Last updated: April 18, 2024
Place
Five Brooks Trailhead
NPS / S. Frisbie
Quick Facts
Location:
Point Reyes National Seashore's Five Brooks Trailhead is located off of Highway 1 3.5 miles (5.6 km) south of Olema, California. Geographic Coordinates: 37.9974, -122.7579
Amenities
7 listed
Information Kiosk/Bulletin Board, Parking - Auto, Picnic Table, Recycling, Toilet - Vault/Composting, Trailhead, Trash/Litter Receptacles
The Five Brooks Trailhead is located off of Highway 1 (aka Shoreline Highway) 4.4 miles (7 km) south of the Bear Valley Visitor Center. It serves as a trailhead for the Stewart Trail, the Olema Valley Trail, and the Rift Zone Trail. The trailhead itself is at the north end of a medium-sized gravel parking lot which is just past Five Brooks Ranch, a park concessioner that offers horse rides. The Five Brooks Trailhead offers a good alternative to the Palomarin Trailhead, especially when the latter is full. The trails that begin here eventually intersect with many trails that lead into the Phillip Burton Wilderness, including the Greenpicker, Ridge, Alamea, Old Out Road, Glen, and Coast trails.
Suggested Routes From This Trailhead
Hike to Wildcat Beach: 13.4 miles (21.6 km) roundtrip, strenuous
Bike to Wildcat Campground: 13.4 miles (21.6 km) roundtrip, strenuous
Hike to Alamere Falls: 15.6 miles (25.1 km) roundtrip, strenuous
Hike the Rift Zone Trail: 8.6 mi (13.8 km) roundtrip, moderate
Ride a Horse on the Rift Zone Trail: 8.6 mi (13.8 km) roundtrip, moderate
(The Vedanta Society Property, which the Rift Zone Trail enters ~1 mile (~1.6 km) north of the Five Brooks Trailhead, is only open to the general public from 8 am until 2 hours before sunset.)
Park Regulations
- Take only pictures; leave only footprints: Almost everything one finds at Point Reyes is protected by law, including shells, rocks, fossils, flowers, and artifacts.
- Please only travel on authorized trails, respect posted signs, and practice Leave No Trace principles when recreating in the park.
- Check current conditions and trail advisories and closures before your visit.
- Bicycles are permitted on the Stewart Trail, the Olema Valley Trail, and southern end of the Glen Trail, but not on any other trails in this immediate area, which pass through the Phillip Burton Wilderness.
- Pets are not permitted on any of the trails in this area. Visit our Pets page to learn where pets are permitted at Point Reyes National Seashore.
- Horses and pack animals are permitted on most park trails, including the Stewart Trail, the Olema Valley Trail, and the Rift Zone Trail. Please visit our Horse Riding page for more information.
- Drones are not permitted anywhere in Point Reyes National Seashore.
Parking
The Five Brooks Trailhead parking lot is approximately 10 minutes by car from the Bear Valley Visitor Center. The last 0.3 miles (0.5 km) is an unpaved road that is often severely potholed and washboarded. There is a gravel parking lot at the end of the road.
Directions to Bear Valley
Directions from Bear Valley to the Five Brooks Trailhead