This massive national park preserve is located about an hour north of San Francisco, just off of the beautiful Highway 1. The park is packed with hiking trails, campgrounds, rocky bluffs overlooking the Pacific, whale-watching, and beaches galore! The hike that Edel and I trekked was about 8 miles altogether with a peaceful lake at the halfway mark that we used for a nice swimming break.
We started our hike by walking through a grove of towering eucalyptus trees. I, for one, think that these trees are just awesome, so I had to snap a quick pic.
The trail was occasionally dotted with picturesque seasonal ponds in between the mountainside trails, the coastal views, and the woodsy areas. This place had EVERYTHING.
Halfway to the waterfall, we took a picnic break at Bass Lake, a nice little fresh water lake along the way. There was a nice small crowd of twenty-somethings, drinking beer and floating on rafts enjoying the summer sun. We are already planning a return trip to copy their brilliant idea.
After the lake, we hiked a couple more miles to Alamere Falls, a rather breathtaking waterfall that drops 150 feet off a cliff almost directly into the ocean. The views were pretty decent, if I do say so myself.
Obligatory "couple" photo. He is absolutely wonderful.
We attempted to climb down the cliffs to get a picture of the waterfall from the base, but eventually the descent got too steep (and crumbly) for comfort, so we settled for some pictures of the cascades near the top.
These falls were small compared to Alamere Falls, but they sure make Edel look rather minuscule.
This picture was the result of Edel leaning over the cliff on his belly and randomly aiming the camera at the huge fall from the top. It made me a little nervous, so I made myself busy exploring the surrounding area while he played photographer.
Me having conquered the baby waterfall! It really was an excellent day, and well worth the two hour drive. We will definitely be back!
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