Point Reyes Hiking, Bass Lake Swimming Hole and Alamere Falls

If your a Bay Area native or out of town passer through, the Point Reyes area is a adventurers playground. The Palomarin parking lot is a good starting point to explore Point Reyes Seashore. The last time I was there we arrived right as the sun was kissing the tree tops and we were greeted by a burst of fresh air. My main agenda was to check out the secluded Bass Lake swimming hole in Point Reyes National Seashore. It was a nice 2.5 mile or so hike to Bass Lake. We got there a little early so we decided to let it warm up a bit and we went to check out Alamere Falls. This was another mile round trip addition to the hike but well worth it. Check out the pictures.

After lunch on the beach we hiked back to Bass Lake and joined a couple other "natural swimmers" and joined them in the fresh waters of Bass Lake. The day ended with a much needed hour or so nap and then we hiked back to Palomarin Parking lot. If you are thinking about going, check out our highway 1 and 101 roadsidesecrets map. Also Tom Harrison has a nice topographical map that will assist you in planning a hike through Point Reyes.

Here is a picture of Bass Lake:

Head up highway 1 on the north side of the golden gate and take a left on Olema Bolinas Road and then take a right onto Mesa road and follow it all the way to Palomarin parking lot. It turns to dirt but keep going.

Old Stage Coach Road, San Juan Bautista, California Highway 101

If you ever have some time and are looking for a day hike check out the old stage coach road along highway 101 between Salinas and San Juan Bautista. If you hike the entire old stage coach route it is about 4.5 miles one way. If you park your car and hike to one end and then hike back the other way you are looking at a 10 mile hike. The top of the pass overlooks the town and farms below. This stretch of road used to link Hollister to the Salinas Valley but was no longer needed when the new San Juan Grade road was built around the 1920's.


Check out the red line for the Old Stage Coach Road and the blue is drivable poritons of the stage coach road.

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Castle Rock State Park, California

Castle Rock State Park is located along the crest of Santa Cruz and Santa Clara Counties. The park is filled with redwoods, oaks, madrones and firs. Wildlife everywhere and there are vultures, hawks, owls and eagles for the bird lovers. Castle Rock State Park offers 30 plus miles of hiking and horseback riding trails. Dogs are not allowed to keep the natural preservation of the surrounding wildlife. It is also a trailhead for the Skyline to the Sea Trail which leads you to Wadell Creek Beach and the Pacific Ocean. I recommend a trail map and definately check out the falls, Goat Rock and if your determined for some privacy, doom rock is really spectacular and remote from your average hiker and rock climber.

What is this? A Prehistoric Eagle head or Turtle head or what?









More Pictures:













Other Information:
The contact number is 408-867-2952. I would always bring extra layers throughout the year because the coastal weather can get nippy even in the summer nights. But more so for the fall, winter and spring season. Check out the map below in Terrain Mode.

Directions:

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Mission Peak, Fremont, CA

Mission Peak, Fremont, California

Description:
March 31st 2008. Mission Peak is located in the Mission Peak Regional Preserve and is a part of the East Bay Regional Park District. The hike out from Stanford Avenue is steep and dramatic. I highly recommend allowing a minimum of 5 hours to reach the top and back. Also I recommend plenty of water, especially on hot summer days. If you do decide to go during the summer months I would suggest leaving the trail head as close to sunrise as possible. That way it would be cool for the hike up and hot on your way down. The view is spectacular from the top and is a definite must hike for anybody who enjoys a good physical exercise and good views. I found that lots of people mill about the bottom area checking out the cows, but the closer you get to the top the less people there are. It was fairly windy up top also.

Directions:
Heading north on 680 towards Sacramento exit Mission Blvd. and proceed about half a mile to Stanford Avenue and turn right. Go to the parking lot and park here.

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Other Information:
The Misison Peak area connects to other notable trails in the area and the park is open from 5am to 10pm unless otherwise noted.

Bay Area Satellite Poster

I first saw these beautiful satellite posters online. Since I am from the Bay Area (Santa Cruz Mountains - Boulder Creek)I was immediately sold on this product. I was anxious for the Monterey Bay Area satellite poster to arrive and when UPS delivered it I was in awe of the beauty of this poster. I immediately got it framed and hung over my desk in my office. I have hung lots of posters in my lifetime as I moved from one place to the other but out of all the things I have hung this Monterey Bay Area poster beats them all.

In fact I had a lot of friends asking me about it. A few wantd one of their own. So I bought a couple of them and my friends have never bothered me about it again! Then when my friends friend called me up to get one I knew I had to help more people out. So if you are looking for a new, cool poster for your office, garage or home wall then check ot my ebay store and buy one (or two or three if you have friends like mine!).

Click on the link below to go to ebay and check out the poster for yourself.
Monterey Bay Area Satellite Poster

New Almaden - Quicksilver County Park

Bench overlooking Almaden Valley
Located in Santa Clara County the New Almaden Quicksilver Mine was the first mining operations in California 1845 before the gold rush of 1849. If you are traveling to the area I think that this part of town would be a great place for a picnic or a family stroll. Hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding are all around at the New Almaden Park. I have hiked several trails in the area but the latest hike was a late evening one to El Senator Mine. It is a fun low stress walk about half a mile to a mile. You can walk further up the hill but bring water because it does get extremely hot in the summer months. The park is about 4000 acres so more than one day is needed to explore it.

Check out this website for more info on whats happening at New Almaden - Quicksilver County Park

Eagle Rock - Big Basin State Park, Santa Cruz County

Eagle Rock, Big Basin, California, United States


Eagle Rock is probably one of my favorite spots in all of California, and perhaps the world. It is a nice hike to the top and the view looks over my childhood home at the Boulder Creek Golf and Country Club. So this spot has significant meaning to me as I spent a lot of my youth in these mountain ranges. Anyway, Eagle Rock was once a fire lookout tower location for the CDF forest service. Now it is just an abandoned building with unfortunately, a lot of grafitti. But none the less it is still 360 degrees of pure Santa Cruz Mountains beauty. Also you can see Buzzards Roost which is another favorite of mine. The round trip hike is probably a little over 3 miles. The first picture was taken before the grafitti!


Directions:
Now growing up here I know of a couple fun ways of getting to Eagle Rock. The most popular way is go towards Big basin from Boulder Creek or through Watermans Gap at the other end of 236. If you decide to come through Boulder Creek go past the Boulder Creek Golf and Country Club. Head to Little Basin and go left all the way to the Hewlett Packard entrance. Park here but dont block the entrance. Hike up the hill and your on the Eagle Rock trail.

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Buzzards Roost Hiking, Big basin State Park, CA

Buzzards Roost, Big Basin State Park, California




Buzzards Roost is a prominent hiking spot in Big Basin State Park. After being to every other lookout in Big Basin I finally made the accent to the top of Buzzards Roost. Actually I was on a hike from Highway 9 and Highway236 intersection north of Boulder Creek. My friends and I camped out in Big Basin and the next morning we hiked to the top of Buzzards Roost. What a hike this turned out to be. Views, views and more views.

Seymour Marine Discovery Center

The Seymour Marine Discovery Center is located in Santa Cruz California and is a definate stop to fully experience the true coastal waters of Santa Cruz and Monterey Bay. This property is also an education facility for the University of California, Santa Cruz. The Center is part of field studies across the world. If you have children then you HAVE to bring them here. The sea creatures that are in display at the center are spectacular and there is a wide variety, trust me!

Other Information:
Phone Number:
1-831-459-3800
Contact:
Seymour Center at Long Marine Lab
100 Shaffer Road
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Map


Map by Google Maps

Capitola and Capitola Wharf

Description of Capitola:
The town of Capitola is a vacationers paradise. This little community boasts some of the most exciting events and shops in the Bay Area. People the world over come and stay at the many vacation rental homes and enjoy the services of the merchants in town. Enjoy the beaches, bars, restaraunts, hiking and the Capitola Mall are all near by. Be sure to walk the wharf and check out the cool shops out there. Maybe grab a bite at the Wharf House Restaraunt or go do some deep sea fishing.


Directions:

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Links:
Capitoal Chamber of Commerce

Lexington Reservoir

Description:
If you are visiting the South Bay Area or you are on your way to Santa Cruz, look to your left approximately 3 miles past Los Gatos and you will see Lexington Reservoir. This is a wonderful park and I have been making lunch stops here for years. There is hiking, kayaking, picnicing, fishing and plenty of wildlife viewing. Behind Lexington Reservoir are numerous hiking trails that can lead to views of the entire Silicon Valley.

This is a early morning shot looking over Lexington Reservoir

This picture is the backside of the damleading to the town of Los Gatos

Links:
Santa Clara Valley Water District

Los Gatos Creek Trail Park

Santa Cruz Lighthouse and Surfing Museum

Description:
Santa Cruz Lighthouse and Surfing Museum is a good pit stop for a Sunday drive through Santa Cruz. The lighthouse is located on West Cliff Drive in santa Cruz. It is adjacent to the Lighthouse Field State Park. This lighthouse has a long history and now serves as a surfing museum. If you want to watch some surfers surf off of the famous Staemers Lane then you should come to Santa Cruz Lighthouse.

Picture: This is a sunrise shot over the lighthouse I took one morning as the sun was coming up.

Directions:

From Highway 1 turn west onto Bay Street. Follow Bay Street to the end, and turn right onto West Cliff Drive. The lighthouse is about a half mile down the road. The museum is open from 12 to 4PM Thursday through Monday. Call (831) 420-6289 for more information.

Links:
http://www.rudyalicelighthouse.net/CalLts/SntaCruz/SntaCruz.htm
http://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=87

Dumbarton Bridge

DUMBARTON BRIDGE

If you are looking for something new to do in the Bay Area I recommend checking out the Dumbarton Bridge. Either side of the bridge can be accessible and there are really neat views of the Bay. This spot gives you a unique perspective on the actual size of the Dumbarton Bridge and the Bay it goes over. You can walk or ride your bike across the Bay from Palo Alto to Fremont. It is loud on and near the bridge because of the cars and big rigs. Also check out the old railroad bridge south going over the Bay.

This is the Dumbarton Bridge looking West at sunset. Sun sets in the West.

Here is the Dumbarton Earlier in the day looking East.

Getting There:

Take the Willow Road off-ramp from Hwy 101. Just before the bridge, an exit to the right leads to a parking lot along the side of the bridge and next to the salt ponds and marshes at Ravenswood Open Space Preserve. To reach the bridge trail from the East Bay, take Hwy 84 west from I-880. Exit at Thornton Avenue. Turn left at Marshlands Road. Park at the visitor center parking lot for the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge headquarters. Marshlands Road from here to the bridge may be closed to vehicle traffic during the summer to protect the snowy plover, but will be open to foot and bicycle traffic. Just before the road reaches the Dumbarton Pier, a ramp leads up to the bridge. Other Information: There is a $4.00 toll heading westbound.

External Links: http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/traffops/hwybrdg/tollbridge/History/Dumbarton.html

Felton Covered Bridge

Nestled in the Santa Cruz Mountains lies a spectacular California State historical landmark. The Felton Covered Bridge is next to Roaring Camp Railroads and Henry Cowell State Park. The park offers volleyball, picnic area, playground, and barbecue grills. Open sunrise to sunset.


Location/Directions:
Take Hwy 17 and exit at the Scotts Valley/Mt. Hermon Rd exit. Continue on Mt Hermon Rd thru Scotts Valley, 3.8 miles until you reach a T intersection at Graham Hill Rd, the park is across Graham Hill Rd at the intersection.
Here is a link to a map

Wilder Ranch State Park

Description:

Wilder Ranch State Park is a outdoor enthusiasts dream. Wilder Ranch hosts 30 plus miles of hiking, mountain biking and equestrian trails. The park covers approximately 7,000 acres and valley ocean and mountain views are a huge bonus. There are several buildings on the site that have been restored. One visit here is not enough. Originally, Wilder Ranch supplied the Santa Cruz Mission, and later became a successful dairy ranch. Wetlands restoration projects have attracted some of the original wildlife back to the park. No dogs allowed at Wilder Ranch. I have seen mountain lions and bobcats here.




Location:
The park is north of Santa Cruz, immediately west of Highway One, just a mile or so past the Western Drive stoplight.


External Links:
http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=549