pdf from NPS
• Point Reyes by Jessica Lage (order this book from Amazon.com) has a good map and descriptions of trails
around Five Brooks.
• Dave Baselt's map is an excellent guide to Point Reyes.
• Trail Map of Point Reyes National Seashore, by Tom Harrison
(order from Amazon.com)
is a good all-purpose map to Point Reyes.
• Don and Kay Martin's Point Reyes National Seashore has a great map and trail descriptions
(order this book from Amazon.com).
Go to Bay Area Hiker Home page