This One Easy Hike In Northern California Will Lead You To Someplace Unforgettable
By Joanne Kraft|Published August 03, 2016
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Joanne Kraft
Author
Joanne is a fourth-generation Northern Californian. She knows good sour dough bread when she tastes it and understands the best parts of the Golden State are nowhere near Los Angeles.
When you finally get a chance to take a hike, you want to go somewhere just perfect. Northern California has thousands of hiking trails for everyone from the professional backpacker to the novice weekend hiker. The latter is who we’re talking about. If you’re wanting an easy hike that takes you to a magical destination you won’t regret, this one’s for you!
According to bahike.com "This 1.8 mile out and back hike is easy, with about 250 feet of elevation change." This hike is only an hour or two--easy enough to take the kids along if you're up for it.
Getting there:
From US 101 in Marin County, exit San Anselmo (Sir Francis Drake). Drive about 20 miles west on Sir Francis Drake. Turn right onto CA 1, then make the first left onto Bear Valley Road. Drive about 2 miles to the junction with Sir Francis Drake, and turn left. Continue about 16.5 miles, and turn left at the sign for Chimney Rock. Drive slowly down this narrow road to the trailhead.
Point Reyes is known for its spectacular wildlife. Whales are spotted from this trail all the time. Hikers are lucky if they stumble across animal tracks or bear scat--this is WAY BETTER.
Who doesn't love watching sea lions? These sweet things come up to the beach and don't seem the least bit intimidated by seagulls or pretty much anything else here.
With a yellow lupine bush in the forefront of your photo you have a lot of places to stop and snap photos. Or selfies, for you millennials on the trail.
We're not sure if this mom's thrilled her little one made it to the end of the trail---OR if she's trying to scare her to death. Either way, you'll make lots of memories here.
If you’re not much of a hiking kind of person this is a trail that’s great for beginners. Bring a backpack with a little water and a few snacks and breathe in that ocean air. You don’t have to be in Olympian shape to do this one–but the benefits are definitely out of this world.
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