Point Reyes National Seashore

Point Reyes National Seashore is a protected stretch of coast on a peninsula in Marin County, California, about 35 miles (56 km) northwest of San Francisco. The drive to the Bear Valley Visitor Center at 1 Bear Valley Road, Point Reyes Station, takes roughly 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes via US-101 and Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. There is no practical public transit, so visitors usually rent a car, which costs about 60 to 120 dollars per day, or join a guided tour at roughly 100 to 200 dollars per person. Entry to the Seashore is free.

The peninsula combines rolling dairy and ranch land, beaches, forests and sea cliffs. The Point Reyes Lighthouse, a 1870 landmark reached by a steep staircase of about 300 steps, is one of the foggiest and windiest places on the Pacific coast; the access road has seasonal weekend shuttle restrictions. The Chimney Rock area, from December to March, is a prime place to see elephant seals and gray whales, and tule elk roam the Tomales Point trail. Beaches such as Drakes Beach and the long Point Reyes Beach offer wide, wild shoreline, while the Bear Valley Trail and Earthquake Trail near the visitor center give short, easy walks. In the village of Point Reyes Station, bakeries, cheese shops and oyster bars near Tomales Bay make convenient food stops.

A good one-day arc begins with the visitor center and the Earthquake Trail in the morning, then a drive out to the lighthouse or Chimney Rock for wildlife in the late morning. Lunch fits in Point Reyes Station or at an oyster stand on Tomales Bay, and the afternoon suits a beach walk at Drakes Beach before heading back before dark. Distances inside the park are long, and roads are narrow, so time estimates should be generous.

December to March suits elephant seals and whales, while September and October usually bring clearer weather. Fog is common in summer. Layers and sturdy shoes are advised.