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Overview
No matter where you are in northern California, you can find a hike in the book within a short drive. The guide is unique in the amount of natural history information it provides, especially the geologic stories of the featured destinations. It provides not just the essential directions for completing a hike, it enhances the experience by telling the story of how the landscape came to be the way it is.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780899979144 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Wilderness Press |
| Publication date: | 11/01/2017 |
| Series: | 101 Hikes |
| Edition description: | 3rd ed. |
| Pages: | 376 |
| Product dimensions: | 6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.10(d) |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
San Andreas Fault
Highlights The San Andreas Fault and fossils on a forgotten beach
Distance 3.5 miles one-way
Total Elevation Gain/Loss 50'/50'
Hiking Time 2–3 hours
Recommended Map USGS 7.5-min. San Francisco South
Best Times September–May
Agency Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Difficulty *
After covering 500 miles overland, the San Andreas Fault dives northwest from the bluffs of Daly City into the Pacific Ocean. North of this tectonic landmark, a beach of surprising seclusion runs for more than 3 miles below cliffs of mud, sand, and fossils.
Approximately 2 million years ago, the geography of the Bay Area differed radically. The Point Reyes Peninsula sat directly west of today’s Golden Gate, partially enclosing a shallow basin between itself and the mainland. Sediments poured in from the surrounding landmasses, filling the basin with thick layers of sand, mud, and gravel. In all, a deep reservoir of sediment more than a mile thick was deposited. Layers formed during periods of shallow water include thick beds of fossils—crushed shells make up the bulk of the material, but entire preserved sand dollars and clams can also be found. Within the past 300,000 years, changing geometry along the San Andreas Fault lifted the entire basin and tilted its beds gently north to expose it as today’s Merced Formation. A small piece of the northern basin remained attached to the southeast corner of the Point Reyes Peninsula as it was wrenched into its current position; it is now exposed in the bluffs east of Bolinas, as explained by Ted Konigsmark in Geologic Trips.
The Hike follows the beach north from Mussel Rock in north Pacifica to Fort Funston in San Francisco. This trip can become dangerous during high tides, when big waves can wash to the base of the bluffs and suck people out to sea. Do not venture onto the beach if you see waves reaching the bluffs. No tide tables are posted at the trailhead—check in advance. The hike can be made into a round-trip by returning along the beach to the trailhead. Otherwise, car arrangements must be worked out for the return to Pacifica. For those unable to do the full hike, the general flavor and experience of the locale can be had in a short 1-mile round-trip from the trailhead. While the hike can be done year-round, fog is thick in the summer and makes for a cold, low-visibility day at the beach. Crowds are light compared to other area beaches. No water is available at the trailhead.
To Reach the Trailhead From San Francisco, follow Hwy. 1 south, take the first Pacifica exit at Manor Dr., and turn right on Palmetto Dr. Go 0.8 mile and turn left on Westline Dr. Bear left toward the Mussel Rock Transfer Station (the dump), keep left again as the road forks right to the dump, and park in the large lot at the road’s end. To reach Fort Funston, take Skyline Dr. (Hwy. 35) 4 miles north from Hwy. 1 in north Pacifica—the parking lot is on the left. Approaching Fort Funston from San Francisco, follow Skyline Dr. 0.8 mile south of the Great Hwy.
Description From the parking lot by Mussel Rock, walk through the opening in the fence and descend along roads leading down toward the beach. Looking above you to the west, notice the loose, unconsolidated slopes along the bluffs—the result of many landslides. The bluffs above the landslide area recede at a rate of up to 3 feet per year, undercutting houses that should never have been built or purchased in the first place. The edges of the landslide mark the rough boundaries of the San Andreas Fault Zone, an area approximately a half mile wide. The loose slopes mask any actual fault trace in the hillside, but it is definitely there—the great 1906 San Francisco earthquake had its epicenter immediately inland from this location.
Walking north on the beach, notice the northward tilt of the layers in the bluffs. Deposited sequentially, these layers represent a chronology of the former basin environment; they become progressively younger as you go north. Fossil beds can be identified by the white, linear exposures of crushed shells contained in a matrix of mudstone. The views north include most of the Marin coast, and Point Bonita (Hike 28) can be picked out across the Golden Gate on clear days. Fort Funston can be identified near the northern end of the bluffs as they drop in elevation. Turning south, Montara Mountain (Hike 23) forms the skyline closest to the sea, plunging into the ocean at landmark Pedro Point.
Continuing north, you pass the deep gash that Woods Gulch makes in the bluffs. Because saturated slopes increase the risk of landslides and accelerate erosion, draining this threatened area is an attempt to slow the imminent destruction of its cliffside homes. The number of people increases as you approach the path that leads up to the viewing platform and parking lot at Fort Funston. A former military reservation developed at the turn of the century, Fort Funston is now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. It’s a popular site for hang gliders and parasailors between March and October, when strong west winds rise over the blufftop.
Nearest Visitor Center The Pacifica Chamber of Commerce runs an excellent visitor center in partnership with the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Near the south end of Pacifica at 225 Rockaway Beach, it’s open Monday–Friday 10 a.m.–5 p.m. year-round, and 11 a.m.– 3 p.m. on weekends in summer. For information call 650-355-4122.
Nearest Campground Francis Beach Campground, 650-726-8819, is open year-round at the south end of Half Moon Bay State Beach, just west of Hwy. 1 on Kelly Ave.; the turnoff is 0.3 mile south of Hwy. 92 (52 sites, $35–$50 depending on site). Reservations are essential in summer and for weekends year-round; visit reserveamerica.com or call 800-444-7275.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments v
Overview Map vi
Preface xi
Overview of Hikes xii
Using This Book 1
Safety, Gear, and the Wilderness Ethic 5
Where Should I Go Hiking? 13
The Central Coast, Bay Area, and Coast Ranges 19
1 Upper Salmon Creek Falls: Silver Peak Wilderness 20
2 Vicente Flat: Ventana Wilderness 23
3 Cone Peak: Ventana Wilderness 26
4 Ewoldsen Trail: Julian Pfeiffer Burns State Park 29
5 Molera Beach: Andrew Molera State Park 32
6 Pine Valley: Ventana Wilderness 35
7 High Peaks Trail: Pinnacles national Park 39
8 Fremont Peak: Fremont Peak State Park 42
9 Coit Lake: Henry W. Coe State Park 44
10 Coyote Greek: Henry W. Coe State Park 48
11 Sunol Backpack Area: Sunol Regional Wilderness 51
12 Coyote Hills: Coyote Hills Regional Park 55
13 Bob Walker Ridge: Morgan Territory Regional Preserve 57
14 Mount Diablo: Mount Diablo State Park 61
15 Eagle Peak: Mount Diablo State Park 64
16 Cosumnes River: Cosumnes River Preserve 66
17 Wildcat Peak: Tilden Regional Park 69
18 Little Butano Creek Canyon: Butano State Park 72
19 Castle Rock: Castle Rock State Park 74
20 Berry Creek Falls: Big Basin Redwoods State Park 78
21 Purisima Creek: Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve 81
22 Devil's Slide: San Mateo County Parks 84
23 Montara Mountain: San Pedro Valley Country Park 87
24 San Andreas Fault: Golden Gate National Recreation Area 90
25 San Bruno Mountain: San Bruno Mountain State and County Park 93
26 San Francisco's Pacific Shore: Golden Gate National R 95
27 Golden Gate Bridge: Golden Gate National Recreation Area 100
28 Point Bonita: Golden Gate National Recreation Area 103
29 Gerbode Valley: Golden Gate National Recreation 105
30 Ring Mountain: Ring Mountain Open Space Preserve 108
31 Mount Tamalpais: Mount Tamalpais State Park 111
32 Martin Griffin Preserve: Audubon Canyon Ranch 114
33 Alamere Falls: Point Reyes National Seashore 117
34 Sky and Coast Trails: Point Reyes National Seashore 121
35 Tomales Point: Reyes National Seashore 125
36 Table Rock: Robert Louis Stevenson Sate Park 128
37 East Austin Creek: Austin Creek State Recreation Area 130
38 Cache Creek: Cache Creek Wildernes 134
39 Bodega Dunes: Sonoma Coast State Beach 137
40 Fort Ross and Sonoma's Lost Coast: Fort Ross State Historic Park 139
41 Manchester Beach: Manchester State Park 144
42 Ferm Canyon: Van Damme State Park 148
The North Coast and Klamath Muntains 152
43 Humboldt Redwoods: Humboldt Redwoods State Park 153
44 North Yolla Bolly Mountain: Yolla Bolly Wilderness 157
45 Lost Coast Trail: Sinkyone Wilderness State Park 161
46 Big Flat: King Range Wilderness and National Conservation Area 166
47 King Peak: King Range Wilderness and national Conservation Area 170
48 Punta Gorda Lighthouse: King Range Wilderness and National Conservation Area 173
49 Prairie creek Redwoods: Prairie Creek Redwoods National and State Parks 177
50 Klamath River Mouth: Redwood National Park 181
51 Damnation Creek: Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park 183
52 Boy Scout Tree Trail: Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park 185
53 Hogan Lake: Russian Wilderness 189
54 Canyon Creek Lakes: Trinity Alps Wilderness 192
55 Marble Rim: Marble Mountain Wilderness 197
56 Castle Dome: Castle Crags State Park 202
57 Heart Lake: Shasta-Trinity National Forest 205
58 Mount Eddy: Shasta-Trinity National Forest 207
Shasta and the Modoc Plateau 210
59 Hidden Valley: Mount Shasta Wilderness 211
60 Sheepy Ridge: Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge 214
61 Schonchine Butte: Lava Beds National Monument 216
62 Valentine Cave: lava Beds National Monument|o218
63 Glass Mountain: Modoc National Forest 220
64 Patterson Lake: South Warner Wilderness 223
65 Burney Falls: McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park 226
66 Magee Peak: Thousand Lakes Wilderness 228
67 Chaos Crags: Lassen Volcanic National Park 230
68 Brokeoff Mountain: Lassen Volcanic National Park 232
69 Devils Kitchen: Lassen Volcanic National Park 235
70 Big Chico Creek: Bidwell Park 237
The Sierra Nevada 240
71 Feather Falls: Plumas National Forest 241
72 Sierra Buttes: Tahoe National Forest 244
73 South Yuba River: South Yuba Wild and Scenic Recreation Area 246
74 Rubicon River: Eldorado Nation Forest 250
75 Island Lake: Tahoe National Forest 252
76 Mount Tallac: Desolation Wilderness 256
77 Lake Tahoe: D. L. Bliss and Emerald Bay State Parks 259
78 Calaveras Big Trees: Calaveras Big Trees State Park 262
79 Grouse Lake: Mokelumne Wilderness 265
80 Mokelumne River: Mokelumne Wilderness 268
81 Hiram Peak: Carson-Iceberg Wilderness 272
82 Deadman Lake: Emigrant Wilderness 275
83 Green Creek: Hoover Wilderness 277
84 Mono Lake: Mono Lake Tufa State Reserve 281
85 Nevada and Vernal Falls: Yosemite National Park 284
86 Half Dome: Yosemite National Park 290
87 Sentinel Dome and Taft Point: Yosemite National Park 293
88 Clouds Rest: Yosemite National Park 296
89 Ireland Lake: Yosemite National Park 299
90 Mariposa Grove: Yosemite National Park 304
91 Ediza Lake: Ansel Adams Wilderness 307
92 Balloon Dome: Ansel Adams Wildernesss 311
93 Kaiser Peak: Kaiser Wilderness 314
94 Little Lakes Valley: John Muir Wilderness 317
95 Methuselah Grove: Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest 321
96 Palisade Glacier: John Muir Wilderness 323
97 Ycca Point: Sequoia National Forest 328
98 Redwood Canyon: Kings Canyon National Park 330
99 Pear Lake: Sequoia National Park 334
100 Moro Rock: Sequoia National Park 337
101 Sawtooth Peak: Sequoia National Park 339
Appendix 1 Hikes by Theme 344
Appendix 2 Selected Sources and Recommended Reading 348
Index 351
About the Author 360