My friend and I tackled this hike in August 2014 and I remember fearing the falls would be dried up. Nevertheless we drove out to the Palomarin Trailhead eager to find this waterfall onto the beach.
This hike was very enjoyable. Paved and easy to follow with frequent coastal views!
The hike is about 8.3 miles roundtrip, and along the way we passed two pretty lakes, Bass Lake and Pelican Lake. Bass Lake is a fun swimming hole for hot days with a rope swing, so next time we're bringing towels and swimsuits!
About 4 miles in, we reached the turnoff to the falls. It looked dark, narrow, and potentially riddled with poison oak. We pulled our layers on, just to be safe and did our best not to touch anything. I have met a few people who got nasty poison oak from this trail.
The trail was downhill and steep in some areas. Finally, we came upon a clearing and could see the climb down to the beach.
It's a very steep scramble, along the side of the waterfall, to get down to the beach with lots of loose rock.
Our reward! A beautiful Northern California beach day!
Packing List:
- sunscreen
- wear layers. It can get hot, but this is a typical Bay Area coastal trail. We started the hike in fog, but ended up with a blue bird day.
- swimsuit (optional)
- water and snacks to eat at the beach. We saw people with full on picnic baskets!
- small towel
- running shoes
Summary:
This hike had all of my favorites! A beach, a waterfall, a coastal breeze, a clear trail and a tad bit of danger (poison oak and rock scramble!). I would come back in a heart beat.
