Site of the Y Ranch

Distance: 10 miles (16 km) roundtrip, moderate The Kelham Beach Trail is indefinitely closed due to storm damage. The Y Ranch, also known later as Pig Ranch, was one of the smaller of the Charles Webb Howard dairies in the larger Bear Valley Ranch. It sat on a clifftop overlooking Drakes Bay, adjacent to a creek that drains into the ocean at what is now called Kelham Beach. The site of Y Ranch is now located deep within the Phillip Burton Wilderness in the central part of the national seashore. Today, the only things marking the site of Y Ranch are a huge eucalyptus tree, adjacent to one of its progeny. A large limb of the mother tree broke off and lies parallel to the Coast Trail, offering a pleasant place to sit-so long as its not too windy. Kelham Beach is a 0.9-mile-long (1.5-kilometer-long) beach deep within the Phillip Burton Wilderness in the central part of the national seashore. The only safe location to access Kelham Beach is via Kelham Beach Trail, which is 5-miles (8-kilometers) from the nearest trailhead. --> The closest place to park is the Bear Valley Trailhead . Follow the Bear Valley Trail south for 1.6 miles (2.6 km) through a Douglas fir forest along Bear Valley Creek to Divide Meadow. Vault toilets are located at Divide Meadow-there are no other facilities beyond Divide Meadow, so please be sure to use the toilets before proceeding further. Beyond Divide Meadow, the Bear Valley Trail re-enters the forest and begins to parallel Coast Creek as it flows downhill toward the coast. After another 1.5 miles (2.4 km), the Bear Valley Trail intersects with the Glen Trail and the Baldy Trail. If you are riding a bicycle , you will need to dismount and lock your bicycle to the bike rack at this junction. Beyond this junction, the Bear Valley Trail enters the Phillip Burton Wilderness and bicycles (and other wheeled devices, like strollers) are prohibited in Wilderness. Continue on the Bear Valley Trail for 0.9 miles (1.5 km) to its junction with the Coast Trail, which is 4.1 miles (6.5 km) from the Bear Valley Trailhead. Bear right onto the Coast Trail and follow it northwest for 0.9 miles (1.5 km) to a large eucalyptus at the site of the Y ranch. The coastal bluff area where the trail leading down to Kelham Beach was located suffered a major collapse in 2024. There is no longer any safe access to Kelham Beach. From here, the 500-foot-long (150 m) beach access trail descends to a quiet, secluded beach. Point Resistance reaches in to Drakes Bay at the north end of the beach; a guano-covered sea stack and the rubble of Arch Rock (a natural bridge that collapsed in 2015) are at the south end of the beach. --> Retrace your steps to return to the Bear Valley Trailhead. Consult a tide chart and local weather forecasts before setting out on your trip; venturing on to Kelham Beach during hazardous surf conditions or a high tide can result in becoming trapped against the coastal bluffs. Visit the park's Beach Safety page for more information. --> Some of this area was burned in 2020, when lightning strikes in the Woodward Valley started what became the 2020 Woodward Fire . This route description alone is not a substitute for a trail map. Print out the Point Reyes National Seashore's South District trail map (3,422 KB PDF) before your visit, or pick one up at the Bear Valley 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! As of 2024,there is no longer a park-sanctioned/maintained"Kelham BeachTrail" and there are no safe routes to access Kelham Beach. In January 2023, coastal erosion eli...