McCurdy Trail
Trail length: 2 miles each way, out and back
Time: 2-3 hours
Terrain: oak, fir, bay forests, madrone, manzanita
Restroom? No
Parking: Park at the Olema Valley Trailhead across the road. There’s a small pullout area that fits 3 or 4 cars.
Kid friendly? No, it’s steep
Dates visited: 8/17/18, 3/29/19, 7/26/20, 3/12/21
Favorite plants on this trail: Golden Chinquapin (Chrysolepis chrysophylla)
Favorite spots: Every part of this trail is interesting!
McCurdy is the most surprising trail in Point Reyes. It’s a journey to many different lands. It begins in a grassy pasture, emerges at a stand of Coast Redwood trees, transitions abruptly into an arid manzanita zone, and finally ends in a thick fir forest at the Bolinas Ridge trail. Starting at the trailhead, the McCurdy trail is uphill the entire way so bring plenty of water. The views are expansive from much of the trail, overlooking the forested ridge toward the ocean. You’ll have to stop and turn around to see the view which is a great excuse to catch your breath and have a drink of water on this steep, arduous trail.
If you have two cars or someone to shuttle you, an invigorating 8.3 mile hike is to ascend McCurdy, and go left at the Bolinas Ridge Trail to the Randall Trail. Descend on the Randall Trail to Shoreline Hwy 1. Cross the road, take the Randall Spur to the Olema Valley Trail. Go right on the Olema Valley Trail to Five Brooks. If you want to avoid the steep ascent of McCurdy, reverse that hike so you start at Five Brooks and end at McCurdy.
An 8.6 mile loop option is to start at the Olema Valley Trailhead (across the road from the McCurdy Trail); hike the Olema Valley Trail to the Randall Spur. Take the Randall Spur to Shoreline Hwy 1; cross the road to the Randall Trail. Ascend the Randall Trail to the Bolinas Ridge Trail; go right on the Bolinas Ridge Trail until the McCurdy Trail. Descend the McCurdy Trail and cross the road back to the Olema Valley Trailhead parking area.
It’s easy to miss the McCurdy and Olema Valley trailheads when driving along Shoreline Hwy 1. If you’re coming from Bolinas, they are not far after Horsehill Rd near Dogtown - Olema Valley Trailhead is on the left and the McCurdy is on the right. Drive slowly and pay attention. I’ve found some of the map applications give you the wrong directions if you search on McCurdy Trail.
Golden Chinquapin (Chrysolepis chrysophylla)
Honeybees were swarming on the many Golden Chinquapin shrubby trees that lined the trail. It was a nectar feeding frenzy. The Golden Chinquapin is a native of the Pacific coast and a member of the Beech family. The flowering catkins of the Golden Chinquapin are ornate and covered in delicate white fuzzy strands.
The species is monoecious, with individuals bearing both male and female flowers. White male flowers are borne in the leaf axils, and a cluster of female flowers is borne beneath them. A spiny bur contains one to three nuts. The nut is edible, having a flavor similar to the hazelnut or filbert. source: iNaturalist/Wikipedia.
Coyote Brush (Baccharis pilularis)
In August, the Coyote Brush was in full bloom along the McCurdy Trail. These plants were at the beginning of the trail in the pasture.
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 for about a year. It's a great experience to work with other facilitators and get to know the amazing field institute instructors.