We arrived at the large parking area near the beach at Bowman Bay around 3:30 and it was about 1/2 full. Privies are available and a Discover Pass is required to park. From the parking area, you can either hike north and west to Rosario Head or south along the beach to Lighthouse and Lottie Points.
We chose Rosario Head as our outbound route and found the trail near the parking area. The trail follows the shoreline north through a large picnic area, passing the CCC Interpretive Center. The trail then turns west near Bowman Bay camping area and is easy to follow to Rosario Head. The trail steepens near the campsites but levels out quickly. I did not observe any obstacles or concerns with this part of the trail.
After taking in the beautiful scenery at Rosario Head, we decided to double back to the parking area and head south from there for the Lottie and Lighthouse Point Loops. From the parking area, the trail follows the shoreline, crosses a wooden bridge, turns steeply uphill for a bit, and then downhill to an intersection for the Lighthouse and Lottie Point Trails. We chose the Lottie Point Trail. From this point, the trail is a bit confusing because it is supposed to be a loop but is not signed very well. Parts of the trail are on very steep switchbacks and are dangerously close to steep cliff edges. We encountered several trees down over the trail but we were able to get over (or under) all of them with a little but of stretching. Lastly, parts of the Lottie Point Trail are overgrown and could use some brushing. We eventually found the Lottie Point loop (after doubling back a bit), took in the limited view, and headed to Lighthouse Point.
The Lighthouse Point Trail is a stark contrast to the Lottie Point Trail in that is is wide and easy to follow with no obstacles to note. We arrived at the point just as the the sun was starting to set and decided to cut our time there short so we wouldn't have to walk back in the dark. We arrived back at the parking area around 8:00 just in time to enjoy the sunset. In summary, Rosario Head and Lighthouse Point are amazing but I think we will skip Lottie Point the next time we are out in the area.
Here is a link to a map of the area. Based on this map, I estimate that our route was around 4 miles in total length.
https://www.deceptionpassfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/ParkMapWeb.pdf
Comments