Saturday May 26, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Leader: Paul da Silva
The Abbotts Lagoon trail is gentle and flat; from the parking lot, it is two miles to the brackish lagoon. The trail will take participants through coastal scrub, dunes, lagoon shore, and, if time permits, to coastal bluffs.
In late May, we should see shrubs of the coastal chap¬arral such as Lupinus arboreus (yellow bush lupine), Ericameria ericoides (California goldenbush), Rubus spectabilis (salmonberry), and Baccharis pilularis (coyote brush). Along the trail, we will be looking for Achillea millefolium (yarrow), Eschscholzia californica (California poppy), Cardionema ramosissimum (sand¬mat), Lathyrus vestitus (hillside pea), Acmispon glaber (deerweed, Lupinus arboreus and hopefully, some late annuals such as Lupinus nanus and L. bicolor (sky and miniature lupine), Castilleja exserta (purple owl’s clover), and Triphysaria eriantha ssp. rosea (pink butter and eggs). In the dunes, we can expect to encounter Monardella sinuata ssp. nigrescens (northern curly-leaved monardella), Abronia latifolia (yellow sand-ver¬bena), Agoseris apargioides (dune dandelion), Armeria maritima (sea thrift), Calystegia soldanella (beach morning glory), Camissoniopsis cheiranthifolia (dune suncups), Chorizanthe cuspidata (San Francisco spineflower), Fragaria chiloensis (beach strawberry), Layia carnosa (beach layia), Lupinus chamissonis (dune lupine), and Polygonum paronychia (dune knotweed).
Meet at the Abbotts Lagoon parking lot on Pierce Point Road in the Point Reyes National Seashore.
Bring lunch, water, hat, and sunscreen.