In
brief:
7.4 mile loop through Point Reyes coastal scrub.
Distance, category, and difficulty:
This is one of the easiest 7 mile loop hikes in the bay
area. Trailhead elevation is around 100 feet. The featured hike's high spot
is around 305 feet. Total elevation change is about 1074 feet.
Exposure:
Almost totally exposed.
Trail traffic:
Light.
Trail surfaces:
Dirt trails and fire roads.
Hiking time:
4 hours.
Season:
Muddy in winter. In summer you might be able to sneak a few salmonberries.
Getting there:
From US 101 in Marin County, exit Sir Francis Drake/San Anselmo. Drive west
about 20 miles, to the junction with CA 1 in Olema. Turn right, drive about
0.1 mile, then turn left onto Bear Valley Road. Drive about 2 miles, then
turn left onto Limantour Road. Drive about 5.7 miles, and turn right at
the Muddy Hollow sign (the same junction with the road to the hostel). Drive
about 0.2 mile to the trailhead at the end of the gravel road.
GPS coordinates* for trailhead:
Latitude
38° 2'52.61"N
Longitude 122°52'9.49"W
(* based on Google Earth
data, shown as degrees, minutes, seconds)
Gas, food, and lodging:
Pay phone, stores, and restaurants on Sir Francis Drake in Inverness. Gas
in Point Reyes Station. 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, a short distance from this
trailhead, is an inexpensive lodging option.
Trailhead details:
Plenty of parking in a gravel lot. No parking or entrance fees. No designated
handicapped parking, and trails are not wheelchair accessible. No drinking
water, maps, or toilet facilities. Pay phone and maps available at the Bear
Valley Visitor Center: from Bear Valley Road turn left before the Limantour
turnoff, at the red barn. There is no direct public transportation to this
trailhead.
Rules:
No dogs or bikes. All trails are open to hikers and equestrians.
The Official Story:
NPS's Point Reyes
website
Bear Valley Visitor Center (Ranger Station) 415-464-5100
Map Choices:
This hike is described and mapped in 60 Hikes within 60 Miles: San Francisco,
by Jane Huber (yup, that's me, the creator of this website). Order this book from Amazon.com.
• Dave Baselt's map is an excellent guide to Point Reyes.
• Download
the park map pdf from NPS
• Other
Point Reyes maps from NPS
• Point Reyes by Jessica Lage (order
this book from Amazon.com) has a good map and descriptions of trails
around Muddy Hollow.
• 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 (order this book from Amazon.com) has a good map and descriptions of the featured
hike. The same information can be found in their Hiking Marin book (order
this book from Amazon.com).
Go to Bay Area Hiker Home page