great outdoors

Mountain bikers in Point Reyes National Seashore

Happy Trails to You

Here are three gorgeous local hikes to add to your summer outings list.

By Weekend Sherpa

Excellent Point

Mountain biking and national parks usually don’t go together, but Point Reyes National Seashore has several mountain bike–friendly trails that are itching to be explored. Don’t expect technical or much singletrack — these trails are wide-open and good for beginner mountain bikers. For a fantastic ride with sweeping views of Drakes Estero and southern Point Reyes, make the 4.3-mile (one-way) ride out to Drakes Head.

Leaving from the Estero Trailhead, you’ll pedal through coastal grasslands and scrublands. Keep an eye out for peregrine falcons cruising overhead. In about a mile you’ll cross over the Home Bay bridge and get your first opportunity to see bat rays and all variety of water and shorebirds like great blue herons, great egrets and loons. Drakes Estero is where fresh and salt water mix, and the wildlife loves it. Continue on the fire road, crossing cattle guards while enjoying more wideopen views of Drakes Estero.

Turn off at Drakes Head Trail and your final 2.3 miles are more singletrack-ish, but not technical. Your destination is the end of the trail at Drakes Head, where you’ll have a tremendous view of Limantour Beach, Drakes Bay and the Marin coastline. Have a picnic here and see if you can spy any leopard sharks or bat rays in the water below.

Tamtastical Hike

This 6.8-mile loop through the woods and ridges that make up the northern foothills of Mount Tamalpais offers the best of both worlds: solitude and grandeur. Get an early start at the popular Deer Park Parking Area and Trailhead and follow the wide Deer Park Fire Road. The trail rises to a ridgeline through mixed forests. At the junction, begin your descent on Shaver Grade Road to the shores of Phoenix Lake.

Continue your way around the lake, making sure to take in the open views of the water before heading up the hillside on the Gertrude Ord Trail. This singletrack trail completes the loop around the lake, but not before sending you over a bridge surrounded by pines and redwoods. As you emerge from the woods, take a left on Shaver Grade Road to begin your return. As you start your climb, keep an eye out for the signposts marking the Hidden Meadow Trail on the right.

Hop on the trail to add in the views that you might expect from being in Mount Tam’s shadow (you’ll know

One hike connects three Marin beaches.

you’re in the right spot if you soon cross a little footbridge before entering a small meadow). The trail quickly rises to a wide-open ridgeline with big views of the valley below. At the next junction point, follow the signs straight ahead for Six Points Trail, which dips into a mixed forest grove. Finally, rejoin the Deer Park Fire Road and make your way back.

Three Beaches to the Wind

This 7-mile (round-trip) beach-tobeach-to-beach hike in the Marin Headlands is like enjoying a favorite comfort food: it’s almost always good, it feels familiar and it just warms up the soul — or at least the thighs. Enjoy a highly panoramic section of the Coastal Trail and three beaches along the way. Fair warning, this hike is beautiful, and strenuous in parts, but those views — coastal comfort all the way.

The hike connects three beaches in the Marin Headlands: Muir Beach, Pirates Cove and Tennessee Cove. It’s 3.5 miles (one-way) from Muir Beach to Tennessee Cove, but you can turn around whenever you like to shorten it. Things start off gentle enough as most people make their way to relax at Muir Beach. But your sights are set on the Coastal Trail and climbing the hill to the south. Take your time and look behind you — the views grow as you go.

Once you reach the top of the climb, keep hiking and enjoy swoop-de-doo views of the rugged Marin coastline and tiny Pirates Cove as you work your away along the ridgeline and gently up and down. When you come to the detour trail for Pirates Cove, you can assess your stamina and decide if you want to shorten the journey. For those wanting the full three-beach experience, keep going up for a steep halfmile ascent to Coyote Ridge, followed by a welcome descent to Tennessee Valley and Tennessee Cove. This classic Marin hike-in beach is always a hit, with its crashing waves and black sand beach. It’s also your turnaround point.

Then back up you go! We recommend going to Pirates Cove on the return journey if you’re going all the way to Tennessee Cove. This ensures you know your time frame and how much daylight is left (in summer, this usually isn’t a problem). The cove is also a great place to have your picnic. The trail down to it is short, but steep in a few sections, with loose dirt. Take your time. Pirates Cove is a crescent-shaped haven with a hulking and holed rock formation and plenty of driftwood benches made by previous visitors. Important: mind the tides. Some of the homemade benches are closer to the water and waves can come up quickly. Late afternoons in summer offer beautiful light for the return trip, and you can always grab a seat in the sand at Muir Beach to watch the sunset.

Weekend Sherpa gives you ideas to make the most of your weekend outdoors. Their weekly email newsletter is packed with great recommendations on where to hike, bike-ride, hang out on the beach and enjoy pretty much anything that’s fun to do outside in Northern California. Sign up at www.weekendsherpa.com and check out their podcast, Take It Outside.