Kelham Beach

01.05.10 - 10:49 am | Gary Hanauer |

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Rating: C

Hikers sometimes sunbathe or swim naked at little-known but gorgeous Kelham Beach, which even has a spring-fed waterfall that spills down the cliffs. "I went (nude) there four or five years ago," says Michael Velkoff. "Just past Arch Rock, which parallels the beach, there's a trail that cuts through the woods on the bluff above the beach and takes you there." He describes the final portion of the footpath to the sand as being "about 25 yards long." At the north end of Kelham is an arch-shaped tunnel leading to what some call Real Secret Beach. Says a National Park Service site: "Visitors should use caution when visiting this beach. High tides frequently cover much of the beach."

Legal status:

Part of Point Reyes National Seashore.

How to find it:

In Point Reyes, a 4.8 mile trek from the Bear Valley trailhead, starting at the end of the Bear Valley Parking Lot, brings hikers to an overlook above Kelham. But getting there requires more like a three to six hour walk of just over eight miles via the Bear Valley Trail, which is considered the Seashore's most popular path. You'll go through a forest of firs and other trees that provide protection from sun, wind, and fog, next to Bear Valley Creek. The beach overlook is at Arch Rock. Follow signs to Kelham Beach, off the Kelham Beach Trail, whose cutoff, near a huge eucalyptus tree, is about .8 mile north on the Coast Trail.

The beach:

The National Park Service calls Kelham a "quiet, secluded beach." For photos of Kelham and its waterfall, go here.

The crowd:

Probably just you and other hikers.

Problems:

Fog; wind; cold water; long hike; lack of others to help you if you fall.