Palomarin to Crystal Lake via Alamere Falls, Point Reyes
Notes by piero scaruffi | Back to the Pt Reyes page| Pictures | California hikes | Bay Area hikes | Other California destinations
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The trail starts at the Palomarin parking lot, the very southern tip of
Pt Reyes in Bolinas. After about 3.5 kms you reach
a fork. Take the left fork to Bass Lake. The lake (not to be confused with
the little pond that precedes it) is about 1.5 kms to your
left.
Shortly after Bass Lake, there is another pretty lake, Pelikan Lake. A use trail
from the northern side of the lake leads to a "saddle" that affords views of
the beach below, Double Point Cove.
About 1.5 kms from Bass Lake you reach the cutoff to Alamere Falls. This trail is unmaintained and frequently infested with poison oak. (Note of 2019: this cutoff trail is closed indefinitely, or at least not maintained anymore, due to storm damage and erosion. It is also overgrown with poison oak). Once you're done with the falls, retrace your steps to the junction with the the Crystal Lake trail (closed in 2010). Past Crystal Lake, the trail joins the Lake Ranch trail (about 1h30' from the Coast trail to the Lake Ranch trail), which climbs towards the Ridge Trail (15 minutes). From here (for those who are tired or who want to shuttle cars) you have an escape route to the Five Brooks trailhead on Highway 1 (about 1.5 hours). Otherwise turn right into the Ridge Trail and follow it to its dead end on the unpaved road. Make sure you turn right at the junction with the Teixeira Trail (don't go to Teixera). It's about one hour from the Lake Ranch trail to the Teixeira junction. It's about 40 minutes from there to the last junction. This is an unnamed fork. Take the right branch that leads to the trailhead for the Ridge Trail on the unpaved road near the bird observatory. Turn right and walk 1 km to the Palomarin parking lot. 
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