A superb cross-country adventure involving scrambling and walking through waist-deep water in Point Reyes. Can be done only a few days in the whole year in negative tide conditions.

Location: Point Reyes National Seashore

Location: (McClures Beach Trailhead) at northern end of Pierce Point Road, Inverness, CA 94937 . No street address. Parking area is visible in Google Maps if you zoom in sufficiently.

Directions: Please see Directions to Pierce Point Trailhead by National Park Service.

Google Maps:

Parking Fees: None (last visited: May 2011)

Capacity: About 20 cars.

Latitude: 38.188428     Longitude: -122.958126

Location: (Kehoe Beach Trailhead), along Pierce Point Road, Inverness, CA 94937 . No street address. Parking area is visible in Google Maps if you zoom in sufficiently.

Google Maps:

Parking Fees: None (last visited: May 2011)

Capacity: Street parking for many cars.

Latitude: 38.152719     Longitude: -122.938948

» Many many maps by National Park Service: Good quality maps showing various trails in different parts of Point Reyes.

» Tom Harrison Trail Map: High quality contoured map showing various trails and mileages for different sections.

Route: From McClures Beach Trailhead, walk along McClures Beach Trail for 0.4 miles to reach McClures Beach. Walk along the coast for 3.5 miles to reach Kehoe Beach. Walk along Kehoe Beach trail to reach Kehoe Beach trail head on Pierce Point Road.

Notes: This is an 'adventure hike' that may be done only in minus low tide conditions. It is described in the book Point Reyes - Secret Places & Magic Moments by Phil Arnot (1993, 224 pages). The route takes you through Elephant Rock, Elephant Cave, Ribbon Falls and Keyhole. About half of it was on rocky beaches and half on quiet sandy beaches. We had to wade in water using a hiking pole on three occasions. At one point, we were waist deep in water. The hike requires careful planning and execution. Phil's book has details. In May 2011, we joined a hike organized by Paul Grammens for the group NorthBayHikes. According to Paul, very few days in an entire year allow this hike to be possible. Only a few of these days fall on weekends, so very few attempt this hike. Tide Tables for Point Reyes, CA.