Most paths have ocean views at some point, however, and the landscapes en route are especially varied, including meadows, woodland, lakes, waterfalls, ridges, summits, estuaries, streams, valleys and coastline. Many trails intersect, so numerous different loop hikes are possible. There are several backcountry primitive campsites, facilitating multi-day trips.
Listed below are the main trails in the north and central regions of the park; there are also a dozen or so routes in the south, generally less traveled, crossing valleys and low-elevation hills.
The Point Reyes map shows the location of each trail - identified by the number.
Point Reyes Trails
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1. Abbotts Lagoon Trail Length 1.5 miles (2.4 km) Elevation change 60 feet (18 meters) Trailhead Parking area along Pierce Point Road Rating (1-5) ★★★★★ The largest lagoon in the national seashore is reached by a trail across open, grassy flats, arriving at a footbridge over marshy ground which divides the two parts of the lagoon after 1.1 miles. From here, the Pacific Ocean is 0.4 miles away, beyond a belt of large sand dunes. Like many paths in the northern section of the park, two incidental attractions are wildlife and spring wildflowers. |
2. Alamere Falls and Wildcat Beach (Coast Trail) Length 2.8 miles (4.5 km) to Bass Lake; 5.5 miles (8.8 km) to Wildcat Beach Trailhead Palomarin, at the end of Mesa Road from Bolinas Rating (1-5) ★★★★★ Varied destinations along the southern section of the Coast Trail: several freshwater lakes, an unusual shoreline waterfall and a long sandy beach. The path alternates between grassy bluffs and thick woodland, generally staying some way above the ocean. Elsewhere, the majority of the Coast Trail (16.5 miles) is along grassy bluffs within sight of though somewhat above the ocean, with regular access points down to the beaches; other destinations include Arch Rock after 9 miles and the Sky Trail intersection after 9.8 miles. The northern terminus is just off Limantour Split Road. |
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3. Bayview Trail Length 3.1 miles (5 km) Elevation change 520 feet (158 meters) Trailhead Parking area off Limantour Road Rating (1-5) ★★★★★ The Bayview Trail connects three trailheads (Muddy Hollow, Bayview, Sky) and is mostly used as part of longer loops rather than a hike in itself. The eastern half parallels Limantour Road while the western portion follows a sloping ridgeline into a riparian valley. |
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4. Bear Valley Trail Length 1.7 miles (2.7 km) to Divide Meadow; 4.4 miles (7.1 km) to Arch Rock Elevation change 270 feet (82 meters); 350 feet (107 meters) Trailhead Bear Valley visitor center Rating (1-5) ★★★★★ Probably the most popular path in the park, although not so many walk the full length, the Bear Valley Trail links the visitor center with Arch Rock beside the Pacific Ocean. The route starts along the wooded confines of Bear Valley Creek, climbing not too steeply to an open saddle (Divide Meadow) at 350 feet, then slowly descends another forested ravine (Coast Creek) to an overlook of the ocean. Six junctions along the way allow for various longer loop hikes - most are to the west, since to the east, the trail borders private land. |
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5. Bull Point Trail Length 1.8 miles (2.9 km) Elevation change 80 feet (24 meters) Trailhead Parking area along Sir Francis Drake Blvd Rating (1-5) ★★★★★ Bull Point is a slightly elevated strip of land between two of the branches of Drakes Estero (Creamery Bay and Schooner Bay), and its southern tip, on the shoreline, may be reached by a lightly used trail over mostly grassy terrain. |
6. Chimney Rock Trail Length 0.9 miles (1.4 km) Elevation change 50 feet (15 meters) Trailhead End of a spur road near the lighthouse; beside Point Reyes Lifeboat Station Rating (1-5) ★★★★★ Chimney Rock is a detached pinnacle on the opposite side of Point Reyes from the lighthouse, viewed at the end of a short path along an exposed, cliff-bound peninsula, which gives excellent views of the south-facing coastline of the national seashore. The peninsula is a renowned location for spring wildflowers, and also the site of a historic lifeboat station. |
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7. Drakes Head Trail Length 1.3 miles (2.1 km) Elevation change 70 feet (21 meters) Trailhead South end of a spur road north of Drakes Estero - accessed by the Estero Trail Rating (1-5) ★★★★★ A spur forks off the Estero Trail and heads due south to the edge of the cliffs lining Drakes Head, a promontory overlooking Estero de Limantour, beyond which are Limantour Spit and Drakes Bay. This remote location is 4.7 miles from the Estero Trailhead. |
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8. Estero Trail Length 1.1 miles (1.8 km) to Home Bay; 3.7 miles (6.0 km) to Sunset Beach; 4.0 miles (6.4 km) to Estero Dam; 8.8 miles (14.2 km) to Muddy Hollow Trail Elevation change 200 feet (91 meters) to Home Bay Trailhead South end of a spur road north of Drakes Estero Rating (1-5) ★★★★★ This path starts from a spur road north of Drakes Estero, winding through grassland and fir trees from an abandoned plantation, before crossing Home Bay on the east side of the Estero. Fewer people continue, as the route follows the flat, treeless shoreline further south to a muddy beach near the mouth of the estuary, this at the end of a short spur. The main route extends a lot further, across more open grassland, all the way to an intersection with the Muddy Hollow Trail near Limantour Road. |
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9. Fire Lane Trail Length 3.1 miles (5 km) Elevation change 1000 feet (305 meters) Trailhead Parking area along Limantour Road - accessed by the Sky Trail Rating (1-5) ★★★★★ The Fire Lane Trail is the northernmost of two connecting paths between the Coast Trail and the Sky Trail. From the east end along forested Inverness Ridge, the route descends not too steeply along a secondary ridge to a junction with the Laguna Trail, by now in more open countryside, then drops down further towards the coast, approaching along the rim of an overgrown valley. One popular loop hike (5 miles) involves the Coast Trail, the lower section of the Fire Lane Trail and part of the Laguna Trail. |
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10. Horse Trail Length 2.2 miles (3.5 km) Elevation change 1040 feet (317 meters) Trailhead Bear Valley visitor center Rating (1-5) ★★★★★ This trail is the northernmost of three in the vicinity of Bear Valley visitor center that climb steeply to the top of Inverness Ridge, joining the Sky Trail. Most is through thick forest, with only fleeting views of the wider surroundings. |
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11. Inverness Ridge Trail Length 2.6 miles (4.2 km) Elevation change 530 feet (162 meters) Trailhead Near the upper end of Mount Vision Road Rating (1-5) ★★★★★ At the end of the narrow, winding Mount Vision Road to 1,336 foot Point Reyes Hill, this trail (mostly along an old forest track) follows the ridgeline eastwards, past an alternative access point from a side road off Sir Francis Drake Blvd, to another trailhead along Limantour Road. The majority of the surroundings are thickly wooded, and the route receives most use as a bicycle trail. |
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12. Kehoe Beach Trail Length 0.6 miles (1 km) Elevation change 50 feet (15 meters) Trailhead Pullout along Pierce Point Road Rating (1-5) ★★★★★ The only trail in the park where dogs are allowed, this follows close to a marshy stream then into a section of grassy dunes before emerging beside the ocean at a wide beach - near the north end of the long strip of sand that extends nearly 12 miles along the western edge of the Point Reyes peninsula. |
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13. Laguna Trail Length 2.2 miles (3.5 km) Elevation change 420 feet (128 meters) Trailhead Side road off Limantour Road, near Clem Miller Environmental Center Rating (1-5) ★★★★★ From the Laguna Trailhead just off Limantour Road, this path heads south to an intersection with the Fire Lane Trail, and north to an alternative start point along Bayview Trail, near the start of the Sky Trail. The southern portion sees more use, as part of a 5 mile loop also involving the western section of the Coast Trail. |
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14. Limantour Spit Trail Length 1.2 miles (1.9 km) Elevation change level Trailhead South end of Limantour Road Rating (1-5) ★★★★★ Starting at the parking lot at the end of Limantour Road, this level trail heads briefly south then west along a narrow strip of grassy dunes that separate the ocean from Estero de Limantour just inland - good habitat for birds as well as coastal wildflowers. The official path ends as the vegetation starts to fade away and the promontory becomes generally sandier, but hikers can continue right to the far end of the spit, a one-way distance of 2.6 miles. |
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15. Marshall Beach Trail Length 1.3 miles (2.1 km) Elevation change 300 feet (91 meters) Trailhead End of the unpaved L Ranch Road Rating (1-5) ★★★★★ This trail, an old vehicle track, descends grassy slopes then passes through a thin belt of woodland to a secluded sandy beach on the west shore of Tomales Bay. |
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16. McClures Beach Trail Length 0.4 miles (0.6 km) Elevation change 200 feet (61 meters) Trailhead North end of Pierce Point Road Rating (1-5) ★★★★★ The shorter of the two paths beginning at Pierce Point Ranch heads west down a winding valley, quite steep towards the end, to a pretty beach of golden sand, backed by nicely-eroded sandstone cliffs. The beach extends a quarter of a mile in each direction, as far as two rocky promontories. |
17. Meadow Trail Length 1.5 miles (2.4 km) Elevation change 950 feet (290 meters) Trailhead Bear Valley visitor center - accessed by part of the Bear Valley Trail Rating (1-5) ★★★★★ The Meadow Trail is one of several routes linking Bear Valley with the Sky Trail along Inverness Ridge, passing mostly through woodland but crossing a large meadow about half way along. It is often hiked along with the nearby Mount Wittenberg Trail to make a 5 mile loop. |
18. Mount Wittenberg Trail Length 1.9 miles (3.1 km) Elevation change 1320 feet (402 meters) Trailhead Bear Valley visitor center Rating (1-5) ★★★★★ 1,407 foot Mount Wittenberg is the highest summit in the park, though long-distance views are very limited as all the peak is densely wooded. Instead, the attractions of the trail to the summit are the cool, often misty surroundings and the variety of plant life en route. Two loop hikes, both a little over 5 miles can be made, returning via the Meadow Trail to the south or the Sky and Horse Trails to the north, while the peak can also be reached, with less elevation gain, from the Sky trailhead along Limantour Road. |
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19. Muddy Hollow Trail Length 2 miles (3.2 km) Elevation change 150 feet (46 meters) Trailhead End of a short side road off Limatour Road Rating (1-5) ★★★★★ Wildlife (including elk) and wildflowers are frequently sighted along the Muddy Hollow Trail, which parallels the lower end of Limantour Road, running along a wide, marshy, overgrown valley, and ending by the coast at Limantour Beach. |
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20. Old Pine Trail Length 1.4 miles (2.3 km) Elevation change 760 feet (232 meters) Trailhead Bear Valley visitor center - accessed by the Bear Valley Trail Rating (1-5) ★★★★★ One of several connectors between the Sky Trail and the Bear Valley Trail, this path follows a sloping ridge through thick forest, and can be used to form several loop hikes of seven miles or more. |
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21. Point Reyes Lighthouse Length 0.7 miles (1.1 km) Elevation change 250 feet (76 meters) Trailhead Parking area near the end of the road to the lighthouse Rating (1-5) ★★★★★ Although a paved road leads to Point Reyes Lighthouse, visitors have to park a little way from the end and walk the remainder; up a gentle incline, past some wind-blown cypress trees to the visitor center and museum, then steeply down a walkway to the actual lighthouse. |
22. Sky Trail Length 0.8 miles (1.3 km) to the Horse Trail; 1.8 miles (2.9 km) to the Mt Wittenberg Trail; 1.85 miles (3.0 km) to the Meadow Trail; 2.6 miles (4.2 km) to the Woodward Valley Trail; 5.8 miles (9.3 km) to the Coast Trail Elevation change 380 feet (115 meters) to the Horse Trail; 570 feet (173 meters) to the Mt Wittenberg Trail Trailhead Parking area along Limantour Road Rating (1-5) ★★★★★ Starting in the north along Limantour Road at 680 feet elevation, the Sky Trail heads south along Limantour Ridge through a mix of forest and meadows, passing close to Mount Wittenberg then descending gradually. Many places have good views inland and west towards the ocean. The last mile or so is steeply descending, into more open ground, before an intersection with the Coast Trail near Kelham Beach. Along the way are six other junctions, with paths to the east and west. |
23. Tomales Point Trail Length 4.7 miles (7.6 km) Elevation change 470 feet (143 meters) Trailhead Pierce Point Ranch Rating (1-5) ★★★★★ Enjoyable path to the northern tip of the Point Reyes peninsula, over exposed, grassy slopes; excellent views west to the Pacific Ocean and east to Tomales Bay and the mainland. Ends on the rim of eroded cliffs, 40 feet above the water. The grassland is also home to a herd of elk. |
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24. Woodward Valley Trail Length 1.9 miles (3.1 km) Elevation change 800 feet (244 meters) Trailhead Bear Valley visitor center - accessed by the Mnt Wittenberg, Meadow or Old Pine trails Rating (1-5) ★★★★★ Linking the Sky Trail with the Coast Trail, this route runs about half through lush woodland and half through grassy or bushy terrain, and has some steep sections towards the lower end. The closest shoreline access is at Sculptured Beach, a short distance south. |
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25. Z Ranch Trail Length 0.7 miles (1.1 km) Elevation change 160 feet (49 meters) Trailhead Bear Valley visitor center - accessed by the Mnt Wittenberg or Horse trails Rating (1-5) ★★★★★ This short path, mostly through level woodland, connects the Horse and Mount Wittenberg trails and forms part of loop hikes involving those two, and the nearby Sky Trail. |
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