Lighthouse Visitor Center

The Lighthouse Visitor Center is located forty-five minutes west of Bear Valley on the Point Reyes Headlands, at the end of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. On weekends and holidays from late December through mid-April when visitation by whale watchers to the Point Reyes Lighthouse area is heavy, visitors may be required to ride a shuttle bus from Drakes Beach to the Lighthouse and Chimney Rock areas. There is a 700 meter (0.45 mile) walk (mostly uphill) from the parking lot/shuttle stop to the Lighthouse Visitor Center.

Directions from the Bear Valley 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. A touch table allows visitors to feel baleen and to closely inspect the skulls of various marine mammals. The Fresnel lens from the San Francisco Lightship is also on display. Attached to the Lighthouse Visitor Center is the Ocean Exploration Center, which highlights the spectacularly rich and globally significant ocean environment of North-central California.

Check out our Visit the Point Reyes Lighthouse page for more information to help plan your trip.

Restoration Impacts on Visitors

Starting in the summer of 2018, Point Reyes National Seashore will undertake a large restoration project on the historic Point Reyes Lighthouse. This website's 2018 Lighthouse Restoration blog and our social media platforms on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram will keep you up-to-date, so bookmark these and check back in the near future. There will be times when the lighthouse area will be closed to all foot traffic and we apologize for that in advance. The necessary improvements will make your future experience even better.