Estero Trail

Trail: Estero Trail

Area: Point Reyes National Seashore

Distance: 8.4 miles

Solo

This past weekend, I visited one of my favorite National Seashores, Point Reyes. I have been visiting Point Reyes for about ten years and I’ve hiked just about every major trail. But I was still in the mood to hike this wondrous area again on Saturday. So I headed out (late) and when I arrived at the visitor center decided on the Estero Trail. It is one of the few trails I haven’t already hiked. The trail goes along one side of Drake’s Estero and ends at Sunset Beach.

I started the trail at around 11am and it was beginning to be a beautiful day. Point Reyes is the windiest and foggiest place in North America, but it was neither this morning. The little parking lot was almost full but I didn’t see anyone else out on the trail when I began. The trail begins overlooking a hilly area where you can see some of the ranches that are still used today. You quickly move into a little wooded area and just as quickly leave it. From then on you are exposed to the elements hiking in rolling hills. At mile one you’ll reach a bridge going over one of the fingers of Home Bay. Depending on the tides you could be crossing water or mud. I was lucky enough to see it at high and low tide. From the bridge, you’ll head straight uphill and begin the series of ups and downs to the beach. One of the hilltops has a wonderful lone Eucalyptus tree and it was a wonderful spot to eat a snack and take some pictures. At the bottom of several of the hills there are wonderful little ponds and sometimes you’ll even see the cows wading into the ponds and eating

Lone Eucalyptus

High Tide at the bridge

Low Tide at the bridge

As you head up and down the hills you’ll encounter several gates and fences to keep the cows where they belong and they’re easy enough to open if you’re tall enough. I, however, had some trouble opening them and of course there was no one around when I was going through the gates. There were not very many people on the trail as I headed out. I maybe saw 10 people hiking mostly in the same direction as me and a couple heading back. However, on the way back I ran into a lot of people hiking out towards the beach and back to the parking lot. Most of them were only in the first couple miles and did not go any further. On the second half of the trail you’re more likely to run into cows on the trail than other people.

Trail to Sunset Beach

Sunset Beach

The hike ends at a beach, but it really isn’t a beach. Its more of a muddy rocky shore. If you prefer not to go to the beach, there’s a bench if you continue along the trail. But of course my curiosity and want of a beach lunch got the best of me so I didn’t stop there. In order to get to the beach, you have to walk straight through mud, there’s no way around. There’s some nice ice plant that was in bloom but other than that the beach was barren. I ended up eating lunch on a giant log because it was the only dry place to sit. Then you head back the way you came.

My thoughts…

The day and Drake’s Estero were beautiful and the hike was perfect for training with the ups and downs and the distance, but I wouldn’t go to Sunset Beach again. The views on the second half of the trail are nearly the same as the first half and you can avoid a lot of the mud. The end and trial were extremely muddy. I fell twice in the same spot (only me haha) where going around the mud was not an option. Also with the mud at the end, I was completely caked in mud. Also the trail has a lot of poison oak on it so if you do go around the mud, be careful you’re walking in a clear area. I wouldn’t do this hike on a windy day and I appreciated the sun but I got burnt on my shoulders and chest.

Also, sometimes the trail would just disappear so make sure you follow the best you can and watch where you’re walking. It’s not hard to find the trail again but if you’re not watching you’ll be in the middle the hill without a trail. the future I’d probably start out the same way and the turn onto the Drakes Head trail instead. The trail had some nice wildflower blooms and I saw a vulture (flying very low near the trail), lots of cows and a great Egret. Lastly, I know I've repeated this multiple times, but the trail was very very muddy. There were parts of the trail where you couldn't make it around the mud and it would stretch for fifty feet of solid mud. I'm not a big fan of mud but I sucked it up and just walked through it, made especially easy after I fell and got all muddy anyways. All in all, the hike was wonderful and muddy.

So I attempted to jump over a large muddy puddle and of course I slipped and

landed on my butt. My shoes went straight into the puddles I was trying to avoid and my hands were covered in mud. Then on the way back, I tried to go through the mud a different way, and literally fell in the same place a second time.