Alamere Falls

The Palomarin Trailhead Parking Lot will be closed from Monday, September 9, 2024, through Friday, September 13, 2024,for resurfacing. The parking lot and trailheadwill be fully closed with no overnight parking allowed to accommodate staging equipment and materials. Large trucks will be present on Mesa and Palomarin Roads, so visitors to Alamere Falls should plan alternative parking arrangements. --> Distance: 13.2 miles (21.2 km) roundtrip from the Palomarin Trailhead 14.8 miles (23.8 km) roundtrip from the Bear Valley Trailhead 15.6 miles (25.1 km) roundtrip from the Five Brooks Trailhead Alamere Falls is an incredibly popular hiking destination in Point Reyes National Seashore's Phillip Burton Wilderness . The falls are a dramatic sight as water cascades over a ~40 foot (~12 m) cliff onto a beautiful sandy beach. Bear in mind, getting there is no easy trek-a 13 mile (20 km) minimum round-trip hike is required, and you must time your visit to the falls with low tide. On weekends, and in the summer, the trailhead parking lots can fill up early in the morning. The best thing you can do to guarantee a safe, fun visit to the falls is to be prepared. To get to Alamere Falls, you can start at one of three trailheads-Palomarin, Bear Valley, or Five Brooks. The following directions from any of these trailheads will bring you to Wildcat Campground. The last part of the journey, from Wildcat Campground to the base of the falls, is the same regardless of which trailhead you choose. Theseroute descriptions alone are not a substitute for a trail map. Print out the park's South Districttrail map (3,422 KB PDF) or Alamere Falls Map (4,944 KB PDF)before your visit, or pick one up at a visitor center on your way.. Always check current conditions before heading out into the park and familiarize yourself with park regulations . Please practice Leave No Trace principles. Visit the park's Hiking at Point Reyes National Seashore page for hiking tips and information about trail etiquette and safety. Visit the park's Trail Advisories and Closures page for current information about closed trails, trails blocked by trees, or other temporary hazards or advisories. Please take note!There is NO park-sanctioned "Alamere Falls Trail." Many social media posts, websites, and guide books reference an "Alamere Falls Trail" (sometimes referred to as a "shortcut"). This is NOT a maintained trail, and poses many hazards to off-trail hikers-crumbling and eroding cliffs and lots of poison oak . Visitors who use this unmaintained trail damage park plants and wildlife habitat and may endanger themselves and rescuers. On an almost weekly basis, visitors get hurt scrambling down the route leading to the top of the falls or sliding down the crumbly cliff-face to get to the beach, sometimes requiring the efforts of search and rescue teams to extracted the injured party. The National Park Service strongly advises visitors against using this unmaintained route. Please use therecommended routesdescribed below to visit the falls. Park Regulations Take only pictures; leave only footprints: Almost everything one finds at Point Reyes is protected by law, including shells, rocks, fossils, flowers, and artifacts. Please only travel on authorized trails, respect posted signs, and practice Leave No Trace principleswhen recreating in the park. Bikes are prohibited on the Coast Trail. Bikes are permitted onthe Stewart Trail and on the northern three miles of the Bear Valley Trail. Visit our Bicycle Riding page for more information. Dogs are not permitted. Visit our Pets page to learn where pets are permitted at Point Reyes National Seashore. Check current conditions before your visit. Horses and pack animals are permitted on most park trails, including the Coast Trail and the Stewart Trail. Horses are permitted on the Bear Valley Trail on weekdays, but are prohibited on most of the Bear Valley Trail on weekends and federal holidays. Please visit our Horse Riding page for more inf...