Palomarin Trailhead

Used to be 5 stars…
***Please people, stop going piss and pooing right by the trail and then leaving your toilet paper loose so it’s blowing around everywhere.
If you have to do it, go out of sight and at the very least bury it under some rocks. I was horrified by the large amount of toilet paper now visible. Also, the amount debris and trash just being tossed to the side. And now there is tons of spray paint graffiti on the trees and signs. 10 years ago this trail was clean even with very heavy traffic. The rangers could fine people a fortune if they just stood there on a Saturday.
No one is coming to clean up after you! Show some damn respect! Help keep the outdoors beautiful for everyone.
This is still an excellent hike, though be prepared for huge crowds on the weekend, limited parking, poison oak, and well, everything you would expect with the outdoors. Water, sunscreen, and a free map from the Point Reyes Ranger Station will prove essential. And hike your garbage out with you!

A great hike. Challenging, but not too bad. Make sure you wear long sleeves and long pants.
The falls at the end are awesome!
Only thing that bothered me was people playing their music from their phones. Um, hello! You are in nature. Listen to the birds chirping, the brooks babbling and the rivers flowing.

This is the trailhead you’ll Google Maps to if you want to hike to Alamere Falls. There’s parking & bathrooms @ the trailhead but beware, the bathrooms are extremely smelly. Parking’s free! Come early to get a spot. The parking lot is on gravel so much sure your car can handle it. I saw a small two-​person Miata-​looking car get stuck in the gravel @ some point along the road to the parking lot. The hike to Alamere Falls is moderate intensity & is extremely beautiful this time of year. With all of the recent bay area rainfall, the hike is lusher than ever (wear shoes that can handle mud). I’m unsure if the trail allows dogs but I for sure saw some cute doggies hiking when I visited.

This place is awful and dangerous. No parking when we arrived at 8am. Road is so bumpy another car broke down from all the giant potholes. Almost got hit when finally found parking way down the dusty road. Saw a few cars and talked with others who had their car broken in to and damaged in the parking lot.
Don’t even get me started on the awful trail that was trash filled, poison oak lined, tick all over. Yes all that white trash is poop filled toilet paper blowing around the trail. Not worth it, everyone we hikes with ended up with nasty poison oak rash and tick bites. To top it all off mine and a few other in our group tested positive for lymes!
Once on trail it was crazy cold with wind and fog.
Awful place!

13 miles of the beautiful West Coast :) Recommend to start hike early to avoid the high tide and difficulty with parking later on during the day!
I would say this is one of my favorite hikes in the West Coast. The coastal view is breathtaking and there is a gorgeous waterfall waiting at the end of the hike. I watched the prettiest sunset on the hike back.
Tips:
— Get to hike by 10am AT THE LATEST. There is a parking lot at the beginning of the Palomarin Trail but it was full by 10am. People who got there later had to park along the paved road, some as far as 2 miles away from the start of the trail.
— Be careful of poison oaks!!! They are all along the trail; consider wearing long pants
— 2.5−3 miles into the hike, you’ll see a sign for Alamere Falls Trail/​unmaintained trail. That’ll lead you directly to Alamere Fall (saving about 1.5−2 miles of hike), but the hike is very vertical and dangerous;
— If you decide to continue on the Palomarin trail, you’ll come across a fork for the Coast Trail or the Ocean Lake Loop. Ocean Lake Loop is more scenic but has more elevation changes; Coast Trail is less scenic but easier to hike; they are both about the same distance;
— Ocean Lake Loop and Coast Trail both will take you to beach. From there it’s another 1 mile walk to the Alamere waterfall. The tide on the beach gets close to the cliff around 2pm (in February) and walking across the beach during high tide becomes REALLY DANGEROUS because the strong wave can SWEEP YOU AWAY. This is why it’s important to get to the camp ground by around 12pm;
— Bring at least 2 liters of water; 1 liter each way;
— Sunset on the way back (on Palomarin trail) is one of the most beautiful things to see;
— You get no signals anywhere near the area;
— If you come on a warm day you can swim in the Bass Lake!

This is the hike to make if you enjoy hiking, and beaching it up along the coast. Ive made this hike/​journey twice now, both in the heat/​light of all gods, and now in the winter time under clouds that spit rain at us periodically, through mud, and eventually darkness as we made it back to the car. This is what Id call an intermediate hike.
The Palomarin trail is in the Point Reyes peninsula area and is about a 12 mile hike there and back depending on what trails you take. The drive up to the trail is scenic, a bit tedious with all the bikers on the narrow roads, its easy to miss and there is almost no reception whatsoever in the area.
This is not a hike for those that really just like to walk. You will use your leg muscles, breathing techniques on the inclines if youre like me and enjoy eating and drinking while hiking :) the trail takes you in and out of the woods, along the cliffs and through what appears to be a marsh like area. Most people hike here to see the bad ass waterfalls that come from high up somewhere that the water never seems to end. There are actually several waterfalls that fall into one another leading down to the beach and running into the ocean. The end result of the hike if you choose is Wildcat beach… the beach is bad ass during the summer time with extra smooth/​clean sand and it looks and feels endless. We just visited this december and there was a high surf advisory and the beach was washed out! We still enjoyed the hike and it was still bad ass.
There is of course the great clean smell of ocean meets forest and sand. There were alot of salamanders out on the trail when I went during the rainy season so beware. Ive seen so many different animals here from lizzards, deer, wild cats, and most recently what appeared be be a small fox.
Do it and enjoy it! 5 cheers for the Palomarin Trail!!! I will the trail again in 2016.

Beautiful seaside views off of Point Reyes’ southern shores and the trail to get to Alamere Falls. Don’t forget to stop by Bolinas, the quirky, artsy, hippie community on your way to/​from this trail.
The trail, at least the parts that we hiked, were not very difficult and the views were spectacular. It is unfortunate that you cannot take mountain bikes on these trails, as it would be great for bikes.
I went here with my six-​year-​old son, but was unable to make it to Alamere falls due to my son’s fatigue. Oh well. I look forward to returning and visiting the falls in the future.
The trail starts at the Palomarin Trailhead. The whole hike is pretty flat so it is an easy hike. The first part of the Hike is high along cliffs that drop down to the ocean. After about a mile the Trail will cut inland passing two small lakes (Bass Lake and Pelican Lake).
Bass Lake has a trail leading down to so taking a swim here is a option, while Pelican Lake does not have a trail leading to it. This is one of the nicest parts of the trip as it is wooded and rich with vegetation. After 3.6 miles you will reach the Alamere Falls Trail.
This trail is very poorly maintained so it will probably be a little overgrown. Watch out for Poison Oak as there is some along the trail. After a short time on that trail you will reach a series of small but awesome waterfalls. If you go towards the right while facing the ocean along the cliff you will see a very steep area with lots of lose rocks you can climb down to the beach and see the lower fall which is my favorite part of the trip. Be very careful when climbing down.
Tips: Forks in the road:
1) Shortly after two miles into the trip is the first fork in the road make sure to stay left.
2) Around 3.6 miles will be the second major fork in the trail splitting three ways. Take the trail straight towards Alamere Falls.

Had a great, challenging hike 5÷30÷15 to the falls and the to Wildcat campsite and back to the Palomarin trailhead. Had lunch by Bass Lake. The only downside was we lost our GPS. We are hoping that whoever picked it up will turn it in to a ranger or the visitors center. Happy trekking!

Did the hike past Bass Lake, Crystal Lake to Alamere falls. It’s about 8 – 9 miles round trip and worth every step. You’ll see rolling green hills, sea cliffs, dense forrest, lakes, ocean, diverse vegetation. It’s great for photography and getting some exercise on the weekend, as well as escaping technology for a few hours. Only downside was it was very busy which is not always nice when you aren’t wanting to hear people’s cell phones blasting music while you’re hiking.

We did this hike yesterday. We were a group of five and did this hike starting at 10:30 am on a Thursday we finished our hike at 3:15 pm. We spent a good amount of time on the beach to eat something and enjoy the view. On our Garmin Vivosmart band said we hiked 10.6 miles to and from the parking lot. For hikes around the Bay Area this so far has been the most scenic one yet throughout the whole thing. Especially because at the end you see amazing waterfalls.
Somethings to really consider before doing this hike, it’s not as easy as it seems if you are not a conditioned hiker:
1) Weather: A) First the amount of water that you may see cascading down, it depends on how dry it has been B) If it’s too wet it may not be the safest walking on the trail because of loose rocks and uneven pathways. I can imagine the pathways getting muddy therefore making the inclines/​declines slippery. Most importantly it may not be safe to climb down/​up the rocky wall to reach the waterfall on the beach. Not only are you dealing with height but also, the side of the cliff is rock that breaks up into shards of rock C) If it’s a sunny day make sure to bring lots of water and snacks/​food there is no place to get these things
2) Make sure you know where you are going exactly, for the drive as well as where to go on the trail. There is NO CELL SITE SERVICE.
3) Shoes: Wear shoes that have grip, hiking or trail shoes. Please do not just wear vans or chucks. Throughout the hike without the grip on your shoes you can easily slip on the loose rocks on the pathways but most importantly you’ll have a tough time getting stability and a good foothold on the climb up and down the cliff.
4) Poison Oak/​Ivy: Wear or pack long sleeves and pants. Some of us wore pants, pants over shorts, or convertible pants. We just packed a light long sleeve sweater so we can put it on when we needed it. You definitely need it on the pathway before reaching the area where you need to climb down to the falls. You have to pass through a narrow trail surrounded by brush, brush which includes poison oak/​ivy. We seen a lot of people who didn’t care much about getting itchy so they wore hardly anything to protect themselves. Just remember: Leaves of 3, LET IT BE. Poison Oak tends to be an imitator and copies the plants next to it, so it can take on the characteristics of the surrounding plants.
5) Scaling the Wall to the beach: Coming from someone who is 5’2″ and hiking with others that are 5’9″ to 6′ tall. I had a harder time. Unless, you are used to scaling rock walls you’ll have no problem. Coming down, I definitely felt more comfortable knowing that my husband was there to stop me from falling. Since they all have longer legs, they were able to reach down to the ground between ledges to get a proper footing. I had to get on my butt, reach down with my leg and take a short hop down. That’s why it was nice to have my husband waiting at the edge of each ledge to stop me from falling down further. Also, remember that you are also trying to hold on to loose rock all over the place. As for coming up, I was happy that it was not just my husband and I. It helped that our cousin was giving me a hand at the top of each ledge to hoist me up as I was making sure my footing was stable and my other hand was helping push up. My husband stayed on the edge of the ledge again so I wouldn’t fall backwards. Once again my shorter legs was a disadvantage.
6) Be prepared: Bring plenty of water and snacks/​food. There is no place to get these items nearby
7) Be aware: Not sure if this happens all the time but watch out for falling tree branches. Thank goodness no one in our party or anyone behind us got hurt. As we were walking and just as we past a tree over our heads an old branch just fell off and landed a few feet behind us on the trail. You are in nature and things happen, just be mindful of the animals, plants, insects all around you.
8) Expect on the weekends that the trail can get really busy. With some parts being narrower than others you’d definitely have to wait to let others pass for safety.
Directions for the Trail:
–Stay on the Coastal Trail all the way until you see the signage saying Alamere Falls Trail & Unmaintained Trail (the photo I have attached)
Restrooms: They have the true meaning to a honey bucket! Not even sure why people would even use honey which I think of as being pleasant to describe something as nasty as an outhouse! There are two shared bathroom stalls with permanent holes in the ground with toilet type fixtures above it with toilet seats. The only thing that is there, so I hold my breath and go as fast as I can!!! Definitely use at your own risk. Since we came during the week it was somewhat decent.

One word: spectacular! We backpacked to Wildcat Camp (12 miles roundtrip) and stayed one night. Alamer Falls was a short walk down the beach from our site and Bass Lake was a really nice swimming hole.

Came here for a random hike with some friends and it turned out to be a lot harder than expected. For those who read that this was an easy hike, well you’re in for it and it’s definitely NOT easy.
Scenery: Forest, Ocean, Beach, Waterfull
Difficulty: Medium (not many up hills but the path has a lot of different surfaces which included a very tough mud path that was hard to cross. There was also a very rocky portion that was abnormally painful on the legs. Be prepared).
Distance: Unknown (about 12 miles round trip from the beginning to the waterfall and back)
Duration: 4+ hours
Good for kids: If they have shoes to be thrown away and are above the age of 8
Parking: tough to find parking close by if its the weekend
Tips:
1) Wear long sleeves (lots of poison oak)
2) Bring hiking boots (very muddy)
3) Bring lots of water and snacks (very tiring hike)
4) Bring a good camera (go-​pro, selfie stick etc)
5) Drive a car with navigation (no service near by)
6) Be Positive and you’ll eventually reach the waterfall
The highlights: The waterfall was great but in order to fully get the best view of the waterfall you will have to climb down the mountain which can be a bit of a dangerous feat if you aren’t prepared for it.
The trip was definitely a tough one but the waterfall was pretty amazing itself. Not sure i’d drive that far out again to go there but for those nearby, definitely worth giving a shot but GO SUPER EARLY so you don’t run out of daylight when you make the return trip.
Trip tips to get to the waterfall:
1) You will have to pass 2 bridges
2) You will pass a big fallen tree thats lying on the ground (you go under it)
3) You cross a mud path (be ready to throw away good shoes or wear hiking boots) DO NOT WEAR NEW SHOES
4) You have to make a left through a rabbit hole type path but it’s really just a narrow path surrounded by bushes (possibly poison oak-​do be careful)

Awesome

This was an awesome hike! Left the parking lot at 2pm and got back at 8pm. Great views of the ocean and beach. Great work out for the legs. The climb down to the Alamere Falls was tough and dangerous but its definitely worth it!

Scenery: Forest, Coast, Lake, Beach, Waterfall
Difficulty: Easy
Distance: 4.2 miles one way
Elevation Gain:
Duration: 8.4 miles round trip
Route Type: Out & Back
Good for Kids: Palomarin Trail: Yes
Coast Trail: Yes
Alamere Trail: Would not recommend for little kids (lots of poison oak, steep climb down to the falls)
Strollers: Some parts of the trail yes, but would not recommend
Bikes: No
Dogs: No
Parking Fee:
Tip: Directions on Unilocal are correct.
This Trailhead will lead you to Alamere Falls. After a few minutes of walking on the trail, you will see an information map and then a sign. Do not make a left towards the Palomarin Beach Trail. Continue to go straight towards the Coast Trail. You will then pass a picnic table and will see amazing views of the coastline. Soon after, you will reach the first of two wooden bridges. The first bridge is out in the open with the hills as its backdrop. The second bridge is covered with shade from the trees above it. Continue hiking and you will eventually reach a trail surrounded with trees that it looks as if you are walking through a tunnel, trying to reach the light at the end.
Next, you will continue on a rocky trail and then come upon a split. Do not go towards the Lake Ranch Trail. Stay on the Coast Trail. You will soon pass Bass Lake and the wooden Portable Water container to your right. There is also a fallen tree on the trail, who knows how long that has been there? Watch where you step because we saw lots of horse poop too.
You will then see another sign that says Coast Trail, continue on with the trail. Next, you will see the second lake, Pelican Lake. Eventually, you will come across another sign. It’s easy to miss so be on the lookout. It will be on your left side. Alamere Falls Trail. Yay! We made it and now it’s the home stretch! This is a jungle like narrow trail full of poison oak so take caution.
Finally, you hear the falls and you see the ocean. Relax and take a deep breath because this is not the end of your adventure. You will need to climb down a short climb on rocks. I used both my hands and feet to feel more stable. When you reach the bottom, you will see small waterfalls leading to the main waterfall.
To get to the mail waterfall, you will need to continue the adventure and climb down yet another short and very steep climb on rocks. The rocks here are loose and crumbly like. I scraped my leg because I slipped so be careful!
LASTLY, we reached the end of our adventure. We both sat on the beach and enjoyed the view. I felt at peace as I sat there trying to let it all sink in. It’s not everyday I get to see this beautiful waterfall tumbling over a cliff, it’s waters racing towards the ocean.

This is such a lovely place for a beginner hike. 4.2 miles each way and it takes about 3 hours + the amount of time you choose to spend at the beach.
Getting here is a bit tricky. You drive through Marin on CA1. Pass the Bolinas’s marshes. You will see the Olemas-​Bolinas intersection. Go straight and then turn left on Horsetrack Trail. Note: this left turn is easy to miss, so keep a look out for this after the marshes on your left. Drive about 3 miles on this road and you find a stop sign at a T-​junction of Mesa Rd. Take a right here. Keep driving on this road till changes to a dirt trail. This then ends in a dead end and that is the Palomarin trail head.
There are trash cans and restrooms right at the start. The restrooms can be given a miss unless it is really necessary: P.
This hike is pretty level. It has short climbs and dips along the sea and through the forests. Take the Wild Cat trail which will take you down to the Alamere falls.
You will hike past 2 lakes — Bass lake and then quickly followed by the Pelican lake.
After the Pelican lake the trail gets really narrow and you need to hike through a lot of wild foliage. Keep a lookout for a sign that reads Alamere falls to your left. This path has poison oak on the right side (lookout for those oily slick leaves).
You then have a scramble down to get to the top of a 3 tiered falls on the Alamere creek. And then one more scramble over loose gravel and rocks down to the beach to see the falls join the sea.
You then go back the way you came in. So the climb up the scramble is a lot easier than the climb down.
The view from the beach is breathtaking…

same place as this
directions from SF:
estimate at least 1 hour drive. 90% of the time on the 1 is smooth smooth road 10% is dirt/​gravel. 75% is windy road 25% is easy and managable
guide/​review: if you do not hike often this is at a moderate difficulty. lots of up and downs so be prepared to hike some hills, 4.2 mile 1 way, 8.4 miles round trip. The trail itself, lots of shade and wonderful coastal breeze, 2 lakes and estimate at least 3 hours to hike to, play, and return.
CLIMBING INVOLVED AT THE WATERFALL.
yes i said it, once you reach the falls, you will need to CLIMB rocks to get down to the beach. climb is not strenous but can be tricky do to slippery/​broken rocks.
there are 3 waterfalls, 2 pools. bring a camera
wow factor is very high
Guide:
trailhead
hike about 500 ft to the map
hike 2.2 miles in and meet the sign
continue hiking and get to the 3.1 mile sign
once you reach here, that is a total of 3.8 miles.
then 1^st waterfall at the top which you need to kinda climb too
then you walk around the plateau area to see the 2^nd waterfall
if you are to face this waterfall, behind you would be the ocean and the top of the main fall
now if you are facing the ocean, go to your right and you have to start climbing down this to get to the beach
once down you can run over to the waterfall

Great hike because of the various scenery. You get a view of the ocean, walk in thick forestation, trek through dry grass, and if you take the long route, walk on the quiet beach to Alamere Falls. This is the most diverse trail I’ve been on and I loved it.
Alamere Falls is a popular destination and the round-​trip hike is about 9 miles. There is elevation change at the end (closer to the waterfall) if you take the longer but safer route but it’s pretty level throughout the entire journey. If you’re not in good shape, do not hike 9 miles if you have work the next day. I was pretty sore but that’s because I hadn’t exercised in a while.
I started at 4:30pm which was really late and ended at bout 8:30pm where there was just enough light for me to comfortable hike. I did see the sunset across the entire ocean which was beautiful — this was in July. However, during other months, I highly recommend starting much earlier so as to avoid walking with little light.
Driving from this place can be a nightmare for many people. If this is your first time, drive during the day because of the windy roads and crazy drivers. You REALLY need to pay attention to the road and this is no joke. Use the turnouts and allow faster and crazier drivers to get ahead of you. Driving at night made it a little more challenging for me so keep that in mind if you’re planning a late trek.
This is one of the most beautiful hikes I’ve gone on. I wish getting to Alamere Falls was shorter but I can’t fault nature for this one. However, I’m docking half a star for the drive as it was long and not relaxing.

Wooo!!! What a view! This place is not just any ordinary forest hike. If you’re a fan of the ocean and like viewing it from higher elevations. This is the trail to endure.
The pacific overlook is simply amazing.
The hike is not as strenuous as you may think. There is no rocks to climb up or down unless you are going to see the waterfall.
Bring food, fruit, and water! Stay hydrated and go early. This hike is pretty long as you have to walk around the mountain side and a lake before reaching any destination.
The reward awaits as you reach Alamere Falls. Trust me, your jaw will drop!

Take Mesa Road, stay to the right and keep going on the gravel road — keep going til you pass the bird observatory and hit a dead end. There you are!
The park toilets here are okay — they aren’t in terrible shape, just make sure you close the lid on the toilets so that the ventilation can work properly when they are not in use or the entire room will smell like a toilet. Please put your trash in the cans or take it with you — not on the ground next to the cans.
Don’t leave anything valuable or remotely interesting in view in your car as I have heard of break-​ins and in 18 years of going here, I have never seen a ranger in this lot (but someone must service the toilets and pick up the trash, right?)
Now, get ready for your big adventure! This trail head takes you to a fork — and if you stay left and follow the coast, you can go swim at Bass Lake (
) and keep going on down to Alamere Falls (
).
Though most of the trail is pretty wide and you don’t have much to worry about — there is one section as you turn back in toward the forest before Bass Lake where you have to cross a lot of slippery broken shale. Then, depending on time of year, there are some (delicious) stinging nettles along the side of the trail (September through winter). Once you get past Bass Lake, break out the zip-​on legs for your REI adventure pants and roll down your sleeves — this is where the poison oak begins.
The part of the trail between Bass Lake and Alamere Falls is narrow and closely packed with very tall poison oak — as in — shoulder height in some places. This is also not an area to walk around in flip flops so be prepared and bring a flash light (just in case).
Alamere Falls is definitely worth the visit — but I hardly ever get past Bass Lake these days because it is the best place to swim anywhere in the Bay Area (I saw crawfish there last fall — that means the water is REALLY clean).