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Beautiful Alamere Falls Drops Into The Pacific Ocean

by Joe Dorish on 10/09/09 at 11:13 am

If you like waterfalls and oceans then Alamere Falls is for you as it beautifully flows right over a coastal cliff and into the Pacific Ocean along the California coastline.

Alamere Falls drops into the Pacific Ocean from a 40 to 50 foot high bluff along Alamere Creek above Wildcat Beach in Point Reyes National Seashore in Northern California north of San Francisco. Wildcat Beach and Alamere Falls are located in the southern portion of Point Reyes National Seashore.

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Access to Alamere Falls is not particularly easy but the shortest way is via a 7.5 mile (one way) hike along the gorgeous California Coast Trail which can be reached from the Palomarin trail-head just north of Bolinas at the end of Mesa Road. One can also reach Alamere Falls by hiking or biking along the Stewart Trail from Five Brooks off Route 1. After 6.7 miles Stewart Trail reaches the Wildcat Campground and from there it is another mile south to Alamere Falls.

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A la mer means “to the sea” in French which applies to both Alamere Falls and Alamere Creek. There are actually a number of smaller waterfalls along Alamere Creek just upstream from the main falls. 

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Waterfalls that drop onto a beach or into the ocean are called tidefalls. Alamere Falls and McWay Falls are reportedly the only two perennial tidefalls on the California coast though there are other waterfalls along the coast that do flow onto beaches and into the ocean but whether they flow all year or not I cannot say. Alamere Falls itself flows best during winter and spring when the rains come to the area and tends to have less flow during the dry months.

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While Alamere Falls is difficult to reach many people like to say that McWay Falls along the Pacific Coast Highway is much easier to reach but technically this is not true. While it is easy to see McWay Falls it is virtually impossible to climb right down to the top or base of McWay Falls. Even though Alamere Falls is hard to reach once you are there you can access both the top and base of the falls.

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Along with Burney Falls which Teddy Roosevelt called “the Eighth Wonder of the World”, Alamere Falls and McWay Falls are perhaps the most scenic waterfalls in California outside of the Yosemite National Park waterfalls.

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The hike along the Coastal Trail to Alamere Falls passes two pretty freshwater lakes called Bass Lake and Pelican Lake

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and also offers many awesome views of the California coast along the way.

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Alamere Falls is difficult to reach but once there the vast majority of visitors are more than happy they made the trip.

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22 Comments

raman13

Sep 10th, 2009

Good Stuff

Well Done

Best Regards

mystery61

Sep 10th, 2009

Awesome, thanks for sharing!

CHAN LEE PENG

Sep 10th, 2009

You can always become a great source for trips on waterfalls. They’re really informative and helpful. Have my kudos and liked it as usual.

Ruby Hawk

Sep 10th, 2009

These are beautiful falls and the California coast scenery is the best. it’s quiet a bit different than ours in Georgia.l

cutedrishti8

Sep 10th, 2009

Thanks for a great work…

cebuanaeyez

Sep 10th, 2009

I lived in CA for how many years and sadly to say, I have never seen those waterfalls (except in Yosemite and Big Sur). Beautiful pictures as always.

Littlekid137

Sep 10th, 2009

Very beautiful and well reasearched as always. I especially liked the last picture.

raptor22

Sep 10th, 2009

Great article and pictures, makes me want to go and see the falls for myself.

Melody Arcamo Lagrimas

Sep 10th, 2009

Wow! A waterfall that cascades to the ocean. Excellent!

sweet sunshine143

Sep 11th, 2009

Very beautiful waterfalls.

Emma Green

Sep 11th, 2009

How beautiful! Thanks for the share.

Yovita Siswati

Sep 11th, 2009

very very beautiful! a great place to visit!

N. Lloyd Andrews

Sep 11th, 2009

Wonderful…Perhaps some day I will get to California.

Payge

Sep 11th, 2009

Awesome as always, a water fall that goes into the ocean isnt seen much.

GailSeymour

Sep 11th, 2009

Thanks, those photos were like taking a mini break.

Lostash

Sep 11th, 2009

This is an unusual one, Joe. And the lakes look lovely too.

Lauren Axelrod

Sep 11th, 2009

These waterfalls are found in the most amazing of places you wouldn’t expect. Right on the beach, so cool.

Mr Ghaz

Sep 11th, 2009

Great post!..very well presented and beautiful place to visit..Thanks for the small tour..cheers .I liked it

papaleng

Sep 12th, 2009

well done a great pictures.

kate smedley

Sep 12th, 2009

As always these are beautiful Joe with stunning pictures, I’d love to visit.

Gene

Sep 18th, 2009

These pictures are absolutely dynamite! Looking at them is almost as good as being there. I have not been there in 8-10 years but this has inspired me and some friends to go for it tomorrow. Can’t wait! Thanks for the beautiful reminder!
Gene

martie

Sep 27th, 2009

Some really magnificants photos here Joe.

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