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The Tomales Point Trail is in the northern section of Point Reyes National Seashore. It is a 9.4 mile out-and-back trail that hugs the Pacific Coastline. The first (and last) 3 miles of the trail follow an old dirt ranch road and is well maintained while the rest of the trail is a sandy path.
On the day that we visited, our group wasn’t really up for a 9-mile hike, but we did want the see the Tule Elk, so we decided to hike the maintained section of the trail. This trail runs through the Tule Elk Reserve. Nearly extinct in the 1970, the Tule Elk were reintroduced to the Tomales peninsula, where they had once thrived in the grasslands.
Today, there are about 300 elk living in the Reserve. So we set off on the Tomales Point Trail, determined to see some elk. We met a park ranger along the way who pointed us in the right direction and we did see a herd about 2.5 miles in, grazing in the tall grass above Tomales Bay.
Point Reyes Posts:
- Point Reyes National Seashore
- Point Reyes Lighthouse
- Tomales Point Trail
Location: Pierce Point Rd, Inverness, CA 94937
Designation: National Seashore
Date established/designated: September 13, 1962
Date of my visit: August 15, 2012
