Sublime Pacific Ocean views and an incredible landscape of coast and cliffs combine on Point Reyes National Seashore in California – the only national seashore on the West Coast. Despite its convenient location only 30 miles north of San Francisco, you will feel worlds away as you walk through a swath of coastal wilderness. You can watch migrating grey whales, grazing cliffside tule elk, and frolicking elephant seals and sea lions in the waters below, wander one of many uncrowded trails along the incredible landscape of coast and cliffs, and explore the neighboring communities, including charming Point Reyes Station.
When to Visit Point Reyes
Point Reyes enjoys a temperate, Mediterranean-style climate with mild winters and mild summers. Though you can expect clear, sunny, 50- to 70-degree days a majority of the year, patches of misty fog are common and the weather can change quickly here, so you should always pack layers, regardless of the time of year.
While Point Reyes is accessible year-round, my personal favorite time to visit is in April, when colorful wildflowers flood every trail! Spring is also a great time to view wildlife, including grey whales, tule elk, elephant seals, and sea lions. You can find the best time to see wildlife in the park using the chart at the bottom of this page.
Where To Stay in Point Reyes
Camping
Point Reyes operates four backcountry campgrounds inside the park that are only accessible by foot or by boat. When we visited Point Reyes, we had reservations to camp at Tomales Bay Campground – only accessible by boat, you must paddle to your campsite that is found along a small sandy cove backed against steep cliffs. Unfortunately, Covid changed our plans so we didn’t end up camping on the beach. But, I think that camping on a remote beach under the stars sounds amazing, so that would be my first choice.
If you’d rather not hike or paddle, neighboring communities and nearby state parks offer additional campgrounds. Olema Campground is a great option for convenient drive-up camping near Point Reyes.
Read More: How to Find Free CAMPING IN THE U.S.
Lodging
If camping isn’t your fancy, then check out Olema House for a cozy stay that is close to everything. Olema House won #1 Hotel in Northern California and the USA in the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards, so you know it’s nice! 😉
Inside of the park, HI Point Reyes Hostel provides dormitory style lodging in addition to private room rentals. Additional lodging can be found in the nearby towns of Point Reyes Station, Olema, Inverness, and Marshall.
If you’re willing to drive a bit farther, say about 30 minutes, then you should consider Nick’s Cove! Situated on the edge of Tomales Bay, Nick’s Cove provides spectacular water views throughout the property. Each of their cottages are complete with a wood burning stove and are beautifully decorated in a rustic nautical theme. In addition to beautifully cozy lodging, the resort offers an array of activities including paddle boarding and kayaking (for an additional fee), live music at their waterfront restaurant, and more!
What to Do in Point Reyes
Tomales Point Trailhead
The Tomales Point Trail in Point Reyes offers some of the best wildlife viewing in the park, as it winds through the grasslands of the Tule Elk Reserve, allowing you to observe herds of tule elk up close. The trail is also known for its stunning coastal views, historic structures, and diverse wildlife. It starts near Pierce Point Ranch and takes you through rolling hills along the crest of an open ridge providing sweeping ocean views of Tomales Bay, Bodega Bay, and the Pacific Ocean. The full trail is about 10-miles round trip, but hikers can choose to turn back at Lower Pierce Point Ranch for a shorter 6-mile round trip hike. The great thing about this trail is that the views are constant, so even if you aren’t able to do the full hike, you’ll still be rewarded with gorgeous scenery no matter how far you go!
Note: Tomales Point Trail is especially spectacular in the spring when the hills are covered in wildflowers!
Point Reyes Shipwreck
Located behind the Inverness Store is Point Reyes Shipwreck, an iconic wooden boat stuck on a sandbar in the Tomales Bay. Stop in at the Inverness Store to grab a sandwich from their deli counter, then head around back to enjoy a picnic with a view. The sparkling Tomales Bay and rolling green hills in the background of this shipwreck, make it a popular spot among photographers!
Cypress Tree Tunnel
A idyllic display of cypress trees line both sides of the road and converge to form a natural tunnel at this stop on the side of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. This is a very popular spot for photos, so if you wish to capture it without people you’ll want to arrive early in the morning!
Point Reyes Lighthouse
Point Reyes Light is the perfect place to look for migrating grey whales. Grey whales migrate from the Bering Sea up in Alaska, down to warmer waters near Baja California in Mexico from January to April. Even if you aren’t lucky enough to see a whale during your visit, the view of this cliffside lighthouse and sweeping views of picturesque Limantour Beach is reason enough for the visit!
Chimney Rock Trail
The Chimney Rock area is a popular place to view elephant seals and wildflowers! The trail itself, leaves right from the parking lot that is shared with Elephant Seal Overlook. On Chimney Rock Trail, the journey is just as spectacular as the destination! The 1.75 mile (roundtrip) hike to Chimney Rock boasts sweeping views over Drakes Bay and the Pacific Ocean throughout as you walk along the ridge crest of this narrow peninsula. In addition to the constant ocean views, you can also enjoy fields of wildflowers in the spring, and views of the historic Chimney Rock Lifeboat Station below.
The trail ends at the tip of a peninsula, overlooking Chimney Rock itself – a giant chimney shaped rock right off the coast that has a natural arch eroded through the middle. As you take in the views from the edge of this spectacular peninsula, keep your eyes peeled for migrating gray whales off the coastline. While it is possible to see whales here any time of year, you’re most likely to see one March through May, when hundreds of gray whales migrate past Chimney Rock every day.
Sea Lion Overlook
Stop to see sea lions lounging on the beach at this overlook just off of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. This overlook can be easy to miss, so take it slow and look carefully! There is a steep 54-step stairway down the side of a cliff that overlooks a beach where sea lions can commonly be found warming themselves in the sun.
Elephant Seal Overlook
The Elephant Seal Overlook is a short, 0.25 mile walk from Chimney Rock trailhead. The trail winds down to a platform overlooking a beach with dozens of frolicking elephant seals barking on the beach, especially during pupping season. From the overlook, you can view the elephant seals from afar.
To view elephant seals even closer, I would recommend walking down to the Historic Chimney Rock Lifeboat Station that is accessed on the opposite side of the parking lot from Elephant Seal Overlook. Once walking down the short hill to the Lifeboat Station, you’re likely to see several elephant seals relaxing on the beach next to the pier. While you can’t walk onto the beach itself, you’ll still feel like you’re right next to them!
Hit the Beach!
Point Reyes National Seashore boasts some of the most renowned beaches along the California coast, each with its unique charm. Three of the most popular beaches to visit are Limantour Beach, Drake’s Beach, and The Great Beach, often referred to as Point Reyes Beach.
Limantour Beach, a stunning 4-mile stretch known for its calm waters and scenic beauty, is most popular among families for having gentle waves that allow you to play along the shoreline. At Limantour Beach you can often see harbor seals frolicking in the waves, and in the spring, gray whales can be spotted offshore. Drake’s Beach is famous for its wide sandy beach backed by sandstone cliffs. Similar to Limantour Beach, Drake’s Beach offers gentle waves that allow you to safely explore the water.
Note: Some sections of Drakes Beach may close seasonally when elephant seals flock to the beach to mate and give birth.
Great Beach (or Point Reyes Beach), encompasses North and South Beach making up an impressive 11-miles of coastline. Great Beach offers excellent opportunities for picturesque sunsets and wildlife viewing, however, swimming here is not advised due to the rough surf and the threat of “sneaker” waves.
Choose a beach and dedicate an afternoon to leisurely strolls, wildlife viewing, and shoreline splashing. For a truly relaxing beach day, consider getting a permit for a beach bonfire!
Alamere Falls
Alamere Falls is a waterfall that cascades 40 feet off a cliff onto the sandy Wildcat Beach below, offering a breathtaking spectacle. Reaching this gem is no easy feat though, you must tackle a challenging 13 to 14.6-mile round-trip hike.
While there are several different routes that you can hike to reach Alamere Falls, the shortest and most popular route is the Palomarin Trail via the Coast Trail for a total distance of 13.8-miles round trip and an elevation gain of 1,955 feet. The Alamere Falls Trail via the Coast Trail promises striking views and coastal vistas stretching to the Farallon Islands. While the hike is challenging due to its length, the well-maintained path takes you through eucalyptus groves, scenic forests, and past lakes, before reaching Wildcat Campground. From Wildcat Campground, Alamere Falls is only a 1-mile hike along the beach.
Note: It’s extremely important that you check the tides before setting out on the final mile of the hike along the beach, as high tide can completely submerge the beach near the falls!
McClures Beach
End the day with a short 0.4 mile walk down to McClures Beach to take in an epic west coast sunset! We’ve visited McClures Beach twice, and the first time we ended up getting that “Point Reyes” fog seen in the picture above and on our second visit enjoyed a gorgeous sunset. Having experienced both, I’ll say that the beach is worth a visit regardless of the weather, so don’t fret if you miss the sunset!
McClures Beach is backed by dramatic, rocky cliffs that are covered in rolling hills of wildflowers. As if the beach itself weren’t scenic enough, sometimes you can even spot tule elk grazing up on the hill!
Explore Point Reyes Station
This charming town on the outskirts of Point Reyes National Seashore is full of cute shops and delicious restaurants. Stop in to Cowgirl Creamery for a cheese tasting, Toby’s Feed Barn for a unique and local shopping experience, and Heidrun Meadery for a relaxing drink to finish the day!
If you have extra time, book a table at Hog Island Oyster Company where you can shuck and grill your own local oysters!
we hope this post helps you plan an epic trip to Point Reyes! Please let us know in the comments if you have any questions:) Happy Adventuring!
