Abbots Lagoon

If you like bird watching, beaches, headlands, great photo opportunities, a hike for the kids and do not mind the drive, this is the hike for you. This hike gives you a closer look at all those rolling hills you drive through to get here. It is also another one of those many "desolate" Point Reyes hikes I talk about that people are coming to more and more. The people themselves are mostly friendly locals like myself. This hike combines the beach habitat with a healthy lagoon and headlands habitat. Even the cows you see grazing whenever you look out the window do not march all over the trail. Oh, did I mention that in the spring, wildflowers are everywhere?

Difficulty: Easy
Terrain: mix of coastal scrub and grass at begining, sand dunes at the end
Crowds: usually high in wildflower season, medium for the rest of the year
Best times: Great year round but it can be foggy in the summer
Length: 3.0 miles round trip from beach

Directions: From 101, go on Sir Francis Drake into West Marin until you reach Route 1Go up it until Sir Francis Drake Blvd picks up again. After Inverness, Pierce Point Rd branches off to the right. Take it and soon, you will see the Abbots Lagoon parking lot to your left.

The hike: Begin by walking onto a flat trail surrounding by coastal scrub and grassland. This is the Point Reyes headlands and the terrain stays the same until the hike nears its end. Expect to see some cows grazing nearby. Along the way, there are observation signs describing the cultural and ecological history of the area. You should be happily snapping away pictures of the headlands with the camera at this point. You will know the hike is ending soon once you hit the lagoon and the bridge. Immediately, you will enter an almost pristine dune habitat as the trail's terrain changes from dirt to sand. Remember to walk on the designated trail because this habitat could easily fall apart with human disturbance. Just follow the footprints which follow the creek, go through some large dunes.
Then the trail opens up to the beach. The views from it are wonderful and you can see both up and down the coast. This is a fantastic place to watch seabirds because they are so numerous and are not the kind that steal your food. Do not feed them or they will become dependent on humans. Also, snowy plover nest here and they are an endangered species so let's hope their nests expand. Remember not to enter the roped off areas. When you are here, you will say, "So this is California 200 years ago." You can continue walking along the beach for more views and more relaxation. This is an out and back hike so you can turn around anytime you like. A word of caution: check the tide tables if you plan to take a long walk on the beach. Also, DO NOT turn your back on the ocean because people have vanished along this wild coastline with large rip currents.

Additional options: You could walk up to Kehoe Beach, to the road and then south along the road back to the Abbots Lagoon trailhead. It is more than 8 miles long and people tend to drive fast on Pierce Point Rd.

Overall, the hike's highlights are the wildflowers, the views, the birds and the not so crowded beach.