McClures Beach

Way out on the northwestern shore of Point Reyes lies a beach that’s positively theatrical: great granite cliffs, enormous rocks, huge waves. Exposed to the full fury of the Pacific, McClures Beach resounds with waves like rolling thunder that strike the rocks and sea stacks at land’s end and toss great plumes of spray skyward.

Here, the ocean puts on a show of raw power. On windy days, the breakers pound so hard you can feel the vibration through your boots; on calmer afternoons, the long stretch of sand invites a quieter exploration. Shorebirds probe the tideline, and harbor seals sometimes bob in the surf. Tidepools against the rocks reveal anemones, crabs, and mussels clinging to their wave-washed homes.

The approach down the sandy trail is short but memorable. Following a creek through a sheltered little valley, you suddenly emerge onto a wide, sandy crescent where land and ocean collide in spectacular fashion.

While an adventure in its own right, McClures Beach is also the perfect add-on to the Tomales Point Trail, my favorite hike in the national seashore and a favorite of the many hikers I’ve led there. After walking the windswept ridgeline amidst the tule elk and getting commanding views of the Pacific, it’s the perfect complement to drop down to McClures and meet the booming breakers face-to-face. And if you linger for sunset, when the last light spills across the waves and lights the cliffs in gold, the day will etch itself in memory.