Point Reyes National Seashore
The craggy coast of Point Reyes National Seashore is situated just north of San Francisco, where the headlands of this beguiling peninsula jut out ten miles into the Pacific Ocean. The end result is an unusual proximity to the 20-mile-wide "highway" along which gray whales migrate, providing awesome vistas for this parade of mammalian giants, particularly at Chimney Rock and the Point Reyes Lighthouse. And that's not all—you can also see the fun-loving antics of harbor seals, sea lions, and the sheer sloth of elephant seals. Read More »
Point Reyes National Seashore Highlights
- If you want to see marine mammals at play, Point Reyes National Seashore is wet and wild. An elephant seal overlook at Drake's Bay offers an impressive vantage point from which to view the 5,000-pound elephant seals as they form a breeding colony from December to March.
- Four campgrounds in Point Reyes National Seashore are accessible only by biking, hiking, or horseback riding. Sky Camp is the easiest to reach at only 1.4 miles from the Sky trailhead. Glen Camp is set in a wind-protected, wooded valley. Coast and Wildcat Camps are within a few hundred feet of the ocean. Backpack the Coast Trail and stay at a different camp each night, or pick one camp and stay for a while.
- There are no bad trails in Point Reyes for birding, but one of the best, easy bird-watching walks is the Muddy Hollow Trail to Limantour Beach. The trail passes a pond favored by waterfowl as it travels to the estero and beach, where sandpipers, willets, egrets, and herons are easily spotted. Black phoebes, marsh wrens, and song sparrows can be spotted amid the coastal scrub.
- Paddle the glassy waters of Tomales Bay with its sheltered coves, tidal marshes, remote beaches, shallow lagoons, and forested ridges. The 15-mile long bay is a pupping site for harbor seals and is the largest unspoiled coastal embayment on the coast of California.
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Point Reyes National Seashore Travel Q&A
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Photo Galleries
What You Can Do in Point Reyes National Seashore
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Package Trips:
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from $ 1000 USDfor 5 daysEnquire and Book
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from $ 2095 USDfor 5 daysEnquire and BookOperated by Tahoe Trips & Trails -
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Parks Near Point Reyes National Seashore
- Tomales Bay State Park, CA (4.0 mi.)
- Cataract Trail, CA (17 mi.)
- Pacific Coast Highway, CA (17 mi.)
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