Point
Reyes National Seashore
The Point Reyes National Seashore is an hour’s drive
northwest of San Francisco on the Pacific Coast Highway and is maintained by
the National Park Service.
Point Reyes National Seashore
The national seashore is actually a
peninsula, the Point Reyes Peninsula, which is separated from the mainland by Tomales
Bay. The bay is about 15 miles (24 km) long and was formed because it is part
of the San Andreas Fault, which runs through California.
Our Pick of the California Guides
Where
is the Point Reyes National Seashore?
The Point Reyes National Seashore is in
Marin County, California, about an hour’s drive northwest from San Francisco,
across the Golden Gate Bridge and along the Pacific Coast Highway. You go
through Stinson Beach and eventually reach the tiny community of Olema, where
you’ll find the Visitor Center for Point Reyes.
Map (c) Google Maps
How
Big is the Point Reyes National Seashore?
The Point Reyes National Seashore covers an
area of 71,028 acres, or 111 square miles (287 sq kms). It has 100 miles (161
kms) of shoreline. It was created in 1962 and is designated as both a national
seashore and a park preserve, and is maintained by the National Park Service.
Point Reyes Lighthouse
What
to Do at the Point Reyes National Seashore
The seashore has beaches that have been
voted the cleanest in California. There are plenty of trails, so get yourself a
good map or get information at the Visitor Center. There are estuaries,
headlands with dramatic views, a lighthouse, a lifeboat station, and uplands
too – it isn’t all at sea level! The highest point is Mount Wittenberg, which
is 1,407 feet (429 meters) high.
Kule Loklo
Close to the Visitor Center you can visit
Kule Loklo, which is a recreated Coast Miwok village, the Coast Miwok being the
indigenous people who originally lived around Point Reyes, in Marin County, and
in Sonoma County.
Wildlife
at the Point Reyes National Seashore
If you like wildlife you’ll love Point
Reyes, especially if you’re a keen birdwatcher. In all, some 45% of all bird
species in the whole of North America have been seen at the Point Reyes
National Seashore. At the northern end of the peninsula is a reserve of tule
elk, a species of elk that is only found in California. You can also see seals,
elephant seals, and see whales offshore when they are migrating.
Best
Time to Visit Point Reyes National Seashore
You can visit Point Reyes all year round,
but spring is a good time to see the best of the wild flowers. Most rain falls
from November to April, with the summers fairly dry. From June to October the
average maximum temperature is in the 70s (over 21C), while in winter it can
fall to near freezing.
Where
to Stay at Point Reyes?
There’s accommodation and eating places in
Olema, and a few miles further north in the little town of Point Reyes Station,
which is the gateway to the peninsula. On the peninsula itself, the town of
Inverness also has accommodation and places to eat. There are also four
campgrounds in the park which you need to book in advance, and the Hi
Point Reyes Hostel.
Other California coast pages
Pacific Coast Highway Travel's guide to the most scenic spots on the Pacific Coast Highway in California with Big Sur, Bixby Bridge and Pfeiffer Beach.
Encinitas is a beach city in Southern California, famous for surfing, and regularly chosen as one of the best places to live in both California and the USA.
San Clemente in California is a small city on the Pacific Coast Highway midway between San Diego and Los Angeles, noted for its beaches and surfing.
This Visiting Hearst Castle page gives all the practicalities including location, types of tour, length of tours, how long to allow, and much more information.
Santa Monica Pier is just off the Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Monica near Los Angeles, with an amusement park, an aquarium and many other attractions.
Unique Inns on the Pacific Coast Highway include some of the best independently-owned boutique hotels, spas, and lodges in California, Oregon and Washington.
Pacific Coast Highway Travel recommends some of the top wildlife spots along the California coast.
The Pacific Coast Highway goes right through Laguna Beach, a relaxed artsy beach resort whose attractions include shopping, galleries, dining, and beaches.
Monterey in California is off the Pacific Coast Highway and home to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Cannery Row, Fisherman’s Wharf, and Monterey State Historic Park.
Bodega Bay is a small California coastal town on the borders of Marin County and Sonoma County, and the filming location for Alfred Hitchcock's the Birds.
Mendocino in Mendocino County is a small but pretty California coastal town, popular with artists and with travelers. It has featured in many songs and movies.
Lonely Planet's Coastal California guidebook is the ideal travel guide for driving or cycling the Pacific Coast Highway from the Oregon border to Mexico.
Santa Cruz on the Pacific Coast Highway in California has its famous boardwalk, beaches, wine tastings, Surfing Museum, Mission, and Marine Discovery Center.
La Jolla in southern California is north of San Diego off the Pacific Coast Highway and has museums, restaurants, hotels, beaches, and the Birch Aquarium.
Carlsbad is a beach city north of San Diego in southern California famous for its flower fields, LEGOLAND resort and water park, surfing and SEA LIFE Aquarium.
Oceanside is a typical southern California beach town with a surf culture and with the Pacific Coast Highway running right through it.
Newport Beach is a small city on the Pacific coast of southern California, right on the Pacific Coast Highway and noted for its beaches and surfing.
PCH Travel picks the best time to visit Mendocino, with a monthly summary of the weather, plus hotel prices and special events to help plan a visit.
A walk around the Point Lobos State Reserve near Monterey and Carmel provides lots of photo opportunities, especially of the Harbor Seal Birthing Area.
The Lighthouse Inn at Point Cabrillo is a romantic, historic guesthouse on the Mendocino California coast, on the Pacific Coast Highway.
Whale watching in California is one of the most popular things to do along the Pacific Coast Highway, in places like San Diego, San Francisco and many more.
San Simeon is a tiny town of a few hundred people close to Hearst Castle on the California coast midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Pacific Coast Highway Travel's list of the best beaches in California with beaches in Santa Monica, Big Sur, Malibu, Carmel, Cambria, La Jolla and Coronado.
The Casa Laguna Hotel and Spa in Laguna Beach is right on the Pacific Coast Highway and has luxury rooms, a swimming pool, and real gourmet breakfasts.
Santa Monica in California is famous for its pier, and beaches, and is one of the best west coast vacation spots, with hotels, restaurants, surfing, museums.
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