Bull Point in Point Reyes National Seashore
Saturday, July 20, 2024 10:00 - 2:00
Leaders: Betsey Crawford and Lena Zentall
Limit: 20
Please sign up for this field trip on Meetup beginning July 1.
As June turns into July and most of the county dries up, we head to cooler, wetter Bull Point on Point Reyes. What looks to most like just another cow pasture turns into a haven for summer plants, several of them rare.Some plants we hope to encounter include the fragrant and rare Pt. Reyes horkelia (Horkelia marinensis), large-flowered linanthus (Leptosiphon grandoflora), white bog Orchid (Platanthera dilatata), marsh harebell (Eastwoodiella californica), coast lily (Lilium maritimum), leopard lily (Lilium pardalinum), and Point Reyes checker bloom (Sidalcea calycosa ssp. rhizomata) – the perennial subspecies, rare and known only from a few swampy areas of the coastline. Habitats range from freshwater marsh to coastal dunes. We will wander a bit, so it is hard to tell distance, but less than 3 miles. There is almost no elevation change. We will often be off trail and on uneven, sometimes boggy terrain. Expect wet feet.
See the plant list for Bull Point.
Directions: Meet at the Bull Point Trail in Point Reyes National Seashore. From Hwy 101 take the exit for Sir Francis Drake Blvd. Continue west 20.4 miles to Olema. Turn right onto Hwy 1 and go 2 miles. Turn left onto Sir Francis Drake Blvd. From other locations, go to the corner of Hwy 1 and Sir Francis Drake Blvd. just out of Point Reyes Station. All: Proceed west on Sir Francis Drake for 11.7 miles toward the Lighthouse. Look closely for the Bull Point Trail on the left (just before the North Beach turnoff) as it is not well marked.
Bring: Water, snacks/lunch; hiking poles will be helpful but not necessary. It can be chilly early on before warming up, so layers are good.
Rain cancels.
Questions? Text Betsey at 631-484-1949; please include your name
If you have not yet done so, please sign the Waiver for Marin Chapter 2024.