Parking
A very short paved shoulder on the west side of Highway 1, opposite the trailhead on the east. Park completely out of the travel lane and cross the highway carefully.
Overview
About McCurdy Trail
Why go
- Pasture, redwoods, manzanita and fir in one climb
- Open views toward the ocean on the way up
Heads up
- Steep, strenuous grade for nearly two miles
- Very limited roadside parking
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Point Reyes map
Full mapElevation194–1,565 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
4 active Point Reyes alerts
- ClosureOld Tocaloma/Platform Bridge closed to vehiclesDo not drive across the Old Tocaloma/Platform Bridge; it is closed to all vehicular traffic until further notice.Official details
- ClosurePalomarin Beach Trail closedPalomarin Beach Trail is closed to all visitors, employees, and residents until further notice; do not use the trail. - The trail is closed because unstable and failing sections have made it unsafe.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Point Reyes Tour Guide
Your drive to McCurdy Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Point Reyes National Seashore. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this area
Why the Radio Stations Stood Apart0:00 / 0:26
“Long-distance radio had a local problem: a powerful transmitter could drown out a faint incoming signal. So in 1914, Marconi built a sending station at Bolinas and placed the receiver near Marshall on Tomales Bay.”
Plays on the road 0.3 mi from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Point Reyes Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Coast Miwok Story Continues
- Where Redwoods Meet Chaparral
- After the Pelican's Splash
- When the Herons Left the Redwoods
- 61 audio storiesacross Point Reyes’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Northern Elephant Seal, Grey Whale, Humpback Whale, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 65 trails, 41 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking McCurdy Trail
To Bolinas RidgeMcCurdy Trail is a 4-mile out-and-back from Highway 1 to the Bolinas Ridge Trail.
McCurdy Trail is a 4-mile out-and-back from Highway 1 to the Bolinas Ridge Trail. The 2-mile climb gains about 1,300 feet on an old ranch and fire road; it’s a strenuous choice for a short day, with a more varied landscape than the mileage suggests. The finish is a junction with Bolinas Ridge, not a summit.
A steep, changing climbThe route rises almost continuously from grassy pasture, through a stand of coast redwoods and…
The route rises almost continuously from grassy pasture, through a stand of coast redwoods and drier manzanita, then into fir forest near the ridge. Brush can crowd this old road, and the grade stays steep. Views back toward forested ridges and the ocean open along the climb; turn around to catch them as you go.
Roadside accessAllow about 2 to 3 hours round trip.
Allow about 2 to 3 hours round trip. Parking is a very short paved shoulder on the west side of Highway 1, across from the trailhead on the east; get completely out of the travel lane and cross carefully. No restroom is reported at the trailhead. Dogs are allowed on a leash shorter than six feet; bicycles and horses use the same route.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Point Reyes
2,552 sightingsNorthern Elephant SealMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
127 sightingsGrey WhaleMost seen around noonSighting map
109 sightingsHumpback WhaleMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
29 sightingsSteller Sea LionMost seen around noonSighting map
203 sightingsCalifornia Sea LionMost seen around noonSighting map
352 sightingsHarbor SealMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Point Reyes. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
