Keeping It Real

Hike The Shore of Tomales Bay

With San Andreas rocking the box office, there’s been a lot of conversation about the the destruction this faultline can cause… is it all just Hollywood? (Umm, yep.) Walk along the real San Andreas Fault in a setting that beats any Hollywood backdrop: Point Reyes National Seashore. Explore the west side of Tomales Bay on a 2.7-mile loop hike featuring beautiful shoreline and bay views. Starting from the Jepson trailhead in Tomales Bay State Park, meander for a mile on a gradually descending trail covered in pine needles. Cross over pavement, and continue on the trail until it meets with Johnstone Trail, where you'll find a grass bluff with picnic tables and grills overlooking the bay. Take a short detour to sandy Heart's Desire Beach (where you can swim out to a pontoon raft), before returning to Johnstone Trail and heading south to parallel the coast for another 0.4 mile. Take a second beach break at Pebble Beach, where there are fewer people and you'll have a chance of spotting bat rays feeding along the shoreline. Both Hearts Desire and Pebble Beach offer a terrific vantage of the rare and ancient metamorphic rocks in Point Reyes, known as schists. These porcelain-like rocks can be found in the cliffs along both beaches and exemplify the unique geology along this side of the bay. The final 1.3 miles of the Johnstone Trail are uphill, canopied by bishop pines.

BONUS: Make a stop at an iconic shipwreck found at the end of a 100-meter trail starting from a gravel parking lot behind the Inverness Store. Despite its mysterious history, this ship, which is more of a big boat, has been preserved due to its curious location on the shore of Tomales Bay.

To reach the start of Jepson Trail, drive north on Sir Francis Drake Blvd. through Inverness and turn right on Pierce Point Rd. Follow the road for 1 mile to a turnoff on the right, which is the unmarked Shallow Beach Rd. A gravel parking lot with free parking marks the trailhead, where you will see a sign for Jepson Trail. NOTE: In the final 0.5 mile, the trail crosses the road twice. After the first road crossing, stay straight on the trail (do not take the left turn). After crossing the road for the second time, be sure to make a left turn, to the west towards the sign for Pierce Point Road to complete your loop. No dogs!

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Photo of the East Brother Light Station in the San Francisco Bay Area

    Oh, Brother!

    Spending the night on a tiny island in the Bay? Intriguing. Spending the night in a lighthouse perched on that island? Sound the foghorn! East Brother Light Station Bed & Breakfast sits on a small patch of land in the strait that separates San Francisco and San Pablo Bays.

    View
  2. Mill About Lakeside

    Bucks Lake Recreation Area near Quincy in Plumas County has plenty of beautiful hiking trails. For an easy hike with beautiful spots for sunning, swimming, and lounging on sand beaches or giant rock slabs, do the Mill Creek Trail.

    View
  3. Camping at Chewing Gum Lake Emigrant Wilderness

    High Sierra Lake Hop

    Situated just north of Yosemite is a High Sierra wonderland that gets a fraction of the crowds and is a fantastic destination for backpacking. The Emigrant Wilderness is 113,000 acres of granite ridges, wildflower-strewn meadows, and cobalt lakes.

    View
  4. The Secret Big Blue

    Set at 4,500 feet, surrounded by 52 miles of shoreline, and with sparkling sapphire hue, Lake Almanor is the other big blue. The secret one. This huge lake—idyllic in spring through fall for all kinds of water adventures—is a gem of Plumas County where you can relax without crowds.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Hot As (Bumpass) Hell

    So you like going to all the hot spots when you visit places? Well, in Lassen Volcanic National Park there’s a place so hot it gets downright steamy. Bumpass Hell is the largest hydrothermal area in the park, with sputtering mud pots, sulfur vents, and boiling pools. It’s California’s Yellowstone.

    View
  2. Bucks Up!

    Come on in, the water is beautiful. Whether you like swimming, kayaking, stand-up paddling, or heading out on a bigger boat, Bucks Lake is a high mountain haven that’s easy to access, blissfully uncrowded, and surrounded by sandy beaches, picnic areas, pines, and aspens.

    View
  3. Starcrossed Stairway?

    Built into the hillside next to the Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood Heights delights with historic homes, steep and narrow (mostly carless) streets, and enchanting city views. Best of all, it features a network of walkways and staircases that makes it super fun to wander and explore.

    View
  4. Lunch at the Lakes

    Pack your own picnic and head for a lakeside lunch at Lassen Volcanic National Park. Then take your pick from a lovely trio of lakes accessed from the same trailhead. Follow it all up with a visit to Manzanita Lake on the other side of the park.

    View