Laguna-Bayview-Sky-Fire Loop
Trail length: 6 mile loop or 9 mile loop
Time: 3 to 4.5 hours
Terrain: mixed oak, bay, fir forest; coast chaparral; marsh; creek with alders
Restroom? No
Parking: Yes, at the Laguna Trailhead and along the road near the hostel
Kid friendly? Yes for older kids with stamina
Dates visited: 8/15/17
Bikes are allowed on the Coast Trail and Sky Trail only
Favorite plants on this trail:
Favorite spots:
Peeking through the misty fir branches along the beginning of the Fire Lane Trail.
Expansive views of the hills and ocean from the top of the Fire Lane Trail.
Alder trees offer shade and make for a majestic promenade along the Coast trail between Limantour beach and the hostel.
The swampy area of the Coast Trail (not far from the alders) is a great place to look for frogs and dragonflies.
This loop will take you through shady forests and coastal chaparral. You will see the ocean in the distance from several spots. The longer loop takes you along the shoreline and through a majestic stand of alders along the creek. These photos are from August 15, 2017.
Six mile loop: Laguna-Bayview-Sky-Fire Lane-Laguna
Begin at the Laguna trailhead. Hike toward the Bayview trail for 1.4 miles. You know you are going in the right direction if you pass the Clem Miller Environmental Center just after starting out. At the Bayview Trail, hike a short distance, 0.4 miles to the Sky Trailhead. Walk past the small parking area onto the uphill trail. Hike the Sky Trail 0.8 miles to the Fire Lane Trail on the right. The Fire Lane Trail begins in the deep forest and emerges into coastal chaparral. Hike 2.2 miles on the Fire Lane Trail until it dead ends at the Laguna Trail. Turn right on the Laguna Trail toward the Laguna trailhead and hostel and hike 0.8 miles to return where you started.
Laguna to Bayview 1.4 miles
Bayview to Sky Trailhead 0.7 miles
Sky Trailhead to Fire Lane 0.8 miles
Fire Lane to Laguna 2.2 miles
Laguna back to trailhead 0.8 miles
Nine mile loop: Laguna-Bayview-Sky-Fire Lane-Coast
Begin at the Laguna trailhead. Hike toward the Bayview trail for 1.4 miles. You know you are going in the right direction if you pass the Clem Miller Environmental Center just after starting out. At the Bayview Trail, hike a short distance, 0.4 miles to the Sky Trailhead. Walk past the small parking area onto the uphill trail. Hike the Sky Trail 0.8 miles to the Fire Lane Trail on the right. The Fire Lane Trail begins in the deep forest and emerges into coastal chaparral. Hike 2.2 miles on the Fire Lane Trail until it dead ends at the Laguna Trail. Turn left on the Fire Lane Trail toward the Coast Trail and hike 1.0 mile. The Coast trail makes an arc along the ocean and then veers inland to the road near the hostel (2.8 miles). Make a right and walk a short way on the road (0.3 miles) to the Laguna trailhead parking lot.
Laguna to Bayview 1.4 miles
Bayview to Sky Trailhead 0.7 miles
Sky Trailhead to Fire Lane 0.8 miles
Fire Lane to Laguna 2.2 miles
Fire Lane to Coast 1.0 miles
Coast back to Coast trailhead (hostel road) 2.8 miles
Coast Trailhead to Laguna Trailhead 0.3 miles
Volunteer Opportunity: PRNSA Field Institute
The Point Reyes National Seashore Association needs assistants for their Field Institute classes. You will spend a day training with PRNSA staff, then a couple of times a year you'll select the classes you'd like to help with. Shortly afterwards, you'll receive a confirmation of which ones you've been assigned. As a facilitator, you get to take the class for free. Normally, two facilitators help with every class. Duties include signing in class participants, making coffee (for indoor classes), talking briefly about PRNSA, and generally helping out as needed. I've been volunteering since 2017. It's a great experience to work with other facilitators and get to know the amazing field institute instructors.