Shell Beach–Heart's Desire Beach, 5 beaches is a 5.7-mile out-and-back in Tomales Bay State Park near Marconi, CA. The route passes Heart's Desire Beach and Tomales Bay State Park Beach before reaching Shell Beach at the turnaround, 2.9 miles in. It climbs 978 ft and is mostly dirt. It scores 51/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.
Elevation
0 mi69 – 568 ft5.9 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 38.13168, -122.89086
Nearest town Marconi, CA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Shell Beach–Heart's Desire Beach, 5 beaches
5.7 mi · ▲ 978 ft · 2 hr 23 min
Elevation 68–569 ft
Out & Back · Tomales Bay State Park
Trailhead: 38.13168, -122.89086
Weather Aug 3: Partly cloudy, high 80°F / low 52° · precip 0% · wind 5 mph · sunrise 6:17 AM · sunset 8:20 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading W.
- 50 ftPass Heart's Desire Beach.
- 150 ftTurn left onto Jepson Trail, heading S.
- 0.8 miBear right onto Johnstone Trail, heading SE.
- 2 miPass Tomales Bay State Park Beach.
- 50 ftReach Shell Beach, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 2 miBear left onto Jepson Trail, heading NW.
- 0.8 miTurn right, heading N.
- 50 ftArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
99% dirt1% paved
Weather
Partly cloudyTemperature 80°F52°
Precip0%Wind5 mphUV8Humidity83%
Hourly temperature
80°50°
Sunrise 6:17 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:20 PM
Tue
70°52°
Wed
73°56°
Thu
77°53°
Fri
82°52°
Sat
81°52°
Sun
83°51°
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 1.3 mi in (~44 min). Leave by 7:16 PM for the 8:20 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:09 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from this trailhead
- Heart's Desire Beach & Jepson Trail Loop via Johnstone Trail 2.3 mi · ▲ 400 ft
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