Pets allowed
Not Allowed
Elevation Gain
1,300.00 ft (396.24 m)
Trail type
There-and-back
Distance
8.20 mi (13.20 km)
Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.

The trip to Alamere Falls offers stunning coastal views of Point Reyes National Seashore and a wonderfully unique waterfall. The landscape is varied with coastal scrub pine and oak forests, and there are several lakes along the way. Alamere Falls pours from a rocky cliff onto a long, wide stretch of beach, and it is the perfect place to enjoy a lunch break or an afternoon stroll in the sand.

The hike begins at the Palomarin Trailhead, about 5 miles north of the town of Bolinas. The coastal trail heads north through a small eucalyptus forest before it opens to reveal expansive coastal views. Next the trail turns inland and heads uphill, entering a forest of tall fir trees and ferns that gradually becomes drier with more oak. Along the way you’ll pass a series of lakes, including Bass Lake and Pelican Lake.

Just after Pelican Lake there is a cutoff for Alamere Falls, DO NOT take this cutoff trail. It is dangerous and off limites according to the National Park Service. Continue to the right on the Coast Trail where you will eventually come to another fork with the Ocean Lake Loop Trail. Either trail will take you to the Wildcat Beach and Campground. 

 From the Wildcat Beach/Campground you can follow the beach to Alamere Falls. This is the only legal way to get to the falls. 

To get back to the parking lot, retrace your footsteps. 

Logistics + Planning

Preferable season(s)

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Congestion

High

Parking Pass

Not Required

Pros

Coastal views. Swimming lake. Waterfalls.

Cons

Weekend crowds. Poison oak.

Trailhead Elevation

250.00 ft (76.20 m)

Features

Waterfalls
Big vistas

Typically multi-day

No

Location

Nearby Lodging + Camping

Comments

This is an exceptionally beautiful spot in Point Reyes. However, be very careful when deciding whether you take a dip or not. Pay attention to the weather forecast and the surf. Especially the part of the beach that's more to the south has some nasty rocks that are hidden when the surf is high. A few people already had to be helped to get out of there (more or less) unharmed.
The scramble down to the beach is also becoming more and more eroded with time. It's not hard to get down (everything goes down thanks to gravity), however, it can be challenging to get back up for some.
04/12/2019
Loved this hike. However the "clearly marked" cutoff to the falls is anything but. There is no sign at all. We missed it at first. It just looks like a dark path that Hobbits would take to escape Ringwraiths. When we first saw it, we said, this CAN'T be it. Otherwise the hike was awesome albeit long.
Did this last year in March and it was fantastic. Go Early since the waterfalls would still be full. Take an extra pair of clothes if wanting to get drenched and pack some food. Go early as it will get crowded
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