Bear Valley to Arch Rock, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA

December 23, 2013

Miles: 9.2 miles
Time: 4 hours 13 minutes

Parking: Book provides GPS coordinates for the parking lot. The road to the trail head is very twisty for many miles!

Rest rooms: In the parking area.

Map: Point Reyes National Seashore
Hike directions: 60 Hikes within 60 Miles, San Francisco - Hike #11

Hike description: This is an out and back hike. The trail is super wide, like a carriage road. The trail is either dirt, or fine gravel. The trail is mostly level, making this an easy hike, except for the distance. This hike starts out in a very green, lush, shaded area with lots of moss and ferns. It follows a stream. It then passes by a large meadow with benches made out of tree trunks. Eventually the trail passes through a much drier/browner area with more brush as it approaches the ocean. The hike ends up at Arch Rock, a lookout onto the Pacific Ocean.

Post hike dinner: The Plant Cafe, Mill Valley, CA (north of the Golden Gate bridge). This location is more casual than the Burlingame location. You order your food at a counter. This restaurant is not vegetarian, but clearly lists vegan items on their menu. All of the food was delicious.

Year to date miles:  400.3

Sign at the trail head at the furthest parking area.

We hiked to Arch Rock on the Pacific Ocean.
We had hoped to add Mount Wittenberg on at the end, but we would have run out of daylight.

The trail starts out in full sun, but quickly turns to shade.
We found ourselves constantly putting on/taking off layers.

Following signs to Arch Rock. No blazes, but everything was well signed.

Coming out from the fern/moss/shaded trail into a large meadow.

Rest rooms at the meadow.
Apparently many people turn around here.

At this point, the trail gets a little narrower, and there is actually a bike rack for people to leave their mountain bikes.

Glen being nerdy :)

And yes, he is balding.

We leave the lush green woods, and come out into a drier landscape.

Pacific Ocean in the distance

View from Arch Rock.
The rock is a cliff above the ocean, which has a hole in it (hard to see even when hiking).

We were pretty tired on the way back, so we stopped and took a rest in a shady spot in the meadow.