Located 40 miles (63 km) northwest of San Francisco, Point Reyes National Seashore is a relatively hidden gem if you are not from this area. Rolling hills and endless beaches are the main features of this reserve, and if you are a nature lover or a birdwatcher, then this is your kind of place you want to visit.

We started the morning at a slow pace once we picked out our rental car. Point Reyes National Seashore does not require advance reservation (like Muir Woods National Monument) and offers free admission to all attractions during operating hours.

Established in 1962, Point Reyes National Seashore is located in Marin County, Northern California and is a popular tourist destination. It’s a vast, protected stretch of coastline known for its diverse natural beauty, including sandy beaches, rocky headlands and open grasslands. Approximatively 71,000 acres of land (including 32,000 acres of wilderness) are home to over 1,500 species of plants and animals, such as tule elk and elephant seals. A wildlife sanctuary and a heaven for wildlife enthusiasts.

There’s plenty to do and see in the park to fill a weekend or more, if you have the time. From fantastic hikes with extensive coastal views, to charming beaches swept by restless waves. If you only have a day available, like we did, then you might need a little planning to get to the park’s top sights. Here are our favourites:

Tomales Point

The trail heading to Tomales Point is 15 km round-trip and is located at the northern end of Point Reyes. After passing the historic Pierce Ranch, the trail took us through meadows filled with various shrubs habited by songbirds, along the ridge of the narrow peninsula. The desire to hike the entire route had slowly faded the day before, when my left knee began to hurt from excessive walking on the steep hills of San Francisco.

The path is mostly flat and considered moderate, except for the distance. Soon, we got distracted by the beautiful sighs of Tomales Bay and forgot about the pain. After awhile, we spotted the first tule elk munching in a field of blooming iris. More and more of them were spread out across the grassland and seemed completely unperturbed by passerby. They gave the impression of being so meek, and one of them appeared to want to come over and be petted. But I quickly moved away, so they wouldn’t be tempted to come closer.

The tule elk is one of two subspecies of elk native to California. After its numbers were drastically reduced in the mid-80’s, Henry Miller, a conservation minded cattle rancher from Bakersfield had the foresight to preserve one last isolated group of fewer than thirty elks discovered on his ranch in 1874. All of the estimated 5,700 tule elk present in twenty-two herds across California came from this small remnant herd.

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Cypress Tree Tunnel

As you drive through the wilderness, to the tip of the headland along Sir Francis Drake Blvd, you will see at some point several cars parked along the street. You can’t miss them; nor the trees.

Planted around 1930, the Monterey cypress that now creates a “tree tunnel” is the Historic KPH Maritime Radio Station signature landscape. It’s a pretty unique spot, and it’s worth stopping by.

If you are lucky enough, you might be greeted by the cute call of a California quail, seemingly oblivious to all the noise and commotion around. The handsome California quail, with its curious forward-drooping head plume, became the official state bird in 1931. An interesting fact about its head plume, or topknot, is that it looks like a single feather, but it is actually a cluster of six overlapping feathers.

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Point Reyes lighthouse

The Point Reyes Lighthouse is located at the westernmost end of Point Reyes Headlands. The 16-km long headlands have always posed a thread to ships traveling between San Francisco Bay and locations to the north, especially since San Francisco became a major port following the 1849 Gold Rush. Navigation around the headlands was safer once the lighthouse was built in 1870, but shipwrecks did not cease. Today, the US Coast Guard installed an automated light adjacent and below the historic tower, which was retired from service in 1975.

The sticky fog lingering on the cliffs seemed to keep a decent distance from the lighthouse, and convinced us to head down all the way to the lighthouse. Point Reyes lighthouse is jutting out on the edge of a cliff, away, into the ocean. We realized at once that the walk back wouldn’t be fun, but we did it anyway. What other chance would we have of seeing the rugged coastline up close from here?

The rhythmic sounds and splashes of the naughty waves kept us entertained for a while, and the low, teasing layer of clouds hiding the endless sea in the distance held us even longer, making us wonder how many ships went perilously to the bottom of these dangerous shores.

We weren’t quite ready to leave the lighthouse yet as the shimmering fog was starting to move out, not to mention the fact that we still had to climb up 313 steps to get back to the parking lot, but we did it eventually. It was 4 o’clock and the lighthouse station was closing its gate. Not little was our surprise when, on our way back, we found that all the fog had dissipated, and the dancing waves were bathing the entire shoreline under a balmy, peaceful sun.

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Chimney Rock

Since you are at the tip of these headlands, a visit to Chimney Rock may be of interest to you. In 1981, the first breeding Elephant Seals pair was discovered near Chimney Rock, and after being absent for more than 150 years, the Northern Elephant seals have begun to return to sandy pocket beaches in this area. Visitors here can observe a colony from the Elephant Seal Overlook, especially from December through March as they come here in large numbers for the birthing and mating season, and in the spring when adult females and juveniles haul out to molt.

If you have time and good weather, you can hike Chimney Rock trail, 2.9 km roundtrip, leading to a vantage point that offers beautiful bay and ocean views. In the spring, wildflowers abound, and at the trailhead you can find a sign with names and pictures of most of the flowers found in this area. Picking flowers in a national park is not permitted, but the views are fantastic, making this area worth a stop.

Point Reyes Peninsula is known for its cattle ranching history since 1850, when it catapulted Marin County to the forefront of California’s butter and cheese production. So, don’t be surprised when you will see cattle and ranches scattered throughout this area. In 2018, 17 ranches on Point Reyes were included on the National Register as a historic landscape district.

Home to the cattle, these ranches also seem to be friendly to the wildlife, as near one of them we spotted a coyote and a bobcat. If it wasn’t for its short, “bobbed” tail of the latter, it looked a lot like my friend’s cat😊

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Drakes Beach

The beaches at Point Reyes, like most of the beaches in Northern California, are likely to be cold, windy, and foggy. That’s how we found Drakes Beach when we first stopped in the morning. Little did we know that this beach actually tends to be less foggy in the afternoon, so we had to go back later in the day for better visibility.

Drakes Beach is one of the four beaches at Point Reyes National Seashore that are accessible by car. A wide stretch of beach backed by dramatic white sandstone cliffs makes the place very popular for humans and Elephant Seals alike. Due to the latter, Drake Beach can be temporary closed to some extend until mid- June every year. But then, these closures mean you have a chance to see the Elephant Seals!

Male Elephant Seals are the first to arrive here, in December, in an effort to stake out a claim on the beach they hope to dominate. Pregnant females begin to arrive soon after, to give birth to a single pup. By early February, the southwest Drakes Beach colony can number over 600 animals. By mid-April when we visited Pt Reyes, most of them were gone, except some pups and juveniles. The barriers had been moved closer to them and so we had a wonderful opportunity to watch them up close.

Tip(s) of the day:

* Pt Reyes National Seashore is open to visitors every day of the year. The park is open from 6 am to midnight. For more information, alerts and closures you can read here;

*The National Seashore has about 150 miles (240 km) of hiking trails to explore. Trail maps are available at the Bear Valley Visitor Center or online; ensure you follow the park rules and regulations and read the park’s hiking guide before venturing into the wilderness;

*Pt Reyes is the windiest and foggiest place on the west coast, especially during the summer. You may want to check the weather forecast and take layers of clothing;

*There are incredible opportunities for wildlife sighting; you need to maintain at least 25 feet distance between you and wildlife, and 100 feet of marine mammals if not otherwise stated;

*The Pacific coast is renowned for their dangerous beauty, rip currents and sweeping waves. Just be aware of your surroundings and stay away from the tip of the cliffs, bluff tops and large surfs;

*Although it is only 40 miles from San Francisco to Pt Reyes, be prepared of long distances between places within the park;

*Parking lots tend to be too small, but street parking seems to be available in some places, as long you park by the rules;

*The Golden Gate Bridge toll is only required for those coming into San Francisco, and can be paid -only- online up to 48 hours after crossing the bridge.

~ visited in April 2025