by Larry Bloemker
The blaze marking the path to Alamere Falls couldn’t have been any clearer. An arrow of stones pointed the way into the trees and brush that wound through the coast and eventually took us directly to the Falls. The vegetation and rutted dirt track looked like a path into a different world, and in many ways, they were.
The Palomarin Trail is considered one of the most beautiful hikes on the Pacific Coast, and with good reason. It offers spectacular views of the coast complete with waves breaking on deserted beaches, the picturesque Bass Lake, and a route that takes you to one of the few active tidefalls, a fresh water waterfall that empties into the ocean.
While the Palomarin Trail certainly has its admirers, don’t count Park Service personnel among them. We were told that the trail was not “maintained” and offered different routes when we stopped by to see the Rangers at Point Reyes National Seashore. While it wasn’t pristine, there were no issues at all with the condition of the trail.
The trail was fine, the views were better, and Alamere Falls made for a truly grand finale. As the sun set, we saw more people heading to the Falls than were joining us on getting back to the trailhead before the sun went down. They were younger, louder and they had not waited to reach their destination to get the party started.
Like so many other spots along the coast in Marin, Palomarin Trail has a sense of otherworldliness to it. It’s a place apart, beautiful and unique, and being slightly off the beaten path only adds to it’s appeal.
We ended our hike with a beer from Smiley’s in Bolinas. Being the only bar open on Christmas in the area with a unique crowd made it appealing.
