Bull Point

Bull Point in Point Reyes National Seashore
Sunday, July 6, 2025, 10 am -2 pm
Leaders: Ann Elliott & Delynne Cullen

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.

The plant list for the area is at: https://cnpsmarin.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/BULL_POINT_TRAIL2.pdf

Directions:

Meet at the Bull Point Trail in Point Reyes National Seashore. From Larkspur, take Hwy 101 north to the exit for Sir Francis Drake Blvd west 20.4 miles to Olema. Turn right onto Hwy 1 and go two miles. Turn left onto Sir Francis Drake Blvd.

From other locations, get to the corner of Hwy 1 and Sir Francis Drake Blvd. just out of Point Reyes Station.

All: Proceed west and north on Sir Francis Drake for 11.7 miles toward the Lighthouse. Bull Point Trail is on the left (just before the North Beach turnoff) and 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.

Email Ann with any questions: annonfire@gmail.com
Text for day-of-trip questions or issues: Ann 530-521-4402

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