Kehoe Beach Trail

Kehoe Beach Trail is an easy 1.2-mile out-and-back from Pierce Point Road to the ocean at Kehoe Beach. The first half follows the edge of Kehoe Marsh; the sandy finish climbs a low dune before opening onto a broad, scrub-backed shore. It is a simple way to reach Point Reyes’s open coast without taking on one of the longer peninsula hikes. The walk takes about 25 to 40 minutes round trip. Give it around an hour overall with a stop at the beach, and longer if you want to walk the shoreline.

From the signed trailhead, a narrow, mostly level dirt track runs beside the marsh. At about half a mile, it widens and turns sandy. The small dune is the only real climb, but loose sand can slide underfoot; expect the final descent to be soft too. The mapped trail ends at the beach. Walking farther north along the beach or taking a marsh detour adds distance and is outside the 1.2-mile figure. At the shore, look north to a jagged rock outcrop and pale layers along the coast. For a photo, frame the curving sand path with the bluff and a strip of surf beyond.

Surf can be large here; the National Park Service warns against playing close to the water. Stay back from breaking waves and never turn your back on the ocean. Leashed dogs (six feet or shorter) are allowed on the trail and the north/right side of the beach year-round. The south/left beach is closed to pets from March 1 through September 30 for snowy plover habitat. Summer fog is common, especially July through September; clearer coastal days are more likely from late September into early November. No trail reservation is required.

Parking is limited to unpaved shoulders along Pierce Point Road, 5.6 miles from Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Pull fully out of the travel lane. A vault/composting toilet is at the trailhead. The National Park Service lists no water source at this access, so bring what you need before leaving the main road.