Planning a trip to Point Reyes National Seashore
Information
Contact Point Reyes National Seashore, Point Reyes Station, CA 94956-9799 (tel. 415/464-5100, ext. 2; www.nps.gov/pore). Kathleen Goodwin and Richard Blair's Point Reyes Visions Guidebook (Color & Light Editions, 2004) is a handsome, photographically enhanced tome covering Point Reyes and vicinity.
Visitor Centers
As soon as you arrive at Point Reyes, stop at the Bear Valley Visitor Center on Bear Valley Road (look for the small sign posted just north of Olema on Hwy. 1). Pick up a free trail map, talk with the rangers about your plans, and check out the natural history and cultural displays. It's open daily year-round from 8 or 9am to 5 or 6pm (closed Dec 25). The Kenneth C. Patrick Visitor Center at Drakes Beach houses a 250-gallon saltwater aquarium and a 16-foot minke whale skeleton, among other exhibits. It's open only weekends and holidays (except Dec 25) from 10am to 5pm, as well as Monday in summer. The Lighthouse Visitor Center, at the westernmost point of the Point Reyes Peninsula, offers information on the lighthouse and life-saving services performed over the 125 years of its use, as well as natural history exhibits on whales, seals, and wildflowers. It's open Thursday through Monday from 10am to 4:30pm (closed Dec 25).
Fees
Entrance to the park is free. Hike-in camping is $15 per night (and more for groups of seven or more).
Special Regulations & Warnings
- Dogs and other pets are not permitted on trails, in campgrounds, or on beaches that are seal habitats or bird nesting areas. On other beaches they must be leashed. Check at park visitor centers to avoid seasonal closures.
- Wood fires are prohibited in campgrounds. Use only charcoal or gas stoves. Driftwood fires are permitted only on sandy beaches below the high-tide line; you must obtain a free permit at a visitor center.
- Check the tide tables before walking on the beaches. Rising water can trap you against a cliff with no possibility of escape.
- Sleeping on the beach is prohibited; it can be dangerous. High tide frequently comes to the base of the cliffs and can trap the unwary.
- Do not climb cliffs -- they can crumble easily. Walking or sitting below cliffs is also dangerous due to falling rock.
- In wooded areas, keep an eye out for poison oak's waxy three-leaf clusters. Also be sure to check for ticks -- the Lyme disease-carrying black-legged tick is common here.
- The pounding surf and rip currents are treacherous, especially at McClures Beach and Point Reyes beaches, north and south. Stay away from the water.
- Don't disturb any baby seals or sea lions you may encounter on the beach. The mother may be preoccupied with finding lunch, and she won't come back until you leave. In fact, you could be fined up to $10,000 for your good intentions. However, if a pup looks injured or appears to be in danger, call the Marine Mammal Center (tel. 415/289-7325).
When to Go
Seasons & Climate
Weather at Point Reyes is fickle. The seasons here generally reverse expectations: Summer tends to be cold and foggy until the afternoon (the point is the foggiest place on the West Coast), while winter is clear and often more tolerable. But these are generalizations at best -- winter storms can rage for weeks, and sometimes the summer fog holds off for days. Spring and fall usually see the best weather (that is, little fog, warm temperatures).
To make matters more frustrating, the clearing of fog often signals the onset of strong winds. So if you plan to explore the park on foot, prepare yourself for cool weather, dampness, and wind (lots of wind -- gusts have reached up to 133 mph, the highest wind speed recorded on the Pacific Coast). The best plan is to take advantage of variations in local weather by being flexible with your itinerary: Save indoor sightseeing for rainy or foggy days, and hit the beach or go hiking when the sun comes out.
Seasonal Events
Point Reyes National Seashore plays host to an annual Native American celebration (aka the Big Time Festival) on the third Saturday of July. American Indian basket-makers, flint-knappers, singers, and dancers convene at Point Reyes for an annual public celebration at Kule Loklo, a reconstruction of a village of the indigenous Coast Miwok Indian tribe. The Miwok Archaeological Preserve of Marin (tel. 415/491-0401; www.mapom.org) offers classes in traditional California Indian skills in the spring and fall.
Avoiding the Crowds
Though the park is heavily visited, crowds are a problem only at a few places and during certain times. If you visit the lighthouse on a weekend or holiday during whale season (Dec-Mar), be prepared for crowds and a wait for the shuttle that operates from Drakes Beach to the lighthouse area. Trails leaving from Bear Valley tend to be more crowded on weekends. Try the Five Brooks or Palomarin trail heads to avoid hordes of hikers. As a rule, a weekday visitor will encounter far fewer people than the weekender.
Getting Around
The main scenic road in the park is the Sir Francis Drake Highway. An excellent turnoff on this road is Mount Vision Road, which winds its way up to the Mount Vision Overlook for a panoramic view of the entire peninsula.
There are two other major roads within the park. Pierce Point Road forks north from the Sir Francis Drake Highway toward Tomales Point, passing Tomales Bay State Park (a popular picnicking area that offers relatively warm and safe waters) and Abbotts Lagoon (a bird-watchers' paradise) before ending at McClures Beach. The other major road is Limantour Road, which crosses the park before ending at Limantour Beach, a popular spot for beachcombing, picnicking, and bird-watching at nearby Estero de Limantour. Both roads are primarily used to reach trail heads and beaches, but they can double as scenic alternatives to touring the Sir Francis Drake Highway.
The Sir Francis Drake Highway closes at South Beach on weekends from January through mid-April, when buses take visitors to the lighthouse and back from 9am to 5:15 pm. Tickets ($5 adults, free for children under 17) are available at the Ken Patrick Visitor Center.
Getting There
Point Reyes is 30 miles northwest of San Francisco, but it takes at least 90 minutes to reach by car. (It's all the small towns, not the topography, that slow you down.) The easiest route is Sir Francis Drake Boulevard from U.S. 101 south of San Rafael; it takes its time getting to Point Reyes but does so without any detours. For a much longer but more scenic route, take the Stinson Beach/Hwy. 1 exit off U.S. 101 just south of Sausalito and follow Hwy. 1 north.
The Nearest Airport -- San Francisco International Airport (tel. 800/435-9736 or 650/821-8211; www.sfoairport.com), 14 miles south of downtown San Francisco on U.S. 101, is served by all major airlines and car-rental companies.
