Owl Trail
(scroll to bottom for photo gallery)
Location: Owl Trail trailhead starts at the edge of the parking area for Muir Beach Overlook (road name), Muir Beach, off Shoreline Highway 1
Starting Point: Muir Beach Overlook parking area: On Shoreline Highway 1, at the western edge of the town of Muir Beach, watch for the Muir Beach Overlook sign, go up the hill to the Muir Beach Overlook parking lot. There is an opening for a small trail just to the right as one enters the parking lot.
Info/Links:
For all web links, if a link doesn’t jump directly, copy and paste into browser.
Muir Beach and Muir Beach Overlook info link (National Park Service):
https://www.nps.gov/goga/planyourvisit/muirbeach.htm
National Park Service visiting info and map link, noting Muir Beach Overlook and Slide Ranch:
https://www.nps.gov/goga/planyourvisit/upload/GOGA_X3-web_sm3-2.pdf
Though not right next to the Owl Trail, these links give info on nearby Muir Beach:
Muir Beach history info link (National Park Service):
https://www.nps.gov/goga/learn/nature/muir-beach-history.htm
Muir Beach info link (Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy):
https://www.parksconservancy.org/parks/muir-beach
Distance:
Muir Beach Overlook to Slide Ranch is 1.09 miles one way, for a 2.18 mile round trip, more like 2.5 if you wander around Slide Ranch (check out the tide pools!) a bit.
Considerations:
•There is a parking lot at the Muir Beach Overlook, which like any other hiking/vista site in Marin, can get crowded on weekends. This is often a spot where people do the short overlook walk and drive on somewhere else, though, so it’s easier to find an open spot than trailheads for long hikes.
• There is a toilet facility at the Muir Beach Overlook parking lot.
• On any trail, avoid touching poison oak. A scrub such as Technu is good to have if accidentally contacted.
• Sun protection and water, as well as extra layers for chilly winds, are always advisable. Sometimes these are necessary within the same half hour as temperatures can change quickly.
• The Owl Trail trailhead was not clearly marked from the parking lot on our previous visits. A small trail starts to the right as one enters the parking lot (facing the ocean). Within a couple hundred yards, this connects to a turnout on Highway 1, and where a sign marks the Owl Trail.
The trail:
First of all, if taking the trouble to get to the Muir Beach Overlook parking lot, it would be a shame not to spend time looking out from the Muir Beach Overlook at the start or end of an Owl Trail hike. See previous post, Muir Beach Overlook.
At the right side of the Muir Beach Overlook parking lot (when facing the ocean), there is an opening to a small trail. This short trail connects to a turnout on Highway 1 within a couple hundred yards, at which point a sign for Owl Trail comes in sight. Hikers will walk parallel to the shoreline, with the ocean at the left and Highway 1 up the hill to the right when heading from Muir Beach Overlook toward Slide Ranch.
There is a glorious view of the Pacific all along this trail. There are a few patchy stretches with trees, but for the most part this is a wide open view to the ocean.
From Muir Beach Overlook to Slide Ranch is mostly a downward incline, with steps built into the trail at various spots. The low brush plants along the way are sometimes highlighted by beautiful lupine, but also plagued by poison oak, which has a different appearance at different stages of growth. It’s worth learning how to identify poison oak and have a scrub like Technu on hand on the trail or at least at home.
At some point, the round roofs of yurts appear down to the left. These are used for Slide Ranch programs. The trail eventually drops down to an appealing collection of eucalyptus, pine and cypress trees, indicating that you are reaching Slide Ranch. Owl Trail still continues with a sharp left at a pasture, where you’ll come upon a goat enclosure. At this point you’re wandering through the Slide Ranch area, and if you wish, can go forward in search of the signs for the tide pools, which are used in Slide Ranch teaching programs for kids, and also make a glorious stopping spot for hikers, whether under bright sun or moody fog.
It’s an upward incline for the hike back, though not particularly steep. The view on the return direction is beautiful, but if hiking in late afternoon as the sun makes the shadows longer, glancing back toward Slide Ranch offers beautiful contrasting sea, coast and sky images.
(Owl Trail Hike Notes were originally paired with the “Light and Shadow” Insights post.)
Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page. Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. See products with inspiring designs that support the efforts of HikingAutism under Support/Shop. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links.
Check the Home page for the broader background story. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photo galleries at the bottom of each hike page! Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777
(scroll to bottom for photo gallery)
Location: Owl Trail trailhead starts at the edge of the parking area for Muir Beach Overlook (road name), Muir Beach, off Shoreline Highway 1
Starting Point: Muir Beach Overlook parking area: On Shoreline Highway 1, at the western edge of the town of Muir Beach, watch for the Muir Beach Overlook sign, go up the hill to the Muir Beach Overlook parking lot. There is an opening for a small trail just to the right as one enters the parking lot.
Info/Links:
For all web links, if a link doesn’t jump directly, copy and paste into browser.
Muir Beach and Muir Beach Overlook info link (National Park Service):
https://www.nps.gov/goga/planyourvisit/muirbeach.htm
National Park Service visiting info and map link, noting Muir Beach Overlook and Slide Ranch:
https://www.nps.gov/goga/planyourvisit/upload/GOGA_X3-web_sm3-2.pdf
Though not right next to the Owl Trail, these links give info on nearby Muir Beach:
Muir Beach history info link (National Park Service):
https://www.nps.gov/goga/learn/nature/muir-beach-history.htm
Muir Beach info link (Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy):
https://www.parksconservancy.org/parks/muir-beach
Distance:
Muir Beach Overlook to Slide Ranch is 1.09 miles one way, for a 2.18 mile round trip, more like 2.5 if you wander around Slide Ranch (check out the tide pools!) a bit.
Considerations:
•There is a parking lot at the Muir Beach Overlook, which like any other hiking/vista site in Marin, can get crowded on weekends. This is often a spot where people do the short overlook walk and drive on somewhere else, though, so it’s easier to find an open spot than trailheads for long hikes.
• There is a toilet facility at the Muir Beach Overlook parking lot.
• On any trail, avoid touching poison oak. A scrub such as Technu is good to have if accidentally contacted.
• Sun protection and water, as well as extra layers for chilly winds, are always advisable. Sometimes these are necessary within the same half hour as temperatures can change quickly.
• The Owl Trail trailhead was not clearly marked from the parking lot on our previous visits. A small trail starts to the right as one enters the parking lot (facing the ocean). Within a couple hundred yards, this connects to a turnout on Highway 1, and where a sign marks the Owl Trail.
The trail:
First of all, if taking the trouble to get to the Muir Beach Overlook parking lot, it would be a shame not to spend time looking out from the Muir Beach Overlook at the start or end of an Owl Trail hike. See previous post, Muir Beach Overlook.
At the right side of the Muir Beach Overlook parking lot (when facing the ocean), there is an opening to a small trail. This short trail connects to a turnout on Highway 1 within a couple hundred yards, at which point a sign for Owl Trail comes in sight. Hikers will walk parallel to the shoreline, with the ocean at the left and Highway 1 up the hill to the right when heading from Muir Beach Overlook toward Slide Ranch.
There is a glorious view of the Pacific all along this trail. There are a few patchy stretches with trees, but for the most part this is a wide open view to the ocean.
From Muir Beach Overlook to Slide Ranch is mostly a downward incline, with steps built into the trail at various spots. The low brush plants along the way are sometimes highlighted by beautiful lupine, but also plagued by poison oak, which has a different appearance at different stages of growth. It’s worth learning how to identify poison oak and have a scrub like Technu on hand on the trail or at least at home.
At some point, the round roofs of yurts appear down to the left. These are used for Slide Ranch programs. The trail eventually drops down to an appealing collection of eucalyptus, pine and cypress trees, indicating that you are reaching Slide Ranch. Owl Trail still continues with a sharp left at a pasture, where you’ll come upon a goat enclosure. At this point you’re wandering through the Slide Ranch area, and if you wish, can go forward in search of the signs for the tide pools, which are used in Slide Ranch teaching programs for kids, and also make a glorious stopping spot for hikers, whether under bright sun or moody fog.
It’s an upward incline for the hike back, though not particularly steep. The view on the return direction is beautiful, but if hiking in late afternoon as the sun makes the shadows longer, glancing back toward Slide Ranch offers beautiful contrasting sea, coast and sky images.
(Owl Trail Hike Notes were originally paired with the “Light and Shadow” Insights post.)
Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page. Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. See products with inspiring designs that support the efforts of HikingAutism under Support/Shop. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links.
Check the Home page for the broader background story. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photo galleries at the bottom of each hike page! Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777
