Sunset Beach Trail

Sunset Beach Trail in Point Reyes National Seashore was on my list for a few months. It is favorited and positively reviewed by many Alltrails users, and when a friend of mine came to visit for the weekend, it was the first trail on my mind to hike together.

We got to the trailhead early enough to see only a few cars in the dirt parking lot. The beginning of the hike was relatively flat with the views of open field with few trees in sight. Soon enough we were in the middle of the forest with tall trees surrounding us, although this section did not last long as we reached the bridge over what used to be a full body of water at some point. 

As we crossed the bridge, we continued the hike along the shore, but on the other side. The water was pretty shallow to the point that some birds could stand on the bottom fishing.

With a few hills ahead the overall elevation gain was under 1,000 ft, a relatively easy hike. The trail ended abruptly on Alltrails, and there was no end in sight for it in real life, so we went with the navigation app and turned around. It was a peaceful walk (I don't even know that I would call it a hike), but not one that I would repeat again.

We got to the parking lot and headed to Marin French Cheese Company for a picnic. We bought 5 different cheeses, a fig preserve and delicious rosemary crackers. This was a great way to have lunch!

We also met a wonderful black duck who insistently begged for food (and against better judgement, got it).

After a stop for wine tasting at Adobe Winery (2 for 1 wine tasting with Sonoma Passport) and dinner at The Block, which is a "must visit" when in the area - very unique and unlikely to just stop by place - we headed back to Napa for a well-deserved dessert at home and an episode of "Grace and Frankie" by the fireplace. A perfect way to spend a day!