Stinging nettle, ticks, obstacles and poison oak, oh my! Click the banner below to learn more about recreating safety in Point Reyes National Seashore, including the four most common hazards of hitting the trail.
USDA/Jessica Weinberg McClosky/NPS/NPS
General Conditions By Season
The following generalizations are provided for your convenience to better understand what you may encounter when day hiking or backpacking in Point Reyes. Be aware that there are many micro-climates along the seashore and inland valleys; always be prepared for a variety of conditions.
During wet winters, trails can be muddy and slick. Downed trees and overhead hazards from strong winds are common, especially in areas previously affected by fire. Use extra caution and be sure to check weather conditions before visiting.
With spring sun and warmer temps, annual plants and grasses start growing fast! Unfortunately, ticks accompany this spring growth. Trails may still be muddy and slick in heavily shaded areas and along north facing slopes. Depending on the number and severity of storms, larger trees may still be blocking trails.
Summer crews return to work to supplement the small year-round trail crew with larger projects and trail clearing. While your favorite trail might not be cleared during your visit, check the list below for those that have already been worked on.
Be prepared for arid, dry conditions as summer coastal fog gives way to clearer skies. Trails can be very dusty in both Olema and Bear Valley until the first few rains.
Current trail conditions are reported by rangers, volunteers and trail users and updated as frequently as possible. If there are no recent updates on conditions or maintenance, this page will at least indicate if the trail is OPEN or CLOSED. An asterisk next to OPEN* indicates that maintenance has not been done recently or the trail could be overgrown. There also may be general notes on seasonal conditions or hazards.
Point Reyes National Seashore is a dynamic, natural environment where events and conditions are unpredictable. There is a possibility that environmental conditions, natural events, or other NPS management actions may impact your trip.
Left image
Old Pine Trail prior to brushing and clearing from the trail crew.
Credit: NPS Photo
Right image
Old Pine Trail after its been brushed and cleared by trail crew.
Credit: NPS Photo
North District Trails
OPEN
As of 7/25/24: Trail has been brushed and cleared.
OPEN
As of 7/25/24: Trail has been brushed and cleared.
General: Heavy winter rains can result in the flooding of sections of this trail, primarily between the Muddy Hollow Road Trail and Drakes View trail. Please plan on avoiding this trail following significant rains, or plan on getting your feet wet! Walking off trail around these flooded or muddy areas results in trampling of vegetation and increased erosion.
OPEN*
OPEN*
OPEN
General: Please stay on trail! Cracks were reported on a portion of a bluff near the Chimney Rock Trail in December, 2015. These fissures could indicate the possibility of a weakening cliff face in the area. Coastal bluffs are are prone to crumbling and sliding, especially in wet weather. Walking near the edge is not advised.
OPEN*
OPEN*
OPEN*
As of 8/27/24: Trail has been brushed and cleared from Estero Trailhead to the footbridge at Home Bay.
General: Heavy winter rains can result in the flooding of sections of this trail, primarily around the Glenbrook Creek area. Please plan on avoiding this trail following significant rains, or plan on getting your feet wet! Walking off trail around these flooded or muddy areas results in trampling of vegetation and increased erosion.
OPEN*
OPEN*
OPEN
As of 7/25/24: Trail has been brushed and cleared.
General: Heavy winter rains can result in the flooding of sections of this trail. Please plan on avoiding this trail following significant rains, or plan on getting your feet wet! Walking off trail around these flooded or muddy areas results in trampling of vegetation and increased erosion.
OPEN
General: The Marshall Beach Trail is a multi-use path, with a graded trail bed about the width of a car. Due to the wide nature of the trail, it is a good option during spring and summer when more narrow trails can be overgrown.
OPEN*
OPEN
As of 7/25/24: Trail has been brushed and cleared.
General: Heavy winter rains can result in the flooding of sections of this trail, particularly at the Muddy Hollow Creek crossing, east of the junction with Bayview Trail. Please plan on avoiding this trail following significant rains, or plan on getting your feet wet! Walking off trail around these flooded or muddy areas results in trampling of vegetation and increased erosion.
OPEN*
OPEN
General: The last 1.7 miles (2.7 km) of the Tomales Point Trail, the most northern section, is unmaintained. Expect more vegetation overgrowth and the presence of additional social trails on this section.
In January 2017, part of the bluff at this northern end of Tomales Point collapsed. As of February 2024, large cracks are present in the ground, some several feet from the edge. If you plan on hiking this section of Tomales Point, be aware that additional sections of the cliff are prone to collapse. Be aware of your surroundings and stay back from the edge.
OPEN*
South District Trails
OPEN*
Not a park maintained trail. Use of this "trail" is not advised.
The old ranch road that led to the top of the falls is not maintained by the park and has been severely damaged due to winter storms and erosion over the years. Hikers may still get to Alamere Falls by hiking to Wildcat Campground and then walking approximately one mile south on the beach at low tide.
Permanently closed.
Background: 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
OPEN*
OPEN
As of 7/25/24: Trail has been brushed and cleared.
General: Bear Valley Trail from the Bear Valley Trailhead to the junction with Baldy and Glen Trails is a multi-use path, with a graded trail bed about the width of a car. Due to the wide nature of the trail, this section is a good option during spring and summer when narrow trails can be overgrown. Between this junction and the junction with Coast Trail, the trail is narrower and enters desginated Wilderness, so conditions will be variable.
Open* Horses use caution or avoid.
General: The Bolema Trail is severely rutted, due to which may make the trail too hazardous for equestrians to safely use. Please avoid riding horses on the Bolema Trail until further notice.
OPEN
OPEN* See general notes.
As of 9/26/24: Trail has been brushed and cleared.
8/27/24: A small section of Coast Trail near Bass Lake has been brushed and cleared.
General: Coast Trail from Coast Trailhead to Coast Camp is a multi-use path, with a graded trail bed about the width of a car. Due to the wide nature of the trail, this section is a good option during spring and summer when narrow trails can be overgrown. Between Coast Camp and Palomarin Trailhead the trail is narrower and enters desginated Wilderness, so conditions will be variable.
OPEN
General: The Cross Marin Trail is a multi-use paved path, with a graded trail bed about the width of a car. Due to the wide nature of the trail, it is a good option during spring and summer when more narrow trails can be overgrown.
OPEN*
OPEN
As of 7/25/24: Trail has been brushed and cleared.
OPEN
As of 8/27/24: Trail has been brushed and cleared.
OPEN
As of 9/26/24: Trail has been brushed and cleared.
OPEN
10/23/24: Multiple downed trees cleared, trail is passable for hikers and experienced equestians. 7/25/24: Trail has been brushed and cleared.
General: Heavy winter rains can result in the flooding of sections of this trail, primarily in the section that parallels Limantour Road. Please plan on avoiding this trail following significant rains, or plan on getting your feet wet! Walking off trail around these flooded or muddy areas results in trampling of vegetation and increased erosion.
Not a park maintained trail. Use of this trail is unadvised.
Large winter storms and coastal eroion have eliminated the lowest 12 feet or so of steps at the bottom and much of the Kelham Beach Trail. The route is unstable and moving. This former trail is not closed, but strongly unadvised.If you descend onto the beach, you may have difficulty getting back up.
OPEN
As of 7/25/24: Trail has been brushed and cleared.
OPEN*
General: The Laguna Trail flood seasonally, and 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. In the mean time, please plan on avoiding this trail following significant rains, or plan on getting your feet wet! Walking off trail around these flooded or muddy areas results in trampling of vegetation and increased erosion.
OPEN*
10/15/24: Tree down across trail about 50 yards from the junction with Ridge Trail. Passable by hikers and possibly experienced equestrians.
OPEN*
OPEN
As of 8/27/24: Trail has been brushed and cleared.
OPEN
As of 7/25/24: Trail has been brushed and cleared.
OPEN* to hikers. Closed to equestrian use until further notice.
As of 9/26/24: Trail has been brushed and cleared.
OPEN*
OPEN*
General: Heavy winter rains can result in the flooding of sections of this trail. Please plan on avoiding this trail following significant rains, or plan on getting your feet wet! Walking off trail around these flooded or muddy areas results in trampling of vegetation and increased erosion.
OPEN
As of 9/26/24: Trail has been brushed and cleared.
OPEN
As of 7/25/24: Trail has been brushed and cleared.
General: Heavy winter rains can result in the flooding of sections of this trail. Please plan on avoiding this trail following significant rains, or plan on getting your feet wet! Walking off trail around these flooded or muddy areas results in trampling of vegetation and increased erosion.
OPEN
As of 8/27/24: Trail has been brushed and cleared.
General: 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. Please plan on avoiding this trail following significant rains, or plan on getting your feet wet! Walking off trail around these flooded or muddy areas results in trampling of vegetation and increased erosion.
Please note:This closure has no direct impact to hikers using the Coast Trail leading north from the Palomarin Trailhead.
OPEN*
OPEN
10/23/24: Multipled downed trees cleared, trail passable by hikers and by equestrians from the junction with Teixeira Trail to the junction with Stewart Trail. 10/11/24: Trail has been brushed and cleared.
OPEN from Bear Valley Trailhead to Five Brooks Horse Camp. See partial closure below.
As of 7/25/24: Trail has been brushed and cleared.
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.
Not a park maintained trail. Use of this former trail is not advised.
Erosion from large winter storms have eliminated the lower section of steps at the bottom of the Sculptured Beach Trail. The park has decommissioned the Sculptured Beach Trail and will no longer be maintaining it. Consider accessing the beach from Coast Camp, as using this route can be hazardous and doing so will impede the revegetation of the former trail.
PARTIAL CLOSURE
7/25/24: Trail has been brushed and cleared.
General: Sky Trail from Sky Trailhead to Sky Campground is a multi-use path, with a graded trail bed about the width of a car. Due to the wide nature of the trail, this section is a good option during spring and summer when narrow trails can be overgrown. Between Sky Camp and the junction with Coast Trail the trail is narrower and enters desginated Wilderness, so conditions will be variable.
OPEN
General: The Stewart Trail is a multi-use path, with a graded trail bed about the width of a car. Due to the wide nature of the trail, it is a good option during spring and summer when more narrow trails can be overgrown.
OPEN*
7/11/24 - Report recieved of trees down that block passage by horse, and possibly by foot.
General: Heavy winter rains can result in the flooding of sections of this trail, particularly around the Pine Gulch Creek area. Please plan on avoiding this trail following significant rains, or plan on getting your feet wet! Walking off trail around these flooded or muddy areas results in trampling of vegetation and increased erosion.
OPEN*
OPEN
As of 9/26/24: Trail has been brushed and cleared.
OPEN*
Reporting Trail Conditions
If you encounter any downed trees or trail hazards within Point Reyes National Seashore please report them to the Bear Valley Visitor Center (415-464-5100 x2 x5) or by email. Please provide as many details as possible. For downed trees it is helpful to know the following: tree location and trail(s) impacted, 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.
Last updated: October 28, 2024
Park footer
Contact Info
Mailing Address:
1 Bear Valley Road
Point Reyes Station,
CA
94956
Phone:
415-464-5100
This number will initially be answered by an automated attendant, from which one can opt to access a name directory, listen to recorded information about the park (e.g., directions to the park; visitor center hours of operation; fire danger information; wildlife updates; ranger-led programs; seasonal events; etc.), or speak with a ranger. Please note that if you are calling between 4:30 pm and 10 am, park staff may not be available to answer your call.
