Bay Area Trails Recall British Coast and Moors

The San Francisco Bay Area is rich in coastal trails. Foremost is the officially designated Coast Trail, which heads through the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Mt. Tamalpais State Park and Pt. Reyes National Seashore. It offers days, weekends and up to a week of fine hiking to remote back-country camps.

Pt. Reyes National Seashore, with its densely forested ridges, wild and open coastal bluffs and deserted beaches, is an unforgettable place to ramble. The Pt. Reyes Peninsula’s moors, weirs, glens and vales call to mind the seacoast of Great Britain. When the fog settles over the dew-dampened grasslands, walkers can easily imagine that they’re stepping onto a Scottish moor, or wandering England’s Dorset coast.

Hikers from around the world have long been drawn here, and now, with a blossoming of accommodations ranging from fine inns to budget hostels, an ideal opportunity for a European-style walking tour has been created.

By crossing the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco and linking a combination of coastal paths, it is possible to take a self-guided walk of some 60 miles to the city of Inverness.

The hike presents the California coast at its most breathtaking, including secluded Tennessee Valley, the majestic coastal redwoods of Muir Woods and dramatic lookouts on the slopes of Mt. Tamalpais.

Start plotting your course with maps: The Auto Club’s Bay Area road maps provide the big picture, while the National Park Service’s Golden Gate National Recreation Area and Pt. Reyes National Seashore maps put the trails in perspective. If your idea of a vacation is eating-staying-walking in a beautiful place and leaving the organization to somebody else, Berkeley-based Backroads’ six-day tour might be for you. This guided walk begins at Pt. Reyes and heads down-coast to Sausalito.

If you want to organize your own North Coast excursion, a modestly paced, six-day walk might include:

Day 1: Over Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito (7 1/2 miles) or to Golden Gate Hostel (8 1/2 miles).

Day 2: The Coastal Trail to Tennessee Valley, then on to Muir Beach (6-9 miles).

Day 3: Muir Beach to Stinson Beach, with a detour to Muir Woods (9 miles).

Day 4: Stinson Beach across the slopes of Mt. Tamalpais, down to funky Bolinas (10 1/2 miles).

Day 5: From Bolinas, a walk along the San Andreas Fault line to the Olema Inn (12 miles).

Day 6: Olema through Bear Valley, over Mt. Wittenberg, to Inverness Park (9 1/2 miles).

Take a hike with John McKinney’s “Day Hiker’s Guide to Southern California” ($16.95). Send check or money order to Los Angeles Times Syndicate, Dept. 1, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles 90053.

Marin County Coast Where: Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Pt. Reyes National Seashore. Distance: 8-60 miles. Terrain: Dramatic coastline, headlands. Highlights: Euro-walking with a California flavor. Degree of difficulty: Moderate. For more information: Contact Backroads, 1516 5th St., Berkeley, Calif. 94710 (800) 462-2848; Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Ft. Mason, Building 201, San Francisco 94123, (415) 556-0560; Pt. Reyes National Seashore, Bear Valley Road, Pt. Reyes, Calif. 94956, (415) 663-1092.