Permit - Permits can be obtained through www.recreation.gov. You can just print your email confirmation to use as both your parking pass and the permit. Permits used to be picked up from the Bear Valley Visitor Center (located at 1 Bear Valley Road Point Reyes Station, CA 94956, 415-464-5100). Sites run $20 per site per night (up to 6 people per site)

Mileage - Coast Camp is a short 3.1 miles each way via the Coast Trail or a really short 2.1 miles via the Laguna Trail/Fire Lane Trail. Or you can make this a 5.3 mile loop trip. We did the Coast Trail on this trip as we heard the Laguna Trail had some standing water. See map/profile below.

Camps/Water - Coast Camp has 14 sites (some of them are group sites). Sites 1-7 are closest to beach access. Nice pit toilets are near sites 9 and 10. Each site has a metal locker, picnic bench and barbecue. Potable water faucets are provided near sites 8 and 12.

Hazards - Poison Oak, ravenous raccoons, Coast Dragon (use the locker for food storage), mice (can sometimes get in lockers at night, although I haven't had that problem since they upgraded the lockers).

On this trip we had Leo, Dylan, Eric, Dan and myself for a classic Coast Camp trip. I had followed my own sage advice and called ahead to see what the conditions were of camp and to see if there was anything unusual (There is a way to email them on this page under "send an email to our Camping Desk". I was informed there was a vernal pool that had filled recently covering a portion of the Laguna Trail. So, we decided to just use the Coast Trail. I should mention there were people walking in on that trail that did not look that wet, so maybe not too bad? We went by the the Palace Market in Point Reyes Station for lunch on the way in (and for a bio break we used the bathrooms up the hill behind the store). The visitor station does have bathrooms and exhibits, worth checking out. Getting to the trailhead is easy. After you leave the Bear Valley Visitor Center (and the last viable cell coverage) take a left onto Limantour Road. Look for a sign for the Hostel/Laguna Trailhead on the left. Take the left onto the one lane road and you will see the Coast Trailhead on the right (just before the Hostel on the left). Parking at Coast Trailhead is limited (you must park off the roadway or you will get ticketed). We were able to get a spot on the side of the road (see image below). On busy weekends you are not going to get a spot at the Coast Trailhead. If no parking is available drive further down the road to the dirt overflow lot just before the entrance to the Laguna Trailhead parking lot.

 

 

We got our packs situated and confirmed essential gear before we headed down the Coast Trail. The trail is exposed and level (and wide enough for the rangers to drive on).

 

 

Flowers were just starting to bloom. I imagine it will only get better with the great rain and now warmer weather starting. I was able to grab a couple shots that turned out pretty good.

 

 

Second shot.

 

 

You can see that the water is still plentiful along the trail. I have never hiked this section with flowing on both sides of us before. You can hear creek on the left before you actually see it/cross it.

 

 

Here is the creek flowing as well as it can, when it isn't actively raining.

 

 

After crossing the creek (it goes under the trail/road in culverts) you will come to the only covered section of the trail. You can see it in the shot below. Everything is very green and thriving. The creek is wide and multi-fingered with lots of wildlife enjoying it.

 

 

I love these fern like plants. I remember a biology teacher telling me what they were called. Can't recall it or find it online right now. If you know the name send it to me and I will update this.

 

 

The Trail makes a turn to the east now as hike parallel to the beach for the rest of the hike to camp. You can see how open it is (and how clear the skies were for us). There is a decision to be made as you can hike along the beach instead of the trail. I have done it only once. The beach is wide and passable to camp even in high tides. We opted to stay on the trail.

 

 

We quickly got to the junction with the Fire Lane trail (the other, shorter, way back to the trailhead). You can see there were some day hikers out here even on this midweek trip. We continued right where the trail descends briefly to the next creek crossing.

 

 

You cross the creek and then are quickly up the junction on the left for the first seven sites and some trash cans. We continued straight past the junction for the beach on the right, and then past the bathrooms to our site #13. The grass was high. We only saw one tick (Dan thought he picked it up in the grass between the water spigot and the bathrooms).

 

 

We setup camp and decided to head down to the beach. I mean that is why we were all out here. The creek goes all the way to the breaking waves (well pretty much). Conditions were perfect at the beach and almost a little too warm in camp (not much of a breeze at camp). Here is the creek on the way to the surf.

 

 

We decided to hike southeast along the beach for a bit. There were some other campers/day hikers out there (but not too many).

 

 

We hiked to the next creek that flows to the surf. I took this shot while I found a nice wide spot to cross it.

 

 

We had decided to get a beach fire permit in case there was enough dry wood to get something going that night. Here we are collecting the dry driftwood to burn later.

 

 

Here is the creek as it merges with the crashing surf. We freed a few stuck logs along the creek to watch them flow into the sea/surf.

 

 

OK, so I took a lot of pictures on this hike on the beach. The conditions were just awesome.

 

 

I really did weed through them to only post the highlights... although I think it may be hard to tell how good these are unless you blow them up (well I think they are going to be great).

 

 

Crash!

 

 

Timing waves is fun.

 

 

Sometimes it even works to get some of the cool wave textures.

 

 

Ok, this is the last wave picture.

 

 

Here is Dylan just taking it all in.

 

 

Not a place you want to hangout too long though.

 

 

Erosion can be beautiful.

 

 

We decided to create some shade when we returned to camp. We rigged my extra tarp to provide enough shade over the picnic table until the sun set. You can see the nice new bear lockers to store all the food/gear outside of the tents. We played some "Blisters" before dinner. Dylan easily defeated us.

 

 

Bathroom facilities are nice for pit toilets. They have a nice new map between the trash/recycle cans and the bathroom.

 

 

I saw some lizards and one snake (all too fast for me). This banana slug was willing to slow down his pace for me to take a quick picture.

 

 

After a nice dinner we packed up some evening snacks and fire building materials (and my bucket and fire poker for extinguishing) and headed to the beach. We made it in time to see the sunset and start working on building a fire before is was too dark.

 

 

The fire turned out to work pretty well. Here is Leo having some deep thoughts about his fire building skills?. He almost looks cool...

 

 

Until Eric gets behind him :-)

 

 

One of our group members got a little close to the breaking surf that afternoon. So, we roasted some boots/socks over the fire. I think it worked pretty well (no complaints anyway).

 

 

Our nice evening by the fire was followed by a nice cool (but not cold) clear night to see the stars. We heard one owl that night. We packed up the next morning after a quick breakfast to head out. In the shot below we are almost ready. One guy was slowing the group down that morning (me)... You can see the new (hopefully) indestructible concrete tables.

 

 

I talked most of the group into going back to the beach before we headed out. Here is Leo and Dylan at the creek's edge.

 

 

We decided to got out on the same trail (Coast Trail) that we came in on. Here is shot on the way back along the beach. The day started off gray but seemed like it would break soon to blue skies.

 

 

The view on the way back above the beach. This was another great trip to a well loved campsite.

 

Scroll down for map and elevation profile.
Red line shows the path we took from Laguna trailhead to Coast Camp #13 via the Coast Trail on day one.
Elevation profile below map.
Click on map or profile for larger version.

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Elevation profile below shows Laguna Trailhead to Coast Camp #13 via Coast Trail.



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