california
Hiking the Tin House from Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
I’ve been meaning to do this hike for a while, but never manage to make it out to Big Sur. The one time I did this past summer, I accidentally went to Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park (I mean, come on, the names are so identical) and ended climbing up the Big Sur River instead. Made it down to the right park this past Christmas, but then drove past the trailhead.
But that’s okay! Because it made this hike even better. I parked at the big turnout down the road from McWay Falls about 500 feet and walked up Highway 1 into park headquarters. For Christmas Day, it was pretty packed full of people already leaving. (It was 10am when I got there.)
Hiking Palomarin Trail to Alamere Falls
The hike from the Palomarin trailhead to Alamere Falls is one of my favorites in Point Reyes, if not the whole Bay Area. There are few places in the world where you can see a freshwater waterfall drop directly into the ocean.
It’s rated as moderate. Not too long, not too short, and you’ll be back in San Francisco just in time for dinner.