Hidden deep within the picturesque landscapes of Point Reyes National Seashore, the Tomales Point Trail offers a truly unique hiking experience. This trail, located at the northern tip of the Point Reyes Peninsula, is most known for its breathtaking views and intense natural beauty. Let’s take a journey as I guide you through what to expect while visiting this stunning location and some things I’ll make up along the way. October tends to be a great time to visit but I don’t want to ruin the surprise yet. For those that may not be able to make this trek in person, I hope you enjoy this journey.

Now that we’ve stretched into the location, let’s get exploring!

Speaking about stretching, let’s start there actually. Go ahead and place your right hand on your waist, reach for the sky with your left hand and slowly count to ten, use controlled breaths for each count. Don’t worry, this hike is only virtual today, there’s no need for that right now! The Tomales Point Trail does however stretch, nearly 10 miles, out and back, with roughly 1,200’ of gain throughout its entirety. At the trailhead, we will start at the historic Pierce Point Ranch, a visual testament to the region's rich agricultural past. First established in 1858, this ranch was once a thriving dairy farm, supplying butter to San Francisco during the Gold Rush era. Today, the weathered buildings of Pierce Point Ranch stand as a reminder of the area's history, offering a glimpse into the lives of the early settlers who called this rugged, yet magical land home. Check this old blacksmith shop out, could you imaging pounding steel in there for the whole ranch back in 1958? Just look in this wagon shed, all that metal was forged in that small building. What was that, you said that is where the ranch hands slept? You’re right, it says this is the “West Bunkhouse” on the sign. I got excited and skipped right past that building when I seen the old, rusty ranch equipment in the exposed shed. Lucky for them, they had horses it looks like from the picture on this sign. We aren’t so lucky today, it’s just us and our two legs.

As we set out from the ranch, we found ourselves surrounded by a small cypress grove, the rolling hills surrounding us with a variety of grasses and wildflowers.

Shortly after starting down the trail, we notice the trees are thinning out as we wind our way along the ridge. We’re going to have busy eyes with the panoramic views stretching on forever it seems. To the right we have the calm waters of Tomales Bay, captivating me with the glistening sunlight reflections, while on the left side, the endless horizon of the Pacific Ocean captivates your focus. Wait, we’re still hiking here, we better watch our steps, but with all these views it’s going to be tough! The trail is pretty compacted, with some sandy areas, lots of rocks and the occasional ruts carved out from past rain runoff’s, please be careful and

Don’t get caught in the ruts! Or maybe that’s exactly what we’re here to do…

I know what you’re probably thinking, “This guy took his mom way too serious when she told him to go break a leg”, but that’s not exactly what I’m meaning by “getting caught in a rut”. The “rut” I’m referring to this time starts for this areas tule elk population around August, and typically runs through October, making them very active while pursuing a mate. This also makes them a bit more aggressive, so keep the space they give you if we do see a herd and please don’t chase them like you did the seagulls at the beach earlier. Wow, did you see this pretty butterfly over here? The patterns on its wing’s are supposed to resemble eyes and scare off potential predators. Why did you just chase it, didn’t we just talked about not doing this? Well yeah, you’re right, it’s not an elk…You really, went through all that, just to say, “It’s eyes didn’t scare you from trying to eat it”. Okay that is kinda funny, I guess I’m not the only one with jokes today! I wouldn’t try that with the elk though, they don’t float like a butterfly does! My personal love of the Tomales Point Trail and Point Reyes National Seashore in general is its abundance of wildlife, be on the lookout and no more “harassing” the animals please. From the tiniest insects that flit among the wildflowers, like that butterfly, to those truly majestic tule elk roaming along the trail in front of us, this trail is teeming with life today. You paused, looked up and spotted the large herd instantly. The first sighting of a single bull elk, surrounded by his herd of cows are grazing peacefully right along the trail in front of us. Let’s stay quiet and keep a safe distance, the rutting season can be very unpredictable! We will have to move slow and stay calm. I know your nervous and I get that, but we have to get past them. Maybe birdwatching will be more your speed after all, we’ll be back in your element soon. Stay close and move slow, we’ll be fine as long as that bull doesn’t feel threatened. With a wide variety of bird species making their homes in the thigh high shrubbery, it didn’t take long to find a covey of quails running among the brush. Looking up as they flew off to safety, we notice a hawk using the thermal air currents from the Pacific to glide gracefully, allowing it to rely on its eyesight and to hunt above with minimal effort. See I told you,

You’ll be in for a treat by land, air and possibly even sea out here.

The trail has become pretty overgrown with brush, the map shows we’re around the 3.5-4 mile mark and the beach does sound amazing. Should we head back? Hopefully those elk moved off the trail by now! After a short break along the cliffs, we decided to head straight out and go back to the beach for lunch. There’s the cypress grove again, I know we’re getting close, they were just past the ranch when we watched the moon floating through the branches this morning. No way, hey, look over there near the old dairy building! There’s another predator that calls Point Reyes home, a coyote. I bet you don’t go chase that guy. Let’s tuck down low and see what he’s up to, shall we. Did you see that? I think he caught a rodent! How awesome is that after walking among all those elk earlier? Oh and one more thing before I get distracted again. Do you happen to remember all that brush we walked through towards the end of the point? There is a high probability of finding ticks in that type of environment. Make sure to check yourself closely before getting into your vehicle, nobody likes those kinds of souvenirs.

Did you have a fun today?, The Tomales Point Trail really does offer something for everyone and I’m happy you decided to come along today. It is more than just a hike, it's an unforgettable journey through one of California's most beautiful, wild and diverse landscapes. When you get back home, make sure to keep your boots by the door and I’ll pick you up from there next time if you’d like!

Where should we go next? Let me know on Instagram!

Brandon P.