On occasion, people ask me for a suggestion of some new and
special outdoor playland to visit. After talking awhile about their
likes and dislikes, the answer is very often Point Reyes National
Seashore.
On occasion, people ask me for a suggestion of some new and special outdoor playland to visit. After talking awhile about their likes and dislikes, the answer is very often Point Reyes National Seashore.
Whether your appetite for adventure is large or small; whether you like endless stretches of beach or rough craggy coastal cliffs; whether you prefer grasslands speckled with wildflowers or high ridges densely cloaked with pines; if you want to roam a huge estuary or walk across immense sand dunes, Point Reyes National Seashore in Marin County has all this and more.
After a long but lovely drive out Sir Francis Drake Boulevard from Highway 101, a few miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge, you reach Olema. Turn right, then a quick left into park headquarters, where you can get a map and information about the various attractions there. This is the jumping–off point for walks along Bear Valley and across Divide Meadow to the ocean at Arch Rock (8.2 miles round trip) and points beyond.
Friends or couples often disagree on the proper length of a hike. One person’s stroll is another person’s death march. At Point Reyes, that is not an issue. Many lovely sights are right out the car window or at the end of anyone’s idea of a comfortable stroll.
A favorite of Renee and me is the fabulous half–mile walk out to Chimney Rock near the Point Reyes Lighthouse. This narrow finger of rugged coast line drops impressively away as it narrows. On one side, the open Pacific pounds the cliffs, while, on the other, Elephant Seals relax on the protected beaches of the leeward side. Beyond, you look across the full sweep of Drakes Bay and the rolling white cliffs that reminded Sir Francis Drake of the Cliffs of Dover back in England.
Tomales Point is another narrow finger of land at the very tip of Tomales Bay, the long narrow bay that marks the San Andreas Fault. From a seed group of 17 Tule Elk brought there in 1978, more than 450 animals now roam the point. Bring clothes for the wind, because it can blow like crazy out there, but you will surely see the elk. Another easy walk.
On the way back from Tomales Point, stop and walk down to Abbots Lagoon. Here you can roam acres of wind–swept sand dunes that surround the lower portion of the lagoon. It’s a short hop from the lagoon to Point Reyes Beach, and surf that is always raging.
You may travel with someone who doesn’t relish long walks across sand dunes or along wind–swept cliffs and believes that such a rigorous agenda deserves a soft reward. That’s another reason Point Reyes is a great destination. In nearby Inverness, Point Reyes Station and Olema, every lodging and dining preference is available. Whether you want to be pampered, wined and fine–dined, or simply get decent room and a good meal from the Station House Cafe, it’s all there for you.
Hold on! What about the drive over Inverness Ridge and through the bishop pines and Douglas firs to beautiful Limantour Spit at the entrance to pristine Drakes Estero? Or Alamere Falls which tumbles from a seaside cliff onto Wildcat Beach? Or the freshwater lakes near Bolinas? I have only revealed the tip of the iceberg. Point Reyes has a lot to see and so many different ways to see it.
Whether you are looking for a multiday backpack trip to the park’s inner reaches, or can hardly roll down the window to look at the view, Point Reyes National Seashore has got you covered.
