This is one of the best trails to do post Pineapple Express storms. Part muddy part slippery but…read morekeeping amazing views in distance throughout. I would suggest start mid day and when you are back you are ready soak in early dinner and wine! The best part was it is not continuous incline but you still end up gaining ~900 ft elevation. I will definitely revisit to do more in marine headlands. Weather is perfect to explore beautiful Bay Area on feet!

Way before Johnny Depp, I recall my favorite ride at Disneyland was the Pirates of the Caribbean…read more The politically incorrect sea chantey they had on autoplay was drilled in my subconscious: "Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me We pillage, we plunder, we rifle, and loot Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot Drink up me 'earties, yo ho" I didn't sing it out loud, but I was thinking it as I was scaling this rugged coastal trail. At not quite two miles, it wasn't that challenging except for the last 350 feet. At that point, you don't see a trail anymore but a lot of rocks. I was puzzled until I saw a couple of young girls pass me and repel themselves forward. This was a pivotal point that separated prematurely mature men from fearless youth. As I was listening to the high tide coming in, I did an about-face and didn't look back. Well, actually I could see the cove from the trail and noticed the waves lapping up the shore almost completely. Redemption. There were plenty of inclines to work out my thighs, and the windswept scenery was nice in a Perfect Storm sort of way - though I think the Owl Trail on the other side of Muir Beach Outlook was more picturesque. RELATED - Exploring north of San Francisco? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2tIHlkV

Lovely views, but super crowded! Beach had an outhouse which was locked, had to park waaay down the…read moreroad as lot was full. Saw a lot of TP along the trail, then I cut my foot on broken glass in the sand!! This used to be a nice beach, not any more. Somebody should say something to the county about it.

Parking is limited, so head over early or be prepared to park in the neighborhood and walk over. As…read morewith many hidden gems, this beach is more crowded than it used to be prior to 2020. Visited last week and there was one group of people playing football on half the beach, so there were few other places we could settle into. We did see some bones, which looked like a deer to me, but we didn't find the skull which would have confirmed the find for me. If you continue hiking, there is another beach that you can reach, but be prepared to wade through some water to get over to the other beach. If you're in the mood to continue hiking, there is more to see beyond the second beach, which will get you more privacy since many people stop at the first beach. FYI it can get cold here, even if it's sunny. I always bring a blanket along with a beach mat. The mat for sitting on, and the blanket for keeping warm. Nice place to unwind at the end of the day since the crowd dissipates as the sun goes down and the temperature cools.

I am heavier and less active. I have arthritis in my knees and 2 repaired ACLs tears in my past…read more Stairs are my enemy. My arch nemesis. I trained for a few weeks leading up to this trip to make sure I could handle the stairs. 391 stairs counted and verified down then up. Yes, I even counted the baby stairs lol. Down was pretty easy. Up was also.... Pretty easy. I was tired. I was out of breath. My calves BURNED. My knees were shaky. My face was red as a tomato. But I did it. And it was well worth the treck.

A must-visit, but visit during the week; the parking lot is very small. There is a very steep, but…read morevery well maintained, stairs that go from the parking lot to the beach. The west part of the beach is sometimes clothing optional, so watch out for that. The sand is actually not black; it's dark gray.

Main trail is COMPLETELY overgrown. Heed the sign and don't take the main trail down. There is a…read moreshorter, steeper trail by the south parking lot but they both require the use of a rope ladder to get down the final 15 feet. Rather shaky on the way up. Just above the rope ladder there is another section of rope to help you ascend to where you can walk again. (Go right, not left.) The beach itself is very picturesque--lots of bluffs, a few small waterfalls, and a few sandy sections but mostly rocks. The tide pools I noticed were pretty small, probably not worth the journey especially if you have any gear with you (see above re: rope ladder). It is slow going walking along the rocks and seaweed, but it is a rather long beach. In my two hours there I saw NOBODY.

Simply put, I just love this beach! It's an amazing reward to be graced with the shallow waves of…read morePalomarin Beach after embarking on a 4.5 mile hike and a short rock climb down the embankment. I've been to this beach a few times now so far, and its' beautiful views and calming waves never cease to amaze me. Palomarin Beach is located within Alamere Falls Park which is a subsidiary of Point Reyes National Seashore. This beach is only accessible through a few hiking trails within Alamere Falls Park. The shortest way to get to this beach is to take the Palomarin Beach Trail via the Palomarin/Coast Trail. This trail measures .6 miles one way, and will lead you directly down to the beach. If taking this trail, you'll have to scale down some steep rocks and cliffs. It's not impossible, but you'll need to have some upper body strength to climb up and down the rocks. If you've never been here before, I would suggest coming with someone just in case you need help getting up and down the steep cliffs. If you're not into rock climbing but don't mind the trek of a long hike, you can take the Palomarin (Coast) Trail all the way down to the beach. There's no rock climbing involved on this trail, however it's 6.5 miles one way. My favorite way to get down to this beach is via the Alamere Falls Trails. Not only does this trail take you down to the beach, but it also leads to the beautiful Alamere Falls! The hike to Alamere Falls is about 4.5 miles one way. You'll take the Palomarin Trail to Alamere Falls trail and it will lead you right down the beach. Like the Palomarin Beach Trail, this trail will involve some rock climbing down steep cliffs and rocks and you'll also have to hike through a short narrow path that contains poison oak and poison ivy. Totally doable as long as you're prepared for it. What's so great about this beach is that since it's located below the cliffs, it provides an amazing view of the California coastline, Every view will be picture worthy. The tides were low during my last visit, but they change depending on the season. You can put your feet in, but the waves can be pretty ferocious, so I wouldn't recommend swimming. The water is so white and clear and the sand is soft on your feet, so walking along the beach is perfect. There are a couple of flat rocks beneath the cliffs that are shaded. It's a nice place to sit and have lunch if you bring it with you. I will warn that the trail to the beach is a very popular one. So, if you want to beat the crowd, coming early is your best bet. Either way, this beach is totally worth a visit, especially if you're planning on hiking to Alamere Falls.

earned a star for: 1. bathrooms…read more2. rinse off area 3. parking lot 4. coned off swim area 5. fun sun bathing platform to swim out to 6. picnic tables just a heads up. it's a smaller beach so not a lot of space for big parties. not a lot of beach area for sports. sand is more rocky than not

Beautiful little beach with two 1/2 mile hikes leading to other beach fronts. Restrooms sufficient…read moreto the amount of parking. Kayak rentals available at reasonable rates.

This was our first visit here. My daughter is obsessed with all things beaches and oceans. This…read morebeach is very easy access from the parking lot. I checked the time of low tide so we could arrive when she would get a chance to see all that is the tide pools. She had an absolute blast and I was so happy to just watch her go about her way exploring and creating more memories.

Bolinas is a strange little town. The downtown, what there is of it, looks like it hasn't been…read moreupdated in 80 years, except for a few newer buildings on Brighton. Go west, young man, and it has the feeling of Carmel with smaller trees. Its history is what makes it strange: in the late 1960s, the hippies moved in, the water supply got maxed out so no more new water permits have been granted since then, and residents started tearing down the signs on Highway 1 that pointed to this town. I've been told that, as the hippies are dying off, families and wealthy people are moving in, so it's slowly becoming more normal. But Bolinas is still a world apart, and intends to stay that way. It does have one unusual feature, though: Agate Beach Park. "Beach" is almost false advertising. The sand is a longish walk north. You don't come here to laze in the sun or barbecue some weenies. You come here to explore the tide pools, gaze in wonder at the cliffs, notice that you can see San Francisco from here, and enjoy the remoteness of the place. Marin County takes care of the place, but when you get to the bottom of the stairs, there is NO development at all. Any development would take away from the natural features. And, in a way, the unique flavor of Bolinas add to the charm. No signs point the way, just as no signs tell you to turn here to get to Bolinas. Agate Beach Park is the edge of town, as far away from tourists as you can get. Driving here is like getting immersed in Bolinas counter-culture. There are no crowds here, and not likely to ever be any. If that interest you, then you'll like this park a lot. By the way, you can also climb to the top of the bluff and get some good views and photos. Basically, Agate Beach Park is where you can explore another place where the Great Eternal Artist did some of His best handiwork, and not fight the crowds to do so.

The drive for this beach for me is a bit long with traffic, but it's one of my favorite hidden…read moregems. Half of the beach dogs are allowed, the other half they are not due to protection of the wildlife/plant life. It's about a 1 mile walk each way down a slim trail to/from the beach, but it's so worth it. Most times I visit here it's never busy or crowded. Recently when i visited, it was as if i had my own private beach.

Kehoe Beach is one of my favorite beaches in the Bay Area. Other local beaches get a lot of hype,…read morebut with that hype comes crowds and traffic-- two things I prefer to avoid when I'm trying to relax. Kehoe allows dogs, which is why I found myself out here a few weeks ago. Dogs are only permitted on-leash- this is clearly stated on the NPS website and by a sign at the beginning of the trail. But as is so often the case in Marin, in my experience, we encountered many (if not most) other dogs off-leash. For that reason, if you have a reactive or fearful dog, I wouldn't recommend bringing them out here, as none of the off-leash dogs we saw were under voice control. Pets are not permitted south of the trail from March 1st - September 30th because the area is a protected habitat for snowy plovers. When you get to the beach, there's some interesting geology to check out. You can see a reverse fault and rocks that are millions of years old. You can also see a variety of wildlife. I wouldn't wade or swim out here, as the tide can be unpredictable and harsh, rip currents are a real hazard, the water is very cold, and it's within the Red Triangle (the 31.7 miles between Kehoe Beach and the Farallon Islands just isn't enough for me.) The peace, quiet, and beautiful views are worth the drive-- just don't tell the folks over at Stinson. ;)

I have been coming to this fabulous beach since I was a child when my parents would take us to…read moreInverness each year. Definitely one of my favorite places-- today we came to escape the heat inland. When we arrived there was barely a soul and we had the beach almost to ourselves. We walked at least a mile up the beach and literally saw hundreds of sand dollars, countless crabs, seagulls swooping and a pod of dolphins! Visitor center is well done and fascinating, especially for kids. There are flush toilets and showers & a little store as well. I suppose I've always come during the week and the facilities were not open then. Plenty of (free parking) too. Be advised when the wind kicks up you end up with a lot of sand on yourself and your food. Otherwise, it was an utterly perfect day at the beach.

In my book, Drake's Beach is one of the most special beaches in the world…read more On a personal level, I think this is the first beach I ever brought my daughter to. And, even after enduring the long three hour drive each way, she asked to come back many, many times. The first time we came here, it was to see the tidepools, which are about half a mile down the beach. To be real, these aren't the best tide pools in the area, but they are probably the least crowded. A few weeks later, I came back to hike alone. At sunset, as I was walking back to my car, I noticed that the beach was covered in huge black rocks that I hadn't noticed on my way out. I thought, "That's weird." Then, as I was walking right next to one of the rocks, it made a loud noise, and charged at me. That's how I found out what an elephant seal is. I must have come during mating season, because this was definitely a huge male alpha seal. I screamed, and ran away from the creature, having no idea (at the time) what it was. Fast forward to this week (after I've read an entire book on elephant seals), and there are no male seals on the beach. It turns out that they swim to Alaska twice a year, and only come back to this beach to mate and molt. Currently, as I write this in mid-May, the same area of beach is covered in pups which have been recently weaned by their mothers. They are molting and getting ready for their first big swim, where many of them will become food for great white sharks. The ones that are lucky enough to survive are likely to eventually return to this same beach to mate and molt. Aside from the tidepools and elephant seals, Drake's Beach is the best place that I know of to see the famous cliffs of Point Reyes from down below. (To see the cliffs and seals from above, take the Chimney Rock trail.) The cliffs are pretty much always crumbling. Every time I visit this beach, I see small rocks falling from the cliffs. This is a great place to teach children about erosion and the danger of hiking too close to the tops of cliffs. Swimming at Drake's Beach is not a good idea. In addition to the aforementioned great white sharks that live in the area, there are also occasional rip tides. People have been swept out to sea from this beach, so it's not a good idea to turn your back on the water. But if you walk carefully along the shoreline, you might observe live purple fuzzy sand dollars, bright blue velella velella, clear gobs of jellyfish, or all kinds of other things. In good weather, you can build sand castles, or even participate in the Annual Sand Sculpture Contest at Drake's Beach, which typically occurs in late summer. There is a visitor center and store at Drake's Beach (named after Ken C. Patrick, the first NPS Ranger ever killed in the line of duty), but they have very limited hours-- typically only a few hours on weekends. Since I tend to visit outside of peak hours, I've never been inside the store (yet). This beach is on the opposite side of the Point Reyes peninsula from North Beach and South Beach. Theoretically, on a clear day with good binoculars, you might be able to see Alamere Falls to the southeast.