Location: Point Reyes National Seashore near Bolinas, CA
Distance: ~7.5 miles
Type: Day-hike; Out & Back
Rating: Easy-Moderate
Permits & Fees: None
Preparation
At the trailhead, there is a small parking lot that fills up quickly, so it’s best to get there early. An overflow parking lot is located about .25 mi. down the road. Parking along the dirt road is permitted at some points. Sunscreen, hiking shoes, & water are essential for this trail.
The Hike
To get to Alamere Falls, we started at the Palomarin Trailhead, which is located at the far end of the main parking lot. After walking up the stairs and taking a left, we hiked for about 2 miles until we came to a fork in the trail. A sign is located here that reads “Coast Trail”. Note: During the winter months, the trail is extremely muddy- make sure to wear shoes you don’t mind getting dirty.
After continuing on the Coast Trail for about 30 more minutes, an unmarked trail that is hidden by large shrubs veers off to the left. Since this part of the trail is no longer maintained, there is not an official trail marker (watch out for overgrown poison oak!). This part of the trail was shaded and narrow, up until we reached a clearing that led us to the top of the falls. From here we hiked down to the base of the falls to get this view:
After relaxing at Alamere Falls for a short time, we decided to head back up the trail to the Palomarin Trailhead. The hike took us a little over 3 hours to complete, but can take up to 4 hours depending on how congested the trail is and how long you plan to spend at the falls.