Coastal Trail to Alamere Falls (Marin County, California)

The weather on the west coast and in the Sierras the last couple of weeks has been full of rain and snow, putting a damper on many of my hiking plans. However, I had planned to attend the California Artisan Cheese Festival in Santa Rosa this Sunday, and get some hikes in while I was at it. The prime target was a long hike along the coast to reach one of only two waterfalls in all of California that spills directly into the Pacific Ocean, Alamere Falls. I visited the other one, McWay Falls a few weeks ago and figured I would go for the double-double.

The drive from my hotel to the trailhead was about an hour through the foggy and winding roads of Point Reyes National Seashore. Though it is officially spring, it's still dark until a bit after 7:00 AM and knowing that I had a long hike today, I wanted to arrive at the trailhead early. I arrived and hit the dirt trail at about 7:30 AM. The large parking lot was relatively empty, with only about six or seven cars. Most of those folks were probably over-nighting somewhere in these beautiful coastal forests.

Knowing there was a good chance for rain today, I packed appropriately, and while the trail and surrounding forests were wet with the morning dew rolling off the ocean below, it wasn't actually raining. Perhaps, I will get lucky.

The lush grasses and moist earth below my feet is a playground for some smaller wildlife. Along the trail, I see two red-bellied newts (one of which topples onto his back as he tries to climb into the tall grass, but he quickly rights himself and continues on) and three banana slugs (one was feasting on some rodent droppings along the trail). I'm careful to not disturb my little friends any more than necessary to get past them.

The first section of the trail follows the coastline high above the ocean on tall cliffs. In the distance, I can see the Farallon Islands, some thirty miles off the coast. After a short distance the trail turns inland and weaves through a number of small lakes. It seems odd to have what I assume are fresh water lakes so close and yet so far above the ocean, but here there are nonetheless.

As the skies are starting to clear, I'm wondering if this may turn into a beautiful day after all. I arrive at a fork in the trail. The sign indicates that either path leads to Wildcat Campground, which is my way down to the shore, but not knowing which one to take, I decide to take the 'right' trail. As it turns out, it really makes no difference. The two trails rejoin after going around opposites sides of another small lake, this one filled with reeds and cat tails. 

From here the grasses and trees get more lush as the trail leads to a small bridge over a fast moving brook. It's really great to see all of this green, highlighted with the occasional patch of yellow or orange wildflowers. After crossing the bridge the tree line starts to break and I can see the campground a short distance below me. It looks as though I was right about the cars at the trailhead, as I see a number of tents.

After passing through the campground, I make my way down to the shore. A sign warns that beyond this point the ocean can reach all the way to the cliffs at high-tide. Following LNT principles, I prepared for this and reviewed the tide schedule. I'm going to be hiking down the beach as the waters are approaching low-tide.

The brook I crossed a short time ago now flows through the sands with a pretty good flow. A number of logs and planks have been tossed across the stream to allow access to to the other side. I find what appears to be the most sturdy one and balance my way across. 

From here, there is no trail; it's simply a mile or so down the beach to arrive at Alamere Falls. As I walk through the drying sands, I keep looking at the cliffs to my left. While I'm confident in my review of the tide schedule, I can't help but look for places to escape the ocean if high tide were to trap me here . . . there really is no escape. These cliffs are quite steep and even if I could find some small perch to wait out the tides, I would be there for several hours waiting for the tide to roll back out, as there is really no way to get back up to the highlands above.

In the distance, I can see the waterfall. It appears to flow off a a perfectly flat cliff just a few yards from the ocean. The white falling water is hard to miss against the brown and black rocks of the cliffs.

Just about a mile or so along the beach and I arrive at the base of the waterfall. It is a magnificent site. The waters of Alamere Creek plummet forty or so feet before hitting the sand and carving a channel to the salty ocean water. The water flows like a sheet over the cliff, spanning an area about thirty feet wide. I take a number of pictures from different angles. I have visited a lot of waterfalls in my life, but this is a very special one. Known as a "tidefall" because of flowing directly into the ocean, it is a rarity. I can't help but think of how lucky I am that the weather and tides cooperated and allowed me access to the amazing place.

After taking in the falls for a while, I turn and head back up the beach the way I came. Making my way back through the campground and across the bridge, I reach the fork between the two trails I mentioned earlier. This time, I decide to take the opposite one, the Ocean Lake Trail. As I suspected, it simply goes around the western side of the lake. It does however, offer some very cool views of the shoreline, including one of the falls far below and to the south.

As I finish out the remaining miles of the hike, I note how many other hikers, I'm passing now. I knew this was a popular trail, but I guess bay-area folks like to sleep in. All the better for me. When I arrive back at the large parking lot, it is completely full, including the entrance road. There are probably over a hundred cars here. Ah well, I completed the 14-mile hike in just at five-hours. That's not bad time at all considering the number of pictures I stopped for. I have to say that it was well worth it. Alamere Falls is quite a wonder and if are ever in the area, check it out - just review the tide forecast before hand :)