Sunset Savor

Some hikes are meant to be enjoyed slowly, savoring the journey as it unfolds. The 9-mile (round-trip) hike to Point Reyes' Sunset Beach is ripe for such an experience. Chances are very good that you'll see only a handful of people on the trail; this area of Point Reyes doesn't see the bustle of the Bear Valley staging area. Start at the Estero trailhead and make your way over rolling grassland, through Monterey pines, and—in the spring, an explosion of purple Douglas iris. Cross a wooden bridge overlooking Home Bay, an estuary that looks like a labyrinth at low tide. Keep an eye to the sky for peregrine falcons. Bird life in this region far outnumbers hikers. Soon, views of Drake's Estero and the Pacific collide in a biologically diverse confluence of fresh and salt water. At Sunset Beach round boulders look like giant cannonballs. Explore this remote section of Point Reyes before heading back the way you came.

After driving on Sir Francis Drake Hwy. in Point Reyes for 7.5 miles, take the left turn for the Estero Trailhead. From the Estero Trailhead hike on the Estero Trail. At the intersection in 2.4 miles, follow the sign to Sunset Beach. Return the way you came. The trail to the beach is overgrown and recent rains may make it mushy. No dogs.