Virtual Guidebook to Marin and the North Bay Counties
Chimney Rock Trail
Point Reyes National Seashore California

The Chimney Rock trail is famous for its spring wildflowers, but worth walking anytime. It begins above the old coast guard life boat station, where storm-proof rescue boats were launched on rails from the boathouses to assist vessels in distress. The trail continues out to the absolute point, with big surf on one side and the sheltered waters of Drakes Bay on the other.

This can be a good trail for wildlife also. Elephant seals mate, give birth, and raise their young in the coves below, making outrageous noises. And once we saw a pair of gray whales, an adult and a baby, swimming directly below us, perfectly visible in the clear water.