Two Days Backpacking Point Reyes National Seashore

I spent two days and one night backpacking at Point Reyes National Seashore, in April of 2106.

https://caltopo.com/m/8FRE

I was carrying 28 pounds https://lighterpack.com/r/5hfyip 17.5 pounds base weight. I was carrying all of a 2 person tent because it was what I had available at the time. I also should have unloaded a day's worth of food once I found out I would only be out 2 days.

DAY 1 - 9.5 miles, +1149’

I headed out on Friday morning to get in line at the Bear Valley Visitor Center before they opened. I was hopeful for a walk-up camping reservation/backpacking permit. It was my intention to try to hike for three days and camp for two nights. I was able to get one night of camping at Wildcat Camp. This is on the coast of the Southern sector of Point Reyes National Seashore. The southern sector is also known as the Phillip Burton Wilderness. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Burton_Wilderness

After securing my backpacking permit, and being talked into a beach campfire permit by the ranger on duty, I headed down the Bear Valley Trail. A wide fire road with gentle slopes and heavy tree cover. For most of the 3 miles, a creek meanders beside and crisscrossing the road.

At the 3 mile mark, I took the Glen Trail west, and the terrain immediately changed. The wide fire road gave way to narrow overgrown single-single track with a steady upslope. After 1.3 miles, this stinging nettle lined trail summits at close to 800 ft ASL where it meets the Coast Trail. I followed this trail South along the coast on the high bluff for another 2.5 miles to Wildcat Camp.

Wildcat Camp is like a corn maze, but seven-foot high wild mustard. It took me a few minutes to find my assigned camp in the maze but eventually found my site. It had a food locker, a picnic table, and a charcoal grill. The campground hand well-maintained vault toilets, trash cans, and potable, although unpleasant tasting water. 

It was late afternoon when I arrived so I set up camp, ate lunch, and then headed south on the beach for a 2.5 mile round trip to Alamere Falls. The beauty of the seasonal falls was well worth the side hike.

I got back to Wildcat beach and enjoyed a small fire before returning to my camp for dinner and turning in for the night.

Day 2 - 17.7 miles, +2649’

I woke up before the sun, had breakfast and broke camp early. I had made a tentative plan for my hike for the day.

I headed back up the trail to the bluff to the Ocean Lake Loop south 1.4 miles to catch the Coast Trail again. This is a beautiful, lush section of trail that passes Wildcat Lake and Ocean Lake. Just a half-mile further and I reached the unmarked upper Alamere Falls spur. This is a densely overgrown 1-mile round trip to see the upper side of the falls. A cliff scramble from here could take you down to the beach, although it's not recommended.

I had intended to take the Crystal Lake Trail East shortly after getting back on the Coast Trail but found it was closed. It does not appear that there is any longer access to Crystal Lake. So I continued south for 1.4 miles Past spectacular views of Pelican Lake and Bass Lake, then I found the Lake Ranch Trail, which I took East into the Heart of the Phillip Burton Wilderness. This trail is 3 miles of steady uphill over very overgrown single-track with a constant barrage of stinging nettles. I lost count after thirty painful stings. But I don’t regret taking this trail. It is truly remote, with many different eco-zones. And even on a very busy weekend I only encountered one other hiking pair on this trail. The wildflowers on this trail were spectacular.

The Lake Ranch Trail gives way to the Ridge Trail. Which true to its name follows the ridge until coming around a 1300 foot peak named Firtop. This area is aptly named as it is beautiful towering Douglas Fir forest. This section of the Ridge Trail is about 1.4 miles until it crosses the Stewart Trail and becomes Greenpicker Trail.

Now it was time to descend. The Greenpicker trail is more heavily used and therefore more maintained. With gravel patches and occasional stairs. It is a steep descent through still heavy fir and occasional bay. In a few areas, the heavy woods give way for spectacular views of the valley near Olema. In 2.5 Miles Greenpicker Trail joined the Stewart fire road. That takes you the final mile to Horse Camp and The Rift Zone trail.


This was the most difficult part of the day for me. I was at 13 miles in and realized I had over 4 miles to go to reach my car. I had planned on pushing myself, however, this would be 5 miles more than I had hiked in recent memory and with a full pack.

The remainder of the trip was along the Rift Zone Trail. This is a gentle meander through woods and meadows at about 250 feet elevation. It is apparently a trail easement across a private religious retreat, and they post a great deal of signage to remind you. At the 16 mile mark, I had to cross a half-mile pasture of beef cattle, an odd thing on a Hindu retreat. Twice I was charged by aggressive cows, which I reported the next day to the rangers.

The sense of accomplishment I felt at finishing this trip, over 17 miles in one day and more than 26 in two days was overwhelming and I broke down for a min in my car.