Point Reyes National Seashore

Point Reyes is a triangle of land that sticks out into the Pacific about 30 miles northwest of the Golden Gate. The San Andreas Fault runs along its eastern edge, so the peninsula sits on a different plate from the rest of the Bay Area and has been creeping northwest for millions of years. Today it is a national seashore of foggy headlands, long empty beaches, dairy pastures, a historic lighthouse and herds of tule elk. It feels much farther than it is from Silicon Valley and it is one of the biggest outings in our day trips section.

It is still a long day from Palo Alto. You have to drive through San Francisco and across the Golden Gate, then wind through West Marin. This guide covers how to plan the drive, the main sights, the elk at Tomales Point and the park rules as the National Park Service publishes them. If you only have a few hours, Muir Woods and the Marin Headlands in our Sausalito and Marin guide are closer.

Getting there and drive time

From Palo Alto, take Interstate 280 north into San Francisco, cross the city on 19th Avenue and Park Presidio, then cross the Golden Gate Bridge onto US 101. Exit at Sir Francis Drake Boulevard and follow it west through the Marin valleys to Olema. The Bear Valley Visitor Center is just past Olema. That is about 75 miles and roughly two hours with normal traffic.

The lighthouse is at the far western tip, about 20 more miles on a narrow road over open ranch land. Allow about 45 minutes each way from Bear Valley. A trip to the lighthouse and back from Palo Alto is close to 200 miles round trip.

• Leave by 7:30 a.m. on weekends to beat traffic in San Francisco and on the Golden Gate Bridge.
• The Golden Gate Bridge charges its toll southbound only and has no cash lanes. Rental cars are usually billed through the rental company.
• Fill up before you leave Highway 101. Gas in West Marin is limited.
• Cell service is poor across most of the peninsula. Download offline maps.

There is no practical transit from Palo Alto. If you would rather not drive, some Point Reyes and Marin tours leave from San Francisco, which you can reach on Caltrain.

Fees and park rules

Point Reyes is one of the cheaper national park sites to visit. According to the NPS fees page, no entrance fee is charged and you do not need a pass. Parking, day use and the lighthouse are free. Camping is the main fee and you book it through Recreation.gov.

Dogs are the rule most visitors get wrong. The NPS pets page allows leashed dogs only in parking lots, on public roads and in a few named places:

• Kehoe Beach north of the Kehoe Beach Trail, plus the trail itself.
• Limantour Beach from the southeast end of the parking lot to the beach next to Coast Camp.
• The Great Beach, also called Point Reyes Beach, from the North Beach lot south to the historic lifeboat station.
• Some trails in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area's northern district, such as Bolinas Ridge.

Dogs are not allowed on any other trail or beach, including Tomales Point Trail. Many trails also cross active cattle pastures, so close every gate behind you. Stay at least the length of a bus away from elk and seals and never feed wildlife.

Bear Valley and the Earthquake Trail

The Bear Valley Visitor Center near Olema is the park's main hub, with exhibits, maps and rangers. Hours change by season, so check the NPS site. Behind it, the short paved Earthquake Trail follows the San Andreas Fault and passes a rebuilt fence line that shows how the ground here shifted by roughly 16 to 20 feet in the 1906 earthquake. Nearby is Kule Loklo, a re-created Coast Miwok village.

Bear Valley Trail is the park's most popular hike. It runs through a shady creek valley to Arch Rock above the ocean, about 8 miles round trip and mostly gentle. Our hiking guide covers trails closer to home.

The Point Reyes Lighthouse

The lighthouse sits on a ledge partway down the cliffs at the windiest point on the Pacific coast. It was built in 1870, set low enough to shine beneath the fog that often sits on the headland. Here is what the NPS lighthouse page says:

• From the main parking lot, a mostly uphill walk of about 0.45 miles leads to the Lighthouse Visitor Center. The lot has just 38 spaces, so arrive early.
• From the observation deck, 313 steps lead down to the lighthouse. The climb back up is the hard part.
• The stairs close promptly at 4 p.m. If you start down at or after 4, rangers will turn you back.
• When winds exceed 40 mph, the stairs close for safety and a sign at the trailhead says so.

The visitor center keeps limited days and hours that change with the season. Check the park's visitor center page or call before you make the long drive just for the lighthouse.

Whale season

Gray whales pass the headland on their migration from about January through April. The lighthouse and the Chimney Rock area are the best viewpoints. Elephant seals also haul out on the beaches below Chimney Rock in winter. In past whale seasons the park has closed the last stretch of road to private cars on weekends and holidays and run a shuttle from Drakes Beach instead. Check the NPS calendar for the 2027 season before you go.

Tomales Point and the tule elk

Tule elk once numbered in the hundreds of thousands in California and nearly vanished by the 1870s. In 1978 the Park Service brought ten elk to Tomales Point, the northern tip of the peninsula. The herd grew and the park later released free-ranging elk near Limantour in 1998. Today you can often see elk at Tomales Point and around Limantour and Drakes Beach.

The Tomales Point Trail starts at the historic Pierce Point Ranch at the end of Pierce Point Road. It runs north along a high ridge between Tomales Bay and the ocean, with elk grazing in the grassland on both sides. The full trail to the point is roughly 9 to 10 miles round trip and exposed to wind, so many people walk the first couple of miles and turn back. Fall is the rut, when bulls bugle and spar.

For decades the Tomales Point elk lived behind a fence that kept them away from the cattle ranches to the south. The Park Service began taking down the fence in December 2024. The plan drew legal challenges from ranching groups and the ranch leases in the park have been the subject of a long dispute, so check the NPS site for current conditions on the point. Whatever the status, keep your distance. Bulls can be aggressive, especially during the fall rut.

Beaches and viewpoints

• Drakes Beach is a sheltered cove under pale cliffs, with a visitor center that opens on some weekends.
• Limantour Beach is a long sand spit with an estuary behind it and good birding.
• The Great Beach runs for about 11 miles along the outer coast. The surf is dangerous and swimming is not safe.
• Chimney Rock is a short walk over the headland with spring wildflowers and views of elephant seals in winter.
• Cypress Tree Tunnel on the road to the historic radio station is one of the most photographed spots in Marin.

Point Reyes Station and Tomales Bay

The small town of Point Reyes Station, a few miles north of Olema, has a bakery, a bookstore, cafes and a grocery. It is the best place for lunch or picnic supplies. North of town, Highway 1 follows the east shore of Tomales Bay past oyster farms near Marshall, where you can buy oysters to take home or eat by the water in season.

Inns and cottages in Olema, Inverness and Point Reyes Station make an overnight easy. Staying lets you reach the lighthouse early, before the lot fills and the wind rises. You can compare inns in West Marin for a night.

Frequently asked questions