Pierce Point Ranch — Attraction in Sebastopol

This review applies only to the ranch. The buildings are not that well maintained (though I suppose they're still structurally sound, probably?), and they're rather dirty. Not that much to see at the ranch itself. You also can't go into any of the buildings except the barn. If you peek through the schoolhouse windows, you'll see it's being used for storage (?). The descriptive signs read like a school report -- not that informative, not that much history. Most of them appear to cite the same article.

The road up to the ranch is also old + bumpy; my dog almost got carsick on the way up. The drive itself also is not very scenic, though I added 1 star for the cows we saw along on the way.

Not ranch related: I imagine if you're here for the Tomales Bay hike + see any elk on the way, it might be a better experience. Nevertheless, all in all this ranch wasn't worth the 1 hour drive. (Heads up that the hikes starting here don't allow dogs, which is likely biasing my review as we weren't able to see or do anything other than walk about the ranch for...

A moderate ~10 mile (round trip) hike in the Point Reyes area. Great for athletic hiking novices, the grade doesn't change too drastically and there are no switchbacks. The dirt trail is wide and well-marked; it stretches along the coast and if the fog cooperates, you have a stunning view of the water below. The most exciting part is spotting a herd of elk - be sure to keep your distance and don't feed or interact with them in any way. Just go about your business and they'll go about theirs. There are no public restrooms here, so reverse back the way you came a mile or so and you'll see a turnout called McCleary's where there are compost restrooms (no hand washing stations though, so bring sanitizer). The park rangers in the area aren't always around, and when they are, they aren't always helpful, but they are jovial enough and seem to enjoy their jobs, which is...

This is one of those places that you have to wonder who would give it less than 4 stars. Like maybe 4 stars instead of 5 for the rough road on the way up? Or maybe you just had a bad day? But three or less?

The only down side I can see to this wonderful hike is that there are no really easy bathrooms at the trailhead. But there are bathrooms near the beach parking lot a very short drive or walk down the hill. Those bathrooms are not 5 stars though. Definitely 2 stars. They could use some attention.

The hike is great, I'd say moderate in difficulty, some steep parts, but amazingly beautiful, and you'll almost certainly see the Tulle elk. What's...