HUGAL/SAG POND/LONGMEADOW LOOP

Carpool at 9:45 at pullout for Gualala business directory north of bridge or meet at 10:00 at Ohlson Rec Center (just south of the white barn). Hang tags needed. Cross the highway and take the Hugal RavineTrail to Seabird Road. Pick up the trails again at the end of Schooner Dr (post 109) and follow the Sag Pond Trail to Longmeadow Rd. Walk down Longmeadow to Greencroft Close and pick up the trails again at the end of Greencroft (post 238). Walk down the Longmeadow Trail, around the stables and end up back at Ohlson Rec Center. We will have lunch near the rec center or at Ohlson Beach.
Leader: Laura Bridge
all photos contributed by Bob Rutemoeller

GUALALA ROAD to GREEN IRON BRIDGE and GAC HIKING TRAILS

Meet at 10:00 in back part of the Gualala Arts parking lot. We will walk one of the new GAC trails before hiking along the road down to the green bridge and back. There are some mild elevation changes. We will have lunch at the picnic tables at the Arts Center, and after lunch can view the art shows inside.

Leader: Laura Bridge

WALK-ON-BEACH TO GUALALA POINT PARK

Meet at the Hidden parking lot (left of the Gualala Point Park pay station) at 9:50 a.m. to carpool to Walk-On-Beach parking lot off Highway 1. (If you do not have a regional park permit, you can park on the east side of Highway 1 across from the park entrance.) We take the public access trail to Walk-On-Beach before heading north on the bluff trail to Gualala Point Park. Lunch options include the beach, picnic tables on the bluff by the bathrooms or the tables at the visitor's center. Carpool drivers (and any Sea Ranchers who met the group there) will be shuttled back to Walk-On-Beach parking lot.
Leaders: John & Lynn Walton
photos contributed by Bob Rutemoeller

DMC LOOP #1

Carpool at 10:45 at Gualala Business Sign pullout just north of bridge. Start at 11:00 at Del Mar Center on TSR (hang tags needed). Walk to Tallgrass and hike under the Highway and then turn left on Saloon Trail to Pomo Trails and across Highway. Lunch in Gualala Point Park. Hike the Salal Trail to Bluff Trail and then go south, taking either the Del Mar Meadow trail north of the bridge past post #62a , or if the leaders prefer, staying on the Bluff Trail turning after Post 54 to take the trail back to Leeward and the Del Mar Center.
Leader: Steve Coffeysmith
all photos contributed by Bob Rutemoeller

PELICAN BLUFF (NEW)

Meet at 9:35 at pullout for Gualala business directory and carpool at Anchor Bay at 9:45 south side of town on west side of highway. The hike will begin at the Pelican Bluff parking lot at 10:00. The Mendocino Land Trust has designed a 2.2-mile trail which will begin construction in summer 2017. This 73-acre preserve is home to the endangered Point Arena Mountain Beaver and several rare plants, as well as a creek (which is recovering from cattle grazing) and Bishop pine forest. There are spectacular ocean views from very high white cliffs on the property- these cliffs are very steep, making it essential to stay on the trail. The trail will guide visitors from the parking lot to a grassy field surrounded by trees, a perfect spot for a picnic once we return from the hike. From there, the path will pass through a Bishop pine forest before revealing the dramatic coastal landscape. The trail will continue over a small bridge and down toward the bluff edge, with dramatic sheer, white cliffs plunging to the sea below. This is a great spot to see the peregrine falcons that nest nearby. From there the trail loops back, this time through the wide coastal prairie, before returning to the parking lot. Please note that a different hike may be substituted if the trail is not completed on time.
Leader: Jeff Gyving & Lena Bullamore

FORT ROSS BLUFFS AND COVE (NEW)

Carpool at 9:15 at pullout for Gualala business directory north of bridge, and at The Sea Ranch Lodge at 9:30 or meet at Fort Ross State Park at 10:00. There is a charge of $8 per car for parking, $7 for the senior rate (62 and older.)  People who have passes should bring them. We will walk by the windmill and then down to the road, turning south and taking the trail to Fort Ross Cove. Returning to the road we will continue to walk south and take the trail to Sandy Cove and walk from there along the bluff to Reef Campground before retracing our steps. Depending on how long this takes we may go to the graveyard and back. Lunch afterwards at Sandy Cove, the Call House picnic tables or in the Fort. Dogs aren’t allowed on most of the Fort Ross trails.
Leaders: Mary Sue Ittner and Bob Rutemoeller
Mileage: 3.5
photos contributed by Bob and Harmony

SEA FOREST AND BLUFF TRAILS (NEW)

Carpool at pullout for Gualala business directory just north of bridge at 9:45 and meet at the Sea Ranch Lodge at 10:00. We will take the trail from the parking lot to Moonraker Road and cross highway 1. From there we will enter the new Sea Forest Trail (directly across from trail post 201), which has a creek and a seasonal waterfall.  After admiring the spectacular view of the coast, we will retrace our steps, cross back over highway 1 and head north toward the Moonraker Rec Center. At trail post 3C we will head toward the bluff, turning south at trail post 3. We will return to the lodge via the bluff trail for lunch.
Leader: Laura Bridge
photos contributed by Bob& Wildflower Laura