Trail Advisories and Closures

 

Please observe all trail closures and barriers. Trails are closed for a variety of reasons, such as for visitor safety, to protect endangered species, to prevent erosion, and/or to allow new sections of trail to harden. Visitors who disregard trail closures may endanger themselves and any potential rescuers, harm threatened and endangered species, exacerbate erosion, or prevent new sections of trail from properly hardening, which results in the degradation of the trail surface, which in turn may require the closing of the trail for repair. Thank you for your cooperation.

Caution: Many trails in the Woodward Fire zone (e.g., south of Limantour Road and west and north of Bear Valley Trail) are lined with hazard trees that were partially burned in the fire. These trails may also be subject to flash flooding, debris flows, and loose falling rocks during rain storms.

Caution: Many trails in the park are overgrown with grass and annuals. The park's trail crew is working to address the trail conditions as quickly as possible, but please anticipate wading through vegetation as you hike, and check yourself for ticks during and after your hike.

Visit our Hiking at Point Reyes National Seashore and Trail Guide & Suggested Hikes pages for additional information.

Table of Contents

Trails Blocked by Downed Trees

Flooded Trails

Hazardous Conditions

• Cattle
• Coastal Erosion of Trails to Beaches
• Collapse of Bluff near Tomales Point
• Fissures Near the Chimney Rock Trail

Temporary Trail Closures

Indefinite or Permanent Trail Closures

• Trail Leading to Arch Rock is Closed

Completed Significant Trailwork

 

A large red alder fell across Bear Valley Trail.

Trails Blocked by Downed Trees

Storms throughout the year can blow down trees throughout the wooded sections of Point Reyes National Seashore. Please avoid the trails listed below until the downed trees have been cleared. Or, if you do use these trails, don't create new paths to get around any downed trees you encounter; do your best to follow the route of the official trail over, through, or under the downed tree, if it is safe to do so. Walking around downed trees results in the trampling of vegetation and the creation of undesired paths, which can result in increased erosion. Leave No Trace. Thank you for your cooperation in helping better preserve the wildness of your national seashore.

Updated: Friday, August 11, 2023
Recent storms have knocked down trees across trails throughout the forested areas of Point Reyes National Seashore. Expect that trails in wooded areas will likely have trees blocking passage.

We have received report that the following trails are blocked by downed trees that block passage by foot, bike, and/or horse:

• Horse Trail - is closed to all use from its junction with the Morgan Trail to its junction with the Sky Trail
• Lake Ranch Trail
• Meadow Trail - closed to equestrian use until further notice

If you encounter any downed trees within Point Reyes National Seashore or the northern district of Golden Gate National Recreation Area, please report them to the Bear Valley Visitor Center (415-464-5100 x2 x5) or to Shawn Maloney (415-464-5154) or by email. If you encounter any downed trees along the Rift Zone Trail south of the Vedanta Society Retreat access road and north of the Stewart Ranch, please contact Marin County Parks (click on the "Email Parks" button). Please provide as many details as possible, i.e., exact location of the tree on which trail, type of tree (bay, fir, etc.), whether it is bushy or straight, its size and diameter, whether it is on the ground or elevated, whether equestrians can get around it, etc.

If you have recently hiked any of the trails in Point Reyes National Seashore and found the trail conditions other than what is reported here, please email us to let us know. Thanks for your assistance.

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Flooded Trails

Winter storms can result in the flooding of a number of park trails. Please avoid the following trails during the week or so after significant rain storms. Or, if you do use these trails, plan on getting your feet wet. Leave No Trace principles instruct hikers to walk single file in the middle of the trail, even if it is under several inches of water or very muddy. Do not attempt to walk around flooded or muddy areas as doing so results in the trampling of vegetation and the undesired broadening of the width of the trail, which can result in increased erosion. Thank you for your cooperation in helping better preserve the wildness of your national seashore.

The following trails frequently flood during wet winters and springs:

• Bayview Trail - between the Muddy Hollow Road Trail and the Drakesview Trail
• Estero Trail - in the Glenbrook Creek floodplain
• Horse Trail - the section that parallels Limantour Road
• Kehoe Beach Trail
• Laguna Trail - between the Laguna Trailhead and Fire Lane Trail
• Muddy Hollow Road Trail - at the Muddy Hollow Creek crossing (just east of the junction with Bayview Trail)
• Old Out Road Trail
• Olema Marsh Trail
• Olema Valley Trail - between the McCurdy Trailhead and the Teixeira trail junction, and a short distance north of the Teixeira trail junction
• Teixeira Trail - in the Pine Gulch Creek floodplain

Bolema Trail severely rutted

During the January 2023 storms, severe rutting occurred on the Bolema Trail, which may make the trail too hazardous for equestrians to safely use. Please avoid riding horses on the Bolema Trail until further notice.

Laguna Trail seasonal flooding

The Laguna Trail currently passes through a number of vernal pools, which consistently fill in the winter and early spring and dry out in the late spring-early summer. The park cannot drain them as they are protected and provide important habitat for a variety of species. The park hopes to ultimately reroute this section of the Laguna Trail to avoid these vernal pools.

Olema Valley Trail seasonal flooding

During the winter and spring, the Olema Valley Trail is often flooded and very muddy in a number of locations and hikers on this trail in the winter and spring may wish to wear or bring along knee-high waterproof boots. There is a ford just south of the Teixeira trail junction at which the water is frequently knee-deep and opaque with silt, the current strong, and the bottom uneven and covered with unstable, loose stones. This section of Olema Valley Trail is subject to seasonal (winter/spring) flooding.

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Hazardous Conditions

 

Cattle

If you plan to hike or ride a trail that leads through cattle pasture, please read Understanding Working Rangelands: Sharing Open Space: What to Expect from Grazing Livestock (1,314 KB PDF). By understanding basic cattle behavior, you can give yourself a better chance to predict how cattle are likely to react to your presence and in response to your actions. This will help make your hike or ride through these areas safer and more enjoyable.

Trails in Point Reyes National Seashore that pass through cattle pasture:

• Bull Point Trail
• Drakes Head Trail
• Estero Trail (northwestern section from the Estero Trailhead to the White Gate Trail Junction
• Sunset Beach Trail
• White Gate Trail

Trails in the northern district of Golden Gate National Recreation Area that pass through cattle pasture:

• Bolinas Ridge Trail
• Jewell Trail
• McCurdy Trail
• Randall Trail
• Tomales Bay Trail

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Coastal Erosion of Trails to Beaches

Please be aware that coastal zones are dynamic areas and can change from one day to the next. Erosion by waves, rockfalls, or landslides occur frequently. As a result, the condition of lower trail sections leading to beaches are likely to change throughout the season. This may result in abrupt drops on loose, steep gravel to get to and from the beach. Although any beach in the park can be affected, McClures Beach and Palomarin Beach are known to have these hazards. Use caution, remember that you'll have to come back up anything that you descend.

Kelham Beach Trail

On Saturday, January 14, 2023, a visitor reported that erosion had eliminated the lowest 12 feet or so of steps at the bottom of the Kelham Beach Trail. Please do not use the Kelham Beach Trail until repairs have been made. If you descend onto the beach, you may not be able to get back up.

Sculptured Beach Trail

Erosion from the January 2023 storms has also eliminated the lower section of steps at the bottom of the Sculptured Beach Trail. Please do not use the Sculptured Beach Trail until repairs have been made. If you descend onto the beach, you may not be able to get back up.

Palomarin Beach Trail closed

Please note: On September 24, 2020, the decent to Palomarin Beach was determined to be unsafe due to unstable and failing sections of the trail. The Palomarin Beach Trail (e.g., the 0.6-mile-long trail from the Coast Trail to Palomarin Beach) is closed to all visitors, employees, and local residents until further notice. (27 KB PDF) This closure has no direct impact to hikers using the Coast Trail leading north from the Palomarin Trailhead.

 

Tomales Point Trail ending abruptly where a large section of the bluff collapsed into the Pacific Ocean in January 2017.

Collapse of Bluff near Tomales Point

Another reminder that sea cliffs are hazardous. In January 2017, part of the bluff at the northern end of Tomales Point collapsed. As a result, a section of the Tomales Point Trail is no more. If you plan on hiking to Tomales Point, be aware that additional sections of the cliff are likely to collapse. Small cracks are present in the ground, some several feet from the edge.

If you are hiking anywhere that brings you near cliffs, please be mindful of the hazards. Be aware of your surroundings and stay back from the edge. Many of the cliffs around Point Reyes are unstable and prone to collapse.

Thank you to the visitor that reported this new collapse. Similar to the fissure that formed on top of Arch Rock, visitors discovered these hazards before park staff did. You can help park staff better protect park visitors by contacting the park's Dispatch at 415-464-5170, or by sending us an email if you find anything that looks hazardous in the park.

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Photo of a park employee standing over and pointing at a newly developed fissure along the Chimney Rock Trail on December 21, 2015.

Fissures Near the Chimney Rock Trail

Cracks were reported on a portion of the bluff near the Chimney Rock Trail on December 21, 2015. These fissures could indicate the possibility of a weakening cliff face in the area. The land may be unstable and a collapse or erosion could occur. Visitors are reminded to stay on designated trails.

Bluffs along the California coast are inherently unstable. They are prone to crumbling and sliding, especially in wet weather. It is very dangerous to climb or walk along the edge of cliffs. Be aware of falling rocks if walking near the base of a rock face.

View:
Close-up photograph of the fissure. (172 KB jpg)
Photograph of the area with the fissure from the southeast. (117 KB jpg)
Aerial photograph of the location of the fissure marked in yellow. (216 KB jpg)

 

Temporary Trail Closures

Please observe these trail closures. Visitors who disregard trail closures risk their own safety (and those of rescuers) and/or may prevent new sections of trail from properly hardening, which results in the degradation of the trail surface, which in turn may require the closing of the trail for further repair. Thank you for your cooperation.

• Mount Wittenberg Trail - closed to equestrian use until further notice
• Palomarin Beach Trail - closed until further notice
  On September 24, 2020, Palomarin Beach Trail was determined to be unsafe due to unstable and failing sections of the trail and is closed to all visitors, employees and residents until further notice. This closure has no direct impact to hikers using the Coast Trail leading north from the Palomarin Trailhead.
  Determination of Temporary Closure - September 24, 2020, until further notice - signed on September 24, 2020 (27 KB PDF)
• Rift Zone Trail south of the Five Brooks Horse Camp - closed until further notice
  The southernmost portion of the Rift Zone Trail between the Five Brooks (formerly known as Stewart) Horse Camp and the Stewart Trail will be temporarily closed due a severe washout of the trail. Due to the presence of these hazardous conditions, use of the trail by anyone is not safe until these hazards are mitigated. Please do not use this section of trail until the trail has been repaired. There is a detour route available:
  • To get from Five Brooks Trailhead to the Rift Zone Trail:
    • follow the Stewart Trail north ~0.4 miles (0.7 km) to its junction with the Stewart Trail-Horse Camp Connector Trail/Road;
    • turn right and follow the Stewart Trail-Horse Camp Connector Trail/Road for ~0.3 miles (0.5 km) down the hill past a water tank and the horse camp's bath house to the junction with the Rift Zone Trail;
    • turn left onto the Rift Zone Trail and head north through the horse camp to a gap in the split rail fence.
  • To get from the the Rift Zone Trail at the north end of the Horse Camp to Five Brooks Trailhead:
    • head south on the Rift Zone Trail for 460 feet (140 m) to the Stewart Trail-Horse Camp Connector Trail/Road;
    • turn right and follow the Stewart Trail-Horse Camp Connector Trail/Road for ~0.3 miles (0.5 km) past the horse camp's bath house and up the hill past the water tank to the Stewart Trail;
    • follow the Stewart Trail south ~0.4 miles (0.7 km) to the Five Brooks Trailhead.

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Indefinite or Permanent Trail Closures

Arch Rock Trail:
Indefinitely closed. more...

Alamere Falls "Trail":
The old ranch road that led to the top of the falls has not been maintained by the park since the 1970s and has been severely damaged due to winter storms over the years. Hikers may still get to Alamere Falls by hiking to Wildcat Campground and then walking approximately 1600 meters (1 mile) south on the beach at low tide. more...

Crystal Lake Trail:
Permanently closed.

Double Point Trail:
Permanently closed.

Drakes Beach Trail:
Permanently closed. Hikers may still get to the mouth of Drakes Estero by walking east from the Ken Patrick Visitor Center on Drakes Beach at low tides.

Palomarin Beach Trail:
Indefinitely closed.

West Pasture North Levee:
On September 15, 2008, the informal path along the West Pasture North Levee of the Giacomini Wetlands was permanently closed to allow removal of the levee, adjacent borrow ditch, and the tidegates/culverts on Fish Hatchery Creek.

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The collapsed Arch Rock. Photo taken on March 21, 2015. from the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office's Henry One helicopter.

Trail Leading to Arch Rock is Closed

A portion of the Arch Rock overlook collapsed on Saturday, March 21, 2015, killing one person and injuring another. The Arch Rock Spur Trail and the area leading up to Arch Rock (e.g., the area southwest and west of the junction of the Coast Trail and the Arch Rock Spur Trail) is closed for your safety. The land may still be unstable and further collapse or erosion could occur. The Bear Valley Trail and the Coast Trail in this area remain open.

For your own safety, and to prevent the trampling of vegetation, please remain on park-maintained trails. Bluffs along the California coast are inherently unstable. They are prone to crumbling and sliding. It is very dangerous to sit, rest, climb, or walk along the edge of cliffs. Be aware of falling rocks if sitting or walking near the base of a rock face. more...

 

(L) View of new fissure from the north. (R) View of fissure from the south end of Arch Rock.

Background on the collapse of Arch Rock

On Thursday, March 19, 2015, an off-duty employee hiking on his day off discovered what he suspected was a new hazardous condition at Arch Rock and reported the hazard to park management. Visible fissures had formed along the top of Arch Rock, indicating that the rock structure underneath had weakened, and, on March 21, 2015, Arch Rock collapsed.

After Arch Rock collapsed, many visitors reported that they had seen the fissure during the March 14, 2015, weekend. But, before March 19, park staff were unaware of this new hazard.

You can help park staff better protect park visitors by contacting park dispatch at 415-464-5170 or by sending us an email if you find anything that looks hazardous in the park.

 

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Completed significant trailwork

Woodpecker Trail:
The Woodpecker Trail was closed from July 14, 2015, until May 9, 2016, in order to to maintain public health and safety due to the presence of hazard trees (trees that have started to fall but didn't completely fall to the ground). Use of the trail by anyone was deemed unsafe until these hazards were mitigated. The first section of the trail was re-routed around the copse of trees at the start of the trail.

Woodpecker Trail:
The Woodpecker Trail was closed in early June 2013 in order to install new stairs and repair portions of the trail.

Bear Valley Trail:
The Bear Valley Trail between the Mt. Wittenberg and Meadow trail junctions was closed from Monday, September 17, 2012, through the morning of Wednesday, October 3, 2012, in order to install a new culvert and repair the trail. The repairs came in under budget and ahead of schedule, so the trail was reopened on Wednesday, October 3, instead of on Saturday, October 6.

 

Coast Trail ~1 mile south of the Hostel on August 24, 2012.

Coast Trail Reopened
As of June 19, 2012, the water which had been flooding the Coast Trail between the Point Reyes Hostel and the Coast Campground had drained away and the trail is now open.

 

Coast Trail ~1 mile south of the Hostel on January 23, 2012.

The trail had become impassable due to water and mud and presented an unsafe condition for park visitors and was therefore closed on June 1, 2012. Even though the trail is once again open, NPS staff will continue to proceed to acquire all necessary permits for short-term repairs to the trail and also for a permanent fix. This section of Coast Trail is subject to seasonal (winter/spring) flooding.

Muddy Hollow Trail:
As of late May 2011, the Muddy Hollow Trail, having been rerouted out of the valley's floodplain, is now open to the public.

Greenpicker Trail:
The reroute of a 1.1 km (0.7 mile) section from Fir Top to the Stewart Trail/Ridge Trail junction was completed in late May 2009 and this section of the Greenpicker trail is now open to the public.

Kelham Beach Trail:
The repairs to the Kelham Beach Trail were completed on September 4, 2009. The access trail to the beach is now open to the public.

Giacomini Wetlands Trails:
Restoration work required the temporary closure of a couple trails at the south end of the Giacomini Wetlands. As of March 2, 2009, both the Olema Marsh Trail on the east side of Olema Marsh and the Lagunitas Creek Trail are open. We ask that users please stay on designated trails to reduce impacts to areas actively being restored for critical wildlife habitat. More information about trail closures may be found in the Giacomini Wetland Restoration Project: Restoration pages.

Estero Trail - Muddy Hollow Dam Removal:
The Muddy Hollow Dam removal—which occurred between August 1 through October 31, 2008—resulted in the rerouting of the southeastern section of the Estero Trail. The new section of the Estero Trail was opened to the public on August 1, 2008. The eastern trailhead for the Estero Trail is now at the Muddy Hollow Road Trailhead, instead of at Limantour Beach. Please visit our Coastal Watershed Restoration Program Construction Updates page for more information.

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