interested in creating a 7-9 day hike this June in Northern (or Southern?) CA

Hello all,

So glad to have come across this resource and the Walkabout guides. Just bought the NorCal one yesterday and having been looking through it on my Kindle and really enjoying it so far. (Might get the paper version for the actual hike.)

My husband and I would like input on either putting the SF-Half Moon Bay route together with the Marin hike north of SF, vs doing the Marin hike plus some days hiking around in Point Reyes National Seashore area, vs something else altogether (maybe in SoCal?)

BTW, is there any reason one should not go from Half Moon Bay to SF as opposed to the other way around?

We are interested in hiking for about 7-9 days in the middle to end of June--hoping to hike maybe on average 8-15 miles per day, though occasional shorter or longer days would be ok, altitude changes would be great, some landscape variation a plus, as would be some sense of "wildness" (i.e. lack of significant human imprint) along the way. We have done a lot of hiking and did some multi-day, lodging (and camping) based hiking many years ago--we are really looking forward to doing this kind of travel again.

We had been planning a partial Coast to Coast inn to inn (or hostel) walk in England for that time period, but have for various reasons started to think more about staying a bit closer to home (New Mexico) for this trip, and therefore I am really delighted to have run across a similar model of multi-day hiking here in the US.

Would love to hear people's thoughts and suggestions.

Thank you very much!!

Both the walkabouts you are considering for mid-June are great. Combining the Half Moon Bay to San Francisco Walkabout with the Marin Coast Walkabout would be a great adventure. It would combine long beach hikes, tide pool explorations, elevation gain hiking the flanks of Montara Mountain and Mt. Tamalpais with 30-mile vistas, enchanting seaside villages, charming inns, and great dining. The section between the end of the Half Moon Bay to SF Walkabout, Ocean Beach, and the beginning of the Marin Coast Walkabout, Marin Headlands, is not covered in Walkabout Northern California: Hiking Inn-to Inn, but it would be a fun hike. You could hike along the cliffs of Lands End, through the San Francisco Presidio, across the Golden Gate Bridge, and on the Coastal Trail into the Headlands.

You might want to spend the night in the Headlands. It is magical. After sunset, there are more deer and wild turkeys than people. The Headlands Hostel is in the heart of the park and very nice with private rooms. You would need to carry in your food.

There is no problem with hiking north on the Half Moon Bay to SF Walkabout.

Hiking the Marin Coast Walkabout and then exploring Point Reyes National Seashore is also a great option. There is one important trail change which you can check out with this blog. The Marin Coast Walkabout ends in Olema, on the edge of the park, a very nice base for park exploration. Or you could hike into the Point Reyes Hostel. It is deep in the park and an excellent spot for exploring the park. It also has private rooms. Check out the chapter "Exploring Point Reyes National Seashore."

You also mused on maybe hiking in Southern California. If hiking the coast appeals to you, you might want to check out Walkabout Malibu to Mexico: Hiking Inn-to-Inn on the Southern California Coast.

Have a great hike from inn to inn. Let us know how it goes.

Tom

Replies

Tom Courtney March 1, 2018 at 11:43am

Both the walkabouts you are considering for mid-June are great. Combining the Half Moon Bay to San Francisco Walkabout with the Marin Coast Walkabout would be a great adventure. It would combine long beach hikes, tide pool explorations, elevation gain hiking the flanks of Montara Mountain and Mt. Tamalpais with 30-mile vistas, enchanting seaside villages, charming inns, and great dining. The section between the end of the Half Moon Bay to SF Walkabout, Ocean Beach, and the beginning of the Marin Coast Walkabout, Marin Headlands, is not covered in Walkabout Northern California: Hiking Inn-to Inn, but it would be a fun hike. You could hike along the cliffs of Lands End, through the San Francisco Presidio, across the Golden Gate Bridge, and on the Coastal Trail into the Headlands.

You might want to spend the night in the Headlands. It is magical. After sunset, there are more deer and wild turkeys than people. The Headlands Hostel is in the heart of the park and very nice with private rooms. You would need to carry in your food.

There is no problem with hiking north on the Half Moon Bay to SF Walkabout.

Hiking the Marin Coast Walkabout and then exploring Point Reyes National Seashore is also a great option. There is one important trail change which you can check out with this blog. The Marin Coast Walkabout ends in Olema, on the edge of the park, a very nice base for park exploration. Or you could hike into the Point Reyes Hostel. It is deep in the park and an excellent spot for exploring the park. It also has private rooms. Check out the chapter "Exploring Point Reyes National Seashore."

You also mused on maybe hiking in Southern California. If hiking the coast appeals to you, you might want to check out Walkabout Malibu to Mexico: Hiking Inn-to-Inn on the Southern California Coast.

Have a great hike from inn to inn. Let us know how it goes.

Tom

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