A short hike along the coastline that involves rock scrambling and beach walk.

Location: Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park

» Official Trail Map: Good map showing various trails.

Route: This hike could be dangerous if you do not time it appropriately, or if tidal conditions change unexpectedly. So be cautious. The hike involves following the coastline for 1.5 miles by walking over short sandy stretches, hopping on wet boulders and scrambling over large rocks in low tide conditions. Many of these rocks are slippery and wet, so you have to be very careful. About 0.7 miles into the hike, the first beach starts. At the 1.5 mile mark, the second beach starts. Beyond the second beach, making progress along the rocky coastline gets increasingly difficult, so it's best to turn back. Return by the same route.

Low Tide Conditions: It is safest to attempt this hike in zero or minus tide conditions. Please check tide tables at AmericanTides, for example. The closest point for which AmericanTides has tide information is Ano Nuevo Island.

Location: 210 Pigeon Point Road, Pescadero, CA 94060 . Parking area is visible in Google Maps if you zoom in sufficiently.

Directions: From CA-84 West, turn left onto CA-1 South and drive for 10.2 miles. Turn right onto Pigeon Point Road and drive for 0.2 miles to reach the parking lot for Pigeon Point Hostel.

Google Maps:

Parking Fees: None (last visited: August 2011)

Capacity: Over 20 cars may be parked here.

Latitude: 37.183038     Longitude: -122.394043