Amethyst Cove

There is so much to be said about going forth with plans regardless of weather. The fist time we hiked Cape Split there was a heavy fog, but we went anyway and it was totally worth it. In the same vein, when we finally made it to Amethyst Cove it was a rainy weekend, and our hike got pushed back to just hours before sunset—but I am so glad we still went. It's a wonderful spot, and we were able to get right down to the beach, spend some time exploring, and climb back up the rope before darkness really fell. We hiked back in the dark, which was nice, too—thankfully we'd brought our flashlights.

Amethyst Cove is a beautiful cove on the side of Cape Split that's reached through a rather discreet trail accessible from the Cape Split parking lot. Since the beach runs beside a rather high rock wall along the side of the Cape, it is important to line up your hike with the tides so that you don't get caught somewhere as the tides come back in. It is advisable to start your hike about an hour after high tide so that you can have some time to walk along the shore before the tide turns.

To find the trail, you walk through the field to the right of the Cape Split parking lot, then through some trees, and once you see a pretty deliberate looking walking trail, you've found it. The hike to the cliff is pretty short, probably 15-30 minutes, at which time you come upon a rope you take to climb down to the shore. (It's best to bring gloves to wear while scaling the rope). Once you get to the beach, you can walk along as far as you'd like and scavenge for quartz and amethyst—taking care to be back before the tide returns.