Alamere Falls Hike – a Guidance to Best Waterfalls

Alamere Falls Hike is a littoral cascade at the southwestern end of Point Reyes National Seashore. It’s one of two drift falls, a cascade that flows directly into the ocean near San Francisco. The other is Insta-notorious McWay Falls. There’s some contestation regarding the route to get to Alamere Falls, which I’ll get into below. Anyhow, this leg-stretcher features littoral views, wildflowers, brackish lakes, an ocean-side hutment, and an incomparable cascade that belongs on your cascade hike bucket list.

Alamere Falls is one of only 34 falls in the world that flow into an ocean. And only 4 of those are in the United States! This 13- afar trail to stunning, and rare, 40- bottom falls should be on your California bucket list.
A little over an hour from San Francisco, this is the perfect day trip to escape the megacity and see the beauty of the biggest Bay Area cascade.

 

Alamere Falls Hike Conditions

• Difficulty to Hike: Moderate
• Elevation Gain: 1,955 feet (990 feet with “shortcut”)
• Distance: 13.8 miles (8.3 miles with “shortcut”)
• Trailhead Facilities: Pit toilets and trash, and recycling bins
• Trailhead: Palomarin Trailhead
• Pets: No dogs allowed
• Estimated Hike Time: 7 hours

How to Reach Alamere Falls

The Alamere Falls Hike is accessible from three trailheads in Point Reyes National Seashore. I recommend starting and ending at the Palomarin Trailhead for the Alamere Falls hike. It’s the shortest and most popular route to the cascade.

The Palomarin Trailhead is roughly 5 miles northwest of Bolinas, California. From Bolinas, you’ll follow Mesa Road to the trailhead parking area. The last 1.2 country miles of Mesa Road are unpaved and riddled with potholes. While an AWD vehicle is ideal, a low-concurrence hydrofoil can make the trip ( slow and steady wins the race!).

Still, this is it, If there was ever a time to be a morning person. About 1.5 hours from San Francisco, the Palomarin Trailhead gets crowded beforehand. There’s a small parking lot at the trailhead, but parking is also allowed on the western side of Mesa Road.

Arrive by 8 am to ensure a parking spot. On busy summer days, indeed, arriving at 8 am may mean adding distance to your hike from your parking spot along Mesa Road.

 

Best Time for Alamere Falls Hike

Thanks to the mild rainfall in the San Francisco Bay Area, the Alamere Falls trail is accessible all year long. Generally, September and October are the warmest months in the Bay Area. You might find morning fog the utmost of the time, but the fog is sure to burn off after you begin your hike!

To see the cascade at its fullest, make the hike to Alamere Falls in the Winter or Spring after heavy rain.
Alamere Falls is an incredibly popular trail, so it’s important to start your hike beforehand, anyhow of when you go. To beat the crowds, arrive at the trailhead before 8 am.

Directions to the Trailheads

There are three trailheads at which most visitors park to hike to Alamere Falls: Bear Valley, Palomarin, and Five Brooks.

Palomarin

The Palomarin Trailhead is located roughly thirty-five miles by car from the Bear Valley Visitor Center. It’s located at the northwestern end of Mesa Road, roughly 5 country miles (8 km) northwest of Bolinas. The last 1.2 country miles (1.9 km) of Mesa Road are unpaved and are frequently oppressively potholed and washboarded. There are four vault toilets at this trailhead, along with scrap and recycling containers. There’s no drinkable water available. From the Palomarin Trailhead, the minimal hiking distance to Alamere Falls is 6.5 country miles (10.4 km).

 

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Bear Valley

The Bear Valley Trailhead is located just south of the Bear Valley Visitor Center. Situate your vehicle (s) in the clay parking lot on the left (east) side of the access road close to the Bear Valley Trailhead, not in the paved parking lot contiguous to the Bear Valley Visitor Center. (Bear Valley Map- KB PDF) There’s a bathroom structure with flush toilets at the northeast corner of the trailhead parking area, along with scrap and recycling containers. There’s also a water gate from which one may gain drinkable water. From Bear Valley, the minimal hiking distance to Alamere Falls is 7.3 country miles (11.7 km).

Numerous vehicles are situated in a clay parking lot on the left. A vault restroom structure is located just right of the center. A bottom path heads off into the forestland on the right.
The Palomarin Trailhead on a fairly low-visit Saturday in autumn.

Five Brooks

The Five Brooks Trailhead is located roughly ten twinkles by auto from the Bear Valley Visitor Center. There are two vault toilets at this trailhead, along with scrap and recycling containers. There’s no drinkable water available. From Five Brooks, the minimal hiking distance to Alamere Falls is 7.1 country miles (11.4 km); the minimal distance by bike is 7.8 country miles (12.5 km).

Alamere Falls Hike is one of the best waterfall hikes in California, United States. Remember to follow the Leave No Trace principles on this busy hike and start early to avoid crowds!