Point Reyes National Seashore is one of the most stunning oceanfront parks in the world. It has every kind of shoreline area, from the wild and wind-chilled great beaches of the northwest side to the protected areas of Drakes Bay and Limantour Spit to the south. In addition, two lush esteros wind their sinewy way to the park’s southern coast. The southern half of the Point Reyes National Seashore is a 32,000-acre designated wilderness area with more than 70 miles of trails and several hike-in campgrounds.

Though 40 miles north of San Francisco today, this peninsula was once near the Tehachipi Mountains in southern California. On the northward-moving Pacific Plate, Point Reyes is on its way to Alaska at an average rate of two inches per year.

VISIT POINT REYES: TIPS AND HIGHLIGHTS

• Seasons are often reversed at Point Reyes, with fog and cold in the summer and clear days in the winter.
• Look for oyster shells and sand dollars at the north end of Drakes Bay.
• The visitor centers make great rainy-day activities.

The Bear Valley Visitor Center is a good place to get acquainted with the seashore. Apart from excellent exhibits, maps, and park information, the Bear Valley complex has a life-size replica of a Miwok Indian village and a Morgan Horse ranch. Just west of the Center’s parking lot, the 0.6-mile paved Earthquake Trail begins in Bear Valley and takes you on an informational walk through key features of the San Andreas Fault zone.

Located at beautiful Drakes Beach, the Kenneth C. Patrick Visitor Center contains exhibits that focus on 16th century maritime exploration, marine fossils, and marine environments. A minke whale skeleton is suspended from the ceiling. Natural history books, cards, and posters are for sale in the bookstore.

Out on a great headland of the Point Reyes peninsula is an historic lighthouse and visitor center. The Lighthouse Visitor Center offers exhibits on the historic Point Reyes Lighthouse, as well as on whales, seals and sea lions, wildflowers, birds, and maritime history. The Lighthouse Visitor Center is located 45 minutes west of Bear Valley on the Point Reyes Headlands, at the end of Sir Francis Drake Blvd. There is a 650 meter (0.4 mile) walk (mostly uphill) from the parking lot to the Lighthouse Visitor Center. Visitors can take a steep and bracing walk down the steps to Point Reyes Lighthouse for stunning ocean and shoreline views, and—from December to April—to scan for whales.

The Returning Tule Elk
The tule elk (Cervus canadensis) is a subspecies of North American elk that occurs only in California. They are smaller and lighter in color than other subspecies of elk. Once near extinction, tule elk can now be found in several locations within the park. The best chance of seeing them is in the Tule Elk Preserve at Tomales Point. They graze freely and are often seen near the road into the preserve.