Slide Ranch and Tide Pool Walk
(scroll to bottom for photo gallery)
Slide Ranch, 2025 Shoreline Highway, Muir Beach, CA 94965
Location: Shoreline Highway/Highway 1, about 1 mile north of Muir Beach Overlook. The visiting information link below has excellent detailed information on how to get to Slide Ranch and their visitor parking lot.
For all web links, if a link doesn’t jump directly, copy and paste into browser. (Information links may change. We do our best to update.)
Slide Ranch information link (Slide Ranch):
https://www.slideranch.org
Slide Ranch visiting information (Slide Ranch):
https://www.slideranch.org/visit
Distance:
Slide Ranch itself doesn’t involve a long hike. Visitors can walk around the ranch area that includes goats, ducks, chickens and bees, and also walk the Tidepool Trail to the beach and tidepools, and maybe walk back up via the Dome Trail. That loop might add up to half a mile. I like starting from Muir Beach Overlook and walking the Owl Trail to Slide Ranch, making for a round trip hike of a little over two miles.
Considerations:
General note: All information is subject to change based on current health and safety guidelines.
• 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.
• On any trail, avoid touching poison oak. A scrub such as Technu is good to have if accidentally contacted.
• There is a port-a-potty near the yurt.
• The last part of the Tidepool Trail down to the beach is a bit steep and rocky.
• Heed health and safety notices, including wildlife alerts.
The trail:
The Marin coastline can be fickle in its weather offerings, bright sun bearing down one minute, and chilly fog blowing in the next. Both options are stunningly picturesque, with overcast days creating monochromatic patterns of rocks, waves and sky, and sunny days sharply contrasting sculptural rocks against a zingy blue sky beautiful enough to bring tears. I’ve enjoyed visits to Slide Ranch via the Owl Trail on both kinds of days.
Those who choose to walk to Slide Ranch from Muir Beach Overlook get to enjoy views of the coastline while walking the Owl Trail as it hugs the curves of the coast heading toward the ranch. The final approach includes an inviting row of trees leading up to the goat pen, which brings visitors to the ranch area. The other option is to just park at the Slide Ranch parking area and enter Slide Ranch directly.
An amble around the ranch area leads past ducks and chickens to the start of the Tidepool Trail. This trail is a gentle path that descends gradually toward the water until the end, at which point it becomes a bit of a steep, rocky drop to the main rocks and tide pool area. If you catch the tide at the right time, you can see a variety of tide pool creatures including sea anemones, crabs, and barnacles. If the tide is high, hanging out on the rocks and contemplating the waves and the horizon is a great option, too.
Heading back up toward the ranch along the Dome Trail makes for a nice loop which takes visitors back to the ranch or parking area or to connect back to the Owl Trail near the goat barn if hiking back to Muir Beach Overlook. Short walk or long, Slide Ranch makes for a special outing, especially if including the tide pools in your visit.
(Slide Ranch and Tide Pool Walk Hike Notes were originally paired with the “The Long Haul” 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)
Slide Ranch, 2025 Shoreline Highway, Muir Beach, CA 94965
Location: Shoreline Highway/Highway 1, about 1 mile north of Muir Beach Overlook. The visiting information link below has excellent detailed information on how to get to Slide Ranch and their visitor parking lot.
For all web links, if a link doesn’t jump directly, copy and paste into browser. (Information links may change. We do our best to update.)
Slide Ranch information link (Slide Ranch):
https://www.slideranch.org
Slide Ranch visiting information (Slide Ranch):
https://www.slideranch.org/visit
Distance:
Slide Ranch itself doesn’t involve a long hike. Visitors can walk around the ranch area that includes goats, ducks, chickens and bees, and also walk the Tidepool Trail to the beach and tidepools, and maybe walk back up via the Dome Trail. That loop might add up to half a mile. I like starting from Muir Beach Overlook and walking the Owl Trail to Slide Ranch, making for a round trip hike of a little over two miles.
Considerations:
General note: All information is subject to change based on current health and safety guidelines.
• 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.
• On any trail, avoid touching poison oak. A scrub such as Technu is good to have if accidentally contacted.
• There is a port-a-potty near the yurt.
• The last part of the Tidepool Trail down to the beach is a bit steep and rocky.
• Heed health and safety notices, including wildlife alerts.
The trail:
The Marin coastline can be fickle in its weather offerings, bright sun bearing down one minute, and chilly fog blowing in the next. Both options are stunningly picturesque, with overcast days creating monochromatic patterns of rocks, waves and sky, and sunny days sharply contrasting sculptural rocks against a zingy blue sky beautiful enough to bring tears. I’ve enjoyed visits to Slide Ranch via the Owl Trail on both kinds of days.
Those who choose to walk to Slide Ranch from Muir Beach Overlook get to enjoy views of the coastline while walking the Owl Trail as it hugs the curves of the coast heading toward the ranch. The final approach includes an inviting row of trees leading up to the goat pen, which brings visitors to the ranch area. The other option is to just park at the Slide Ranch parking area and enter Slide Ranch directly.
An amble around the ranch area leads past ducks and chickens to the start of the Tidepool Trail. This trail is a gentle path that descends gradually toward the water until the end, at which point it becomes a bit of a steep, rocky drop to the main rocks and tide pool area. If you catch the tide at the right time, you can see a variety of tide pool creatures including sea anemones, crabs, and barnacles. If the tide is high, hanging out on the rocks and contemplating the waves and the horizon is a great option, too.
Heading back up toward the ranch along the Dome Trail makes for a nice loop which takes visitors back to the ranch or parking area or to connect back to the Owl Trail near the goat barn if hiking back to Muir Beach Overlook. Short walk or long, Slide Ranch makes for a special outing, especially if including the tide pools in your visit.
(Slide Ranch and Tide Pool Walk Hike Notes were originally paired with the “The Long Haul” 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
