Point Reyes Coast Camp Overnight Backpack w/ my 5-yr-old son
May 29, 2017 12:20:22 GMT -8
reuben, rebeccad, and 5 more like this
Post by tarol on May 29, 2017 12:20:22 GMT -8
I've always wanted to go backpacking at Point Reyes,
especially since having a son since I knew there are
a couple of camps that are within a few miles of the
trailhead. T absolutely loves the beach so we
booked a night at Coast Camp.
There are two ways to get to Coast Camp that are short -
one is the Coast Trail, which is mostly flat and they allow
mountain bikes on it. The other, Laguna Trail, goes up
and over a ridge. We chose the latter since we wanted
more of a backpacking experience, and T is so good at
hiking at this stage. We still took it slow since I was
carrying all of our gear - we forgot T's backpack at
home, normally I'd give him a couple of very lightweight
things to carry, like a jacket and his pillow.
The Laguna Trail was absolutely beautiful at the
height of spring bloom time! We saw lupine,
poppies, iris, ceanothus, and many other species.
The Laguna Trail is suitable for families who
aren't afraid of a little bit of elevation gain.
After about a mile of climbing the trail levels off,
passes some wet boggy areas (wet if there's been
recent rain), then starts to go down and you catch
a tantalizing glimpse of the ocean!
We got to Coast Camp and set up the tent. Our
site #4 had a great view of the ocean and was
pretty private. Some of the sites near the
pit toilets were out in the open, but some sites like
ours were located off a small spur trail. After
setting up camp we grabbed our bucket and shovel
and headed to the beach!
This was the first backpack trip in which I packed a
bucket and shovel! But not a car nor a monster truck.
This particular truck had a great time on another
spectacular beach camp, Santa Rosa Island, in November
2015. Scroll through the photos on that page and you'll
see it many times.
If you visit Coast Camp I highly recommend you check out a
tide chart and plan a visit at low tide. There are tide pools
that you can hike to about 3/4 mile south of camp. This is
the start of spectacular Sculptured Beach and it's best
viewed at low tide. The most amazing thing is we had it
completely to ourselves that afternoon! Why people visit
crowded beaches is beyond me
After playing on the beach all afternoon we headed back to
camp and ate a simple dinner. If I'm just doing an overnight
with T I don't bother cooking - less hassle and weight in my
pack. We had fun watching the California quail and brush
rabbits around camp. Then after dinner we went back to the
beach to watch the sun set.
Not only did we time the trip right as far as the spring wildflower bloom
and low afternoon tide, but also we had a nearly full moon! We had a very
peaceful night and in the morning after breakfast and breaking down
camp, we went to the beach one more time. It's only about a 5 minute
walk down from camp, and there is a water spigot on the way. Overall
this is a very convenient place to camp because you have a picnic table,
food storage box, pit toilet, trash cans, and potable water. So super family friendly!
In the morning we met two young guys from Canada on the
beach, they were as excited about playing in the sand as T
was! They were very happy to have a bucket to help and
they built dams and new water channels for the small creek
to follow. We were all reluctant to leave, but we had plans
to be at Sequoia National Park the next day!
More pics here! www.tarol.com/coast_camp.html
especially since having a son since I knew there are
a couple of camps that are within a few miles of the
trailhead. T absolutely loves the beach so we
booked a night at Coast Camp.
There are two ways to get to Coast Camp that are short -
one is the Coast Trail, which is mostly flat and they allow
mountain bikes on it. The other, Laguna Trail, goes up
and over a ridge. We chose the latter since we wanted
more of a backpacking experience, and T is so good at
hiking at this stage. We still took it slow since I was
carrying all of our gear - we forgot T's backpack at
home, normally I'd give him a couple of very lightweight
things to carry, like a jacket and his pillow.
The Laguna Trail was absolutely beautiful at the
height of spring bloom time! We saw lupine,
poppies, iris, ceanothus, and many other species.
The Laguna Trail is suitable for families who
aren't afraid of a little bit of elevation gain.
After about a mile of climbing the trail levels off,
passes some wet boggy areas (wet if there's been
recent rain), then starts to go down and you catch
a tantalizing glimpse of the ocean!
We got to Coast Camp and set up the tent. Our
site #4 had a great view of the ocean and was
pretty private. Some of the sites near the
pit toilets were out in the open, but some sites like
ours were located off a small spur trail. After
setting up camp we grabbed our bucket and shovel
and headed to the beach!
This was the first backpack trip in which I packed a
bucket and shovel! But not a car nor a monster truck.
This particular truck had a great time on another
spectacular beach camp, Santa Rosa Island, in November
2015. Scroll through the photos on that page and you'll
see it many times.
If you visit Coast Camp I highly recommend you check out a
tide chart and plan a visit at low tide. There are tide pools
that you can hike to about 3/4 mile south of camp. This is
the start of spectacular Sculptured Beach and it's best
viewed at low tide. The most amazing thing is we had it
completely to ourselves that afternoon! Why people visit
crowded beaches is beyond me
After playing on the beach all afternoon we headed back to
camp and ate a simple dinner. If I'm just doing an overnight
with T I don't bother cooking - less hassle and weight in my
pack. We had fun watching the California quail and brush
rabbits around camp. Then after dinner we went back to the
beach to watch the sun set.
Not only did we time the trip right as far as the spring wildflower bloom
and low afternoon tide, but also we had a nearly full moon! We had a very
peaceful night and in the morning after breakfast and breaking down
camp, we went to the beach one more time. It's only about a 5 minute
walk down from camp, and there is a water spigot on the way. Overall
this is a very convenient place to camp because you have a picnic table,
food storage box, pit toilet, trash cans, and potable water. So super family friendly!
In the morning we met two young guys from Canada on the
beach, they were as excited about playing in the sand as T
was! They were very happy to have a bucket to help and
they built dams and new water channels for the small creek
to follow. We were all reluctant to leave, but we had plans
to be at Sequoia National Park the next day!
More pics here! www.tarol.com/coast_camp.html
