• Here's a Google map of the main parking area. Note the West Point parking lot to the north if the main parking area is full. Pillar Point can be very popular during low tides, so arriving early and/or carpooling will hopefully help you secure a parking spot.
• Arrive around 7:30-7:45am so you have time to find parking, change your shoes, use the bathroom, and be ready for the 8:00am start! The lowest tide is at around 9:30am.
• Meet the California Academy of Sciences staff by the bathrooms at the end of the main parking lot at 8:00am for an introduction to the bioblitz; we'll then walk all together out to the tidepools.
• From the main parking lot, there is about a 0.5 mile walk on a mostly-flat dirt trail from the main parking lot to Mavericks Beach. We will cross the sandy beach area for about 0.1 - 0.2 miles to reach the rocky reef area where the tidepools are located.
• If you arrive late and we're no longer in the parking lot, follow the path at the end of the main parking lot all the way to the end to get to the tidepools. Once you make it out the reef, look for us by the nudibranch tidepool (see map)!
• Once we're out there, we'll take photos / make iNaturalist observations of every species we can find! Once you upload them to iNaturalist, they'll automatically be added to our Pillar Point Tidepool Bioblitz project and the San Francisco Bay Area 2024 City Nature Challenge project!
• You can leave whenever you need to; Academy staff will plan to stay out in the tidepools until around 11am or until the rising tide pushes them back in!

The tidepools are very slippery and require walking over uneven terrain, and in water. We recommend that you move at a pace and distance that feels comfortable to you. Getting up close to see animals in tidepools and in rock crevices may also involve some bending and crouching over. This event is recommended for children 6 and older, and people with good mobility.

At the minimum, you need a smartphone with iNaturalist installed and logged into, or a camera to upload your observations to the iNaturalist website later.

Clothing: Wear comfortable layers! It can be cold and windy, and/or sunny at the tidepools, sometimes changing from one to the other. You may also want to have a hat and sunglasses on hand when it is sunny.

Footwear: Be prepared to walk in water up to mid-shin. Waterproof rubber boots are the best choice and will allow you to navigate the tidepools most easily. Other sturdy shoes with good tread that you don’t mind getting wet will also work – an old pair of sneakers is great! Definitely no flip-flops - they are much too slippery!

Some people bring a hiking pole or walking stick to help with navigating the uneven, rocky tidepool area. Also consider bringing water, sunscreen, snacks, and other things to keep yourself comfortable if you think you may need them in the 2-3 hour period we are out. You will want your hands free for holding on to things and keeping your balance, so a backpack or waist-pack may be helpful if you have multiple items.

Because we'll be outside, masks aren't required, but definitely feel free to bring one and wear one if you'd like, especially for times where you might be gathered with others.