Five Brooks Loop
Trail length: 6.1 miles, loop (Olema Valley Trail, Bolema Trail, Ridge Trail, Stewart Trail)
Terrain: oak, bay, fir forest, riparian, ridge
Restroom? vault toilets at Five Brooks parking area
Parking: Yes, Five Brooks has a large gravel parking area
Dates visited: 9/16/16, 11/27/20, 2/26/21, 5/13/22, 8/5/24, 1/17/26
Favorite plants on this trail: mushrooms, spikenard, big-leaf maple, lady fern
Point Reyes National Seashore has a brief informative webpage on Mushrooms and a list of fungi found in Point Reyes. Learn how to identify a mushroom in my January 2021 blog post.
Loop: Olema Valley Trail, Bolema Trail, Ridge Trail, Stewart Trail
This 6.1 mile, mostly-shaded loop is a gradual ascent from Olema Valley to the top of the Inverness Ridge and back. Hike this loop in either direction. When the trail is wet in the rainy season, it’s safer to start in the Olema Valley direction so you’re hiking uphill in the steeper terrain.
The mixed oak, bay, fir forest at Five Brooks is a great place to spot mushrooms along the trail in the rainy season (November-April). You are allowed to collect 2 gallons plus 1 mushroom per adult per day.
The plants along the trails include Canyon Live Oak (Quercus chrysolepis), Common Douglas-Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), Bigleaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum), Red-berried Elder (Sambucus racemosa), Beaked Hazelnut (Corylus cornuta), Pacific Madrone (Arbutus menziesii), Thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus), Trailing Blackberry (Rubus ursinus), and plenty of Pacific Poison Oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum) and Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica).
Forest and riparian-dwelling birds are plentiful in the tree tops and shrubs along the trails. The mill pond and surrounding forest are a birding hotspot. On a mid-January hike, I heard these birds using the Merlin app: pine siskin, dark-eyed junco, black phoebe, chestnut-backed chickadee, varied thrush, ruby-crowned kinglet, pacific wren, Stellar’s jay, spotted towhee, common raven, pygmy nuthatch, red-shouldered hawk, song sparrow, golden-crowned kinglet, brown creeper, red-breasted nuthatch, Bewick’s wren, Hutton’s vireo, wrentit, red crossbill (not sure Merlin got this one right!), and four species of woodpeckers — pileated, acorn, hairy, and downy. Pine siskin and ruby-crowned kinglets were most prominent. I had a magic moment where a curious ruby-crowned kinglet hopped onto a bare shrub near me and we watched each other for a bit.
Start at the Five Brooks Trailhead
Follow the Mill Pond to the intersection with the Stewart and Olema Valley trails (0.2 miles).
Turn left onto the Olema Valley Trail. Hike uphill to the Bolema Trail. (1.2 miles). Turn right onto the Bolema Trail.
The trail ascends up the Inverness Ridge. Hike the Bolema Trail to the Ridge Trail. (1.1 miles). Turn right.
Hike the Ridge Trail to the Stewart Trail. (0.8 miles). Turn right.
Hike downhill on the Stewart Trail to the mill pond intersection (2.6 miles) then along the pond to the Five Brooks trailhead (0.2 miles).
Volunteer Opportunity: Morgan Horse Ranch
Assist in ranch operations, including the care, handling and riding of horses of all ages, as well as the cleaning and maintenance of tack, equipment, fences and buildings. Volunteers may also greet visitors, answer questions and briefly explain their role as a volunteer. Experienced trainers are especially needed to help with the younger horses. The need for volunteers varies greatly throughout the year.