We were here during a heat wave, so I assume this place was busier than usual, but it still was pretty quiet. We almost didn't go here, but we had some extra time and ended up liking this beach the beast of all of them. I would highly recommend this hidden gem if you are up for a little bit of an adventure.
Road/parking: Paved all the way, with a decent size parking lot with bathrooms. This is one of the quieter beaches but the parking can fill up.
Trail to the beach: Easy stroll through the wood with minimal elevation change. Once you hit the beach you will have your choice of a log bridge over the creek or crossing through the shallow water. From here you can see some sea stacks in the distance and a nice sand beach with drift wood and some swings below the bluffs.
Trail over Taylor Point: Close to the end of the beach you will see a rope ladder of sorts hanging from the cliffs. This is where the real adventure begins! The ladders were quite solid, but are not for everyone. If you are not a ladder person, go a little further down the beach and sometimes you can see a waterfall coming down from the cliffs.
Once you go up this ladder, there is another, and another, and another. Some of them felt a little awkward because they start at a super shallow angle, so they are pretty much flat on the ground. The angle changes quickly, and soon you are grateful for their assistance. There was just one rung that was spaced a bit far for me, making for a bit of a stretch, but the rest were pretty even. There were a couple day hikers up here and a few backpackers climbing with heavy packs, otherwise just us and a couple pesky bugs. There were a couple of National Park workers building a new set of stairs.
After a couple ups and downs you will come down on the far side of Taylor Point, to a secluded little cove. With a sea stack towering over you and its improbable trees clinging to the rock and more stacks hovering behind it, this place feels like its own little magical oasis. If the tide it low you can do some tide pooling here.
If you wish to go further you have two options. You can simply walk around the point if the tide is out, or you can go up an over it using the ropes for assistance. No ladders this time. We went up and over. It was a little slick, but not too bad, you just had to accept that the rocks under your feet were going to move and be ready for it. It would have been pretty dangerous without the ropes, but with them it was fun. There are some pictures in the video.
On the other side we were rewarded with more sea stacks and a long flat sandy beach. From here the trail stretches on for miles, all the way to Oil City if you get backpacking permits. We enjoyed the beach for a little bit and turned back.
Stats: 6.6 miles, 1,260 ft elevations gain, 3 hours with stops.
Comments