WILDCAT BEACH WATERFALLS (Presidents Day Monday)
Hike Date: Monday, February 19, 2024
(HIKE MAY CHANGE TO SUNDAY IF WEATHER IS LESS RAINY / WINDY. CONTACT PETER)
Leader: Peter McCluskey
Leader Email: peter.c.mccluskey@gmail.com
Leader Phone: 408-315-8120
Meeting Location (ONLY IF you've arranged for a ride in SF): Whole Foods;
2001 Market St. @ Dolores (on the Dolores St. side); parking on the street or below.
Meeting Time: 8:15 AM, departing shortly afterwards
Rating: Level 5
Mileage: 18 miles
Elevation Gain: 3000'
Description: Note that this hike has shorter options: a bit less than 14 miles if you wait where the trail reaches Wildcat beach, and a bit less than 16 miles if you skip Alamere Falls. We will do a long but not too steep loop through mostly dense forest, then about 5 miles of out and back on Wildcat Beach in Point Reyes. We will see approximately 4 waterfalls on the beach. First Alamere Falls, then Phantom Falls (over 200 feet high, but rarely has much water), North Phantom Falls (which will only have water if it rained fairly recently), and Horsetail Falls. We'll also see an unsual rock formation known as the Temple. We will time the hike so as to arrive at Horsetail Falls just before the unusually low tide at 2:16, then return at a brisk pace in order to finish the hike by the 5:54 sunset (we will have some moonlight if we're late). Dogs not allowed.
Bring / Wear: Water, lunch, layers, hat.
Weather Policy: Contact hikeleader if weather is questionable.
Alternative Meeting Place: Rockridge BART - bottom of escalator. (Make sure you've let the hikeleader know that you need to be picked up.)
Alternative Meeting Place Departure Time: 8:15 AM, departing shortly afterwards.
Trailhead Meeting Place: Five Brooks Trailhead. Take Hwy 101 to the San Anselmo/Sir Francis Drake Blvd. exit. Take Sir Francis Drake all the way to Olema where it meets Hwy 1. Turn left for 3.5 miles and turn right onto Five Brooks Rd. and go to the parking lot at the end. Check Google Maps on the morning of the hike. Sometimes taking Hwy 1 the whole way is faster.
Google Maps Link
Trailhead Meeting Time: 9:30 AM
Trailhead Departure Time: 9:45 AM
Total driving mileage to and from SF: 80 miles; from East Bay: 92 miles.
Passenger Carpool Fees: $13 from SF; $14 from East Bay
Level-1
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Level-2
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Level-3 |
Level-4 |
Level-5 |
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easiest
< 5 miles
< 500' gain
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moderately easy
5-7 miles
< 1000' gain |
moderate
7-9 miles
< 1500' gain
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strenuous
9-12 miles
< 2000' gain
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very strenuous
12-15+ miles
>2000' gain |
