The best thing about living in Sacramento is that you are two hours from the mountains and the ocean. Bay area and Point Reyes hiking is stunning with its views of the Pacific, Redwood groves, and hilly terrain. If you're up for a trip to the coast here are three hikes you can't miss.
Steep Ravine Trail/ Dipsea
At 2,571 feet above sea level, Mt. Tamalpais has incredible views of the Pacific. This trail is within Mt. Tamalpais State Park and features Redwood groves, waterfalls, coastal views, and a cool wooden ladder. All of this is seen along the 4.4 mile hike, making it a great way to get a feel for the beauty of the area. We arrived early in the morning and forgot what a huge temperature change there is between Sac and SF- bring jackets!!
There is a 900 ft elevation change, the "steep" part of the Steep Ravine Trail, so help little legs get along by taking it slow and taking breaks. Also, we always pack gummy bears, gum, and granola bars to motivate him along the way. He eats while he walks and the snacks are a major mood changer!
Keep a close eye on the floor of the trail, thick, black, crawling bugs can be seen near the trickling water. I realize this makes the hike sound terrifying, but they're actually kind of neat (and maybe a little gross).
There are also a few trees that have fallen over the trail, making short tunnels for hikers to walk under. If you're carrying a baby on your back maneuvering under them requires passing the baby under the tree in the pack or doing an interesting looking squat and shuffle move to get through.
This hike is a loop trail, make sure to have a Mt. Tamalpais map handy as a lot of trails come together at points on this hike .
Refer to this link for more information on the Steep Ravine Hike:
Point Reyes Lighthouse
Point Reyes lighthouse is about a 45 min drive from the main visitor center at Bear Valley. The staircase down to the lighthouse consists of 308 stairs, equivalent to 30 stories, and can be quite strenuous! (especially when 8 months pregnant!) There is a Visitor's center before you descend that Wyatt loved, the whale bones were his favorite part.
I think everyone, including myself, was a little nervous about my big baby belly and the hike up the stairs. Thankfully, there are pullouts along the stairway to rest as needed and to let quicker stair climbers pass. Perched on the side of a rocky cliff, the resting benches are enclosed with what felt like a flimsy metal fence. I could not watch as Wyatt peered over the top to see the crashing waves.
If you hit the season right this is a great spot to see whales. The lighthouse at the bottom is neat to see, but the view is the reason you walked down all the stairs. We had a clear day and the ocean went on and on- it felt like we were at the edge of the world.
From the parking area to the lighthouse is about 1/2 mile- but the walk goes quickly as the views everywhere are unreal. Be sure to notice the wind blown Cypress trees as you walk to the lighthouse. Total hike is about 1.3 miles. It can be windy and foggy so have a jacket handy!
For more information on the lighthouse visit this link :
http://www.ptreyes.org/activities/point-reyes-lighthouse
Point Reyes Beach North
There are many incredible hikes in Point Reyes. Make sure to check them out, and if you are kid free, hike some of the longer ones. The coast here is rugged and beautiful and you feel like you are visiting an untouched part of the world.
An excellent guide to the parks are here:
https://www.nps.gov/pore/planyourvisit/hiking_guide.htm
With kids, our favorite part of Point Reyes was exploring the beach. We arrived early in the morning so parking was wide open. The fog was still settled inland and beach looked lonely and cold. As we walked to the ramp to access the beach, signs warning of Great White Sharks and rouge waves welcome you. These are rugged beaches but they are incredible for exploring.
We picked a direction and started walking. Almost immediately we came across sand dollars, crabs, and purple starfish. Wyatt couldn't bear the idea of the starfish being stuck on the beach so he walked along and threw each one that we came across back into the crashing foam of the surf.
'
Fisherman are lined up on the beaches with their long tall poles cast into the sea. The day we went the fog was so thick you would just stumble upon each fisherman as you walked. Wyatt peered into their buckets and watched them curiously, each one silent and staring forward. They almost seemed like a creation of the fog with their grey boots, grey jackets, and silence.
We found a huge piece of driftwood on the beach and decided to make it our lunch spot. We ate sandwiches and bundled up together on the log, watching the wild ocean. White fog, white surf, and the white noise of crashing waves put us all in a sort of a trance.
After eating Wyatt begged to walk further, but with the chill of the wet fog started creeping in under our jackets and we headed back towards the parking lot. He scuttled up sand dunes that climbed parallel to the beach and to us as we walked. Once at the top he victoriously stared out into the foggy, seemingly never ending, sand dune range. It felt like we were the first people to a new, unknown planet that morning.
Steep Ravine Trail/ Dipsea
At 2,571 feet above sea level, Mt. Tamalpais has incredible views of the Pacific. This trail is within Mt. Tamalpais State Park and features Redwood groves, waterfalls, coastal views, and a cool wooden ladder. All of this is seen along the 4.4 mile hike, making it a great way to get a feel for the beauty of the area. We arrived early in the morning and forgot what a huge temperature change there is between Sac and SF- bring jackets!!
There is a 900 ft elevation change, the "steep" part of the Steep Ravine Trail, so help little legs get along by taking it slow and taking breaks. Also, we always pack gummy bears, gum, and granola bars to motivate him along the way. He eats while he walks and the snacks are a major mood changer!
Keep a close eye on the floor of the trail, thick, black, crawling bugs can be seen near the trickling water. I realize this makes the hike sound terrifying, but they're actually kind of neat (and maybe a little gross).
There are also a few trees that have fallen over the trail, making short tunnels for hikers to walk under. If you're carrying a baby on your back maneuvering under them requires passing the baby under the tree in the pack or doing an interesting looking squat and shuffle move to get through.
This hike is a loop trail, make sure to have a Mt. Tamalpais map handy as a lot of trails come together at points on this hike .
We always pack a picnic lunch and keep Wyatt going with the promise of a long break and food. (We seem to have a theme going here with food being a major motivator!) At the top, and the halfway point, is a campground that has restrooms and a picnic table to have lunch at. It also has a park Ranger station with maps of other hikes in the area.
Refer to this link for more information on the Steep Ravine Hike:
Point Reyes Lighthouse
Point Reyes lighthouse is about a 45 min drive from the main visitor center at Bear Valley. The staircase down to the lighthouse consists of 308 stairs, equivalent to 30 stories, and can be quite strenuous! (especially when 8 months pregnant!) There is a Visitor's center before you descend that Wyatt loved, the whale bones were his favorite part.
I think everyone, including myself, was a little nervous about my big baby belly and the hike up the stairs. Thankfully, there are pullouts along the stairway to rest as needed and to let quicker stair climbers pass. Perched on the side of a rocky cliff, the resting benches are enclosed with what felt like a flimsy metal fence. I could not watch as Wyatt peered over the top to see the crashing waves.
If you hit the season right this is a great spot to see whales. The lighthouse at the bottom is neat to see, but the view is the reason you walked down all the stairs. We had a clear day and the ocean went on and on- it felt like we were at the edge of the world.
From the parking area to the lighthouse is about 1/2 mile- but the walk goes quickly as the views everywhere are unreal. Be sure to notice the wind blown Cypress trees as you walk to the lighthouse. Total hike is about 1.3 miles. It can be windy and foggy so have a jacket handy!
For more information on the lighthouse visit this link :
http://www.ptreyes.org/activities/point-reyes-lighthouse
Point Reyes Beach North
There are many incredible hikes in Point Reyes. Make sure to check them out, and if you are kid free, hike some of the longer ones. The coast here is rugged and beautiful and you feel like you are visiting an untouched part of the world.
An excellent guide to the parks are here:
https://www.nps.gov/pore/planyourvisit/hiking_guide.htm
With kids, our favorite part of Point Reyes was exploring the beach. We arrived early in the morning so parking was wide open. The fog was still settled inland and beach looked lonely and cold. As we walked to the ramp to access the beach, signs warning of Great White Sharks and rouge waves welcome you. These are rugged beaches but they are incredible for exploring.
We picked a direction and started walking. Almost immediately we came across sand dollars, crabs, and purple starfish. Wyatt couldn't bear the idea of the starfish being stuck on the beach so he walked along and threw each one that we came across back into the crashing foam of the surf.
'Fisherman are lined up on the beaches with their long tall poles cast into the sea. The day we went the fog was so thick you would just stumble upon each fisherman as you walked. Wyatt peered into their buckets and watched them curiously, each one silent and staring forward. They almost seemed like a creation of the fog with their grey boots, grey jackets, and silence.
We found a huge piece of driftwood on the beach and decided to make it our lunch spot. We ate sandwiches and bundled up together on the log, watching the wild ocean. White fog, white surf, and the white noise of crashing waves put us all in a sort of a trance.
After eating Wyatt begged to walk further, but with the chill of the wet fog started creeping in under our jackets and we headed back towards the parking lot. He scuttled up sand dunes that climbed parallel to the beach and to us as we walked. Once at the top he victoriously stared out into the foggy, seemingly never ending, sand dune range. It felt like we were the first people to a new, unknown planet that morning.
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