Thursday, September 20, 2012

Estero Trail Hike (9/25) Preview

Home Bay, Cloudy Day This week we return to Point Reyes National Seashore for our last outing of September.  This is not a loop hike, but there are marvelous views! 

We can expect some of the shorebirds and ducks that bred in Canada and Alaska to be back. (Click here for a brief recap of our July 13, 2010 hike. Here's the album of photos taken during our past hikes in this area.).

Directions to trailhead:

Turn right at Olema and make an immediate left onto Bear Valley Road. (Use the restrooms at the park's Visitor Center in Bear Valley if you do not want to wait until you reach those at the trailhead). Continue until you pick up Sir Francis Drake again.

Go through Inverness. Go past the turn off to the right onto Pierce Point Road, then pass Mt. Vision Road on your left, and then in one mile you'll come to the road to Estero Trail. Take this road to the parking lot at the trailhead.

Time: 1 hour from College of Marin. Carpoolers can meet at St. Rita's at 8:55 am.  Restrooms at the trailhead.

Weather forecast: Dick Jordan is Canada, so click here for to check the weather forecast for the hike). Real-time weather reporting for the Point Reyes Lighthouse is also available (click here).

More on this hike: "Hike G11 Estero - Drakes Head Trails" in the Martins' book, Hiking Marin, shows where we'll be hiking, although not necessarily our exact route. Two hikes ("Estero Trail to Sunset Beach" and "Estero Trail to Drakes Head" in Tracy Salcedo-Chourre's book, Exploring Point Reyes National Seashore and Golden Gate National Recreation Area also cover this area). The trails are also shown on the park's North District Hiking Trails map. The Google Earth image gives a bird's eye view of this part of the park. (Click on the photo to open a larger image in your Web browser).

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