spirobulldog

Called a park ranger and she told me that low tide was at 9:01am on the March day that we plan on visiting. She said to plan on tidepooling from 8:30 to 9:30. She said access was Agate Beach. Is this where I want to go for tidepooling? A book I have doesn't mention that area, but does several other areas. What is the best area to tidepool? What can I expect to see? Is this a waste of my time? We never have done this, but it interested me. I hope to see Lighthouse area, chimney rock, seals, and hike part of Palomarin or Tomales Trail. We plan on spending a full day there.

I know the weather won't be predictable.

emalloy

Point Reyes is fantastic. I went in April and was there for the end of the grey whale migration and we saw them from the lighthouse. You may be able to see them in March but I'm not sure. At the other end of the point there are herds of elk. We hiked out along a trail and saw a few in the distance and also had fantastic ocean views and when we returned there was a large herd in a field next to the parking lot.

Supercilious

Agate Beach is a Marin County Park near Bolinas. It's not in the Seashore but it is close to the Palomarin trailhead. This is a long way from Tomales Point or Pt Reyes itself.

Instead, you might consider McClure's Beach. It's right next to the Tomales Point trailhead and the Pierce Point Ranch. Here's a description of the beach and tidepools.

http://tiny.cc/1VtqR

The tidepools are really good at McClures if it's a minus tide and you can also climb the rock here and get a great view of migrating whales (if there are any).

The site below has some pictures and a description of the hike over to Kehoe beach through the keyholes. This is one of the most incredible hikes in the Seashore. Only doable at minus low tide and also very dangerous if you don't know what you are doing.

http://www.flutterby.net/2008-06-08_McClure_To_Keyhoe

You could spend the morning at McClures and Pierce Point Ranch and then go out to the Lighthouse for the afternoon. There's a nice cafe at Drake's Beach if you are there on a weekend.

spirobulldog

thanks Superlicious

spirobulldog

that would be supercilious

spirobulldog

Supercilious,

How do I know when the minus tide is and how much minus? I assume that the risk is that you only have 30-60 minutes to hike in and out? Is there a website with tide tables that I can understand in laymans terms? I see you hiked from McClures to Kehoe. Looks very interesting.

spirobulldog

Unknown Coast, from Kehoe Beach to McClure's Beach at Point Reyes. Experts only. You can only do this during a minus tide. Furthermore, minus tides only last a couple of hours, and it's three miles including some rock scrambling so you have to hustle. It's worth it, though: you go through three sea caves and past a waterfall, and you see some coastline that very few people ever see.


This is what I found. I also found that the at lowtide it is +.02. Wonder if that is low enough to just go part of the way. to just the first keyhole would be enough for me.

spirobulldog

I didn't notice any waterfalls in you pictures. Is there a waterfall along the way?

Supercilious

Here's a good tide table:

http://tiny.cc/5fzKd

Depending on how low the tide is, you have 2-4 hours (1 or 2 hours on each side). The tide pools are at the south end of McClures after you go through a notch between the cliffs and the huge rock that's there.

I sent the link of the hike mainly so you could see what the tidepools look like in that part of the Seashore. They aren't my photos. I did the hike many, many years ago but did not carry a camera. I thought I might have to swim a little.

spirobulldog

Well I went back and looked again. I am guessing that it is where you say it is "to late in the season for water".