Salt Point State Park tidepools and rocks

Finally decided on a spring trip, destination is Salt Point State Park. This will be two nights camping (Friday/Saturday), with an option for a third if folks want to.

Caution: The map location on Meetup is not accurate. Here is a link to the actual park and our hikes (https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ZvSqR3ey2UsXpMb_SyQuwlukDvs&usp=sharing).

Salt Point is about two hours from the San Francisco. We'll mix tide-pooling and hiking. I'll have my 11-year old granddaughter with me, so kids are invited too (on longer hikes, we'll have options for kids who can't make it, but these options may be self-led).

On to the geology:

Salt Point State Park provides spectacular vistas of the ocean, with rugged offshore rocks and steep sea cliffs that take the full impact of the waves. The rocks are sculpted into an infinite variety of forms and shapes. Extending underwater, the rocks offer a range of habitats to a wide variety of marine plants and animals. Divers can enjoy the rich underwater world. Uphill from the coast, the park continues to the top of the coastal ridge. Habitats change from coastal grassland to forests of Bishop pine, madrone, tanoak, and redwoods. A pygmy forest of stunted cypress, pine, and even redwoods, as well as a large open “prairie,” provide unique surprises for the hiker. What makes Salt Point State Park so special? What has created this unique landscape? There are many more questions than we can easily answer, but we can begin to unravel the mysteries of its origin and formation. We can look beneath the surface at the dramatic geologic processes that create this magnificent landscape. The terrain of the park has been formed and modified over tens of millions of years. The processes involved in its formation include those processes that move continents and create oceans, build mountains and generate destructive earthquakes. To fully appreciate the geologic history of Salt Point State Park, it is helpful to understand how the rocks of the park formed and what dynamic processes were involved in the creation of the coastal mountains of California. (Geology of Salt Point State Park (http://www.saltpoint.org/geology.htm))

• http://baynature.org/videos/salt-point-geology-and-history (complete with video)

• http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=453

• http://www.parks.ca.gov/mediagallery/?page_id=453&viewtype=7 (link to brochure with good map)

Here's the Meetup page for the last time we did this trip (https://www.meetup.com/SF-Bay-Area-Geology-Hiking/events/16826012/)in 2011 (this was just a day trip).

Low tides:

• Friday: 7:42 PM, 2.2 ft (sunset 7:49)

• Saturday: 8:26 AM, 0.1 ft, (sunrise 6:36 AM)

• Saturday: 8:24 PM, 2.5 ft (sunset 7:50 PM)

• Sunday: 9:11 AM, 0.2 ft, (sunrise 6:35 AM)

Tentative itinerary

• Friday evening: Arrive and socialize around the fire. Perhaps a stroll down to the ocean.

• Saturday morning: 8:00 AM: Short hike down to the ocean to do tide-pooling and look at rocks along the ocean.

• Saturday lunch back at the campsite.

• Saturday afternoon: hike through pygmy forest to San Andreas Fault Rift Zone (possible alternate shorter hike for some who can't make the 6+ mile/1,000 foot elevation hike to the rift zone).

• Saturday evening: Dinner and relaxing around the campfire.

• Sunday morning: Pack up camp (unless some folks are staying another night), then hike through Kruse Rhododendron State Park (about 3 miles). The rhododendron season in the park "late April."

• Sunday afternoon: Stop at Fort Ross on the way back to the Bay Area.

Please RSVP only if you really plan on attending. Four or so hours of driving is a lot, and many people will need/want carpools, so please don't take up space "just in case" you feel like going when the weekend approaches :-) I set the limit at 30 with a waiting list if we get more than that.

Camping: We will be in a group campsite that handles "up to 40," although I've set the limit to 30.

How to RSVP: Please RSVP and pay for only one person (Meetup fees are over 9%!), then email me and let me know the total number coming with you. I'll increase your RSVP count accordingly. Please bring cash to the Meetup to pay for any additional folks in your group.

Kids: Kids are half-price :-)

Carpools: In the comment section, leave a note if you can offer/need a carpool. We usually end up with a couple carpools for these longer events. Remember to include your city in your comment, and if you wish to stay Sunday night.

Dogs are not allowed in the campground.

Sunday night? When you register, you will be asked a question about Sunday night. If you with to stay another night, please let us know and we'll coordinate all the folks to help determine the best camping option (paying for the $200/night group site, or moving into one or two $35/night sites that hold up to eight people). Katie and I won't be there Monday (Bijou needs to be back in school Monday), but I'm sure you can find great things to do.