The hike to the end of Tomales Point is a fabulous experience, but you have to save it for the right time. If you yearn for a chance to bask in the warm sunshine and have great vistas, you'd be better off taking a hike on Mt. Tam. But if you have just read Wuthering Heights or are in the mood for a ramble through the moors, then read on.
You'll leave your car at the historic Pierce Ranch. The trail goes around the back and straight out to the point. There are no other cross trails, and indeed, not much else out here. This is a desolate place: cold, windy, foggy and barren of much besides scrub and other tenacious brush, and the occasional boulder perched like a dolman.
The first 2 miles are the least interesting- sometimes the fog is so thick that you cannot see the cliffs down to the ocean (although you will hear the surf). But press on.
Midway through the hike you will come to a pond where Tule elk often congregate. There are hundreds in the preserve (in fact, population pressures have the rangers putting the does on birth control), and they are fun to watch. As long as you stay on the trail and engage in sensible behavior, you should avoid the wrath of the males, even in rutting season.
After this the trail gets sandy and you will have to scramble up some narrow points. But do make it out to the point- if only to experience the feeling of being at the end of the earth, with only a buoy bell and the antics of the sea birds to keep you company.
Follow these links for more information on the elk reserve or on the historic Pierce Ranch.