EVENTS & PLACES TO VISIT
Alamere Falls
Alamere Falls is a beautiful waterfall deep within the Phillip Burton Wilderness. The falls are a dramatic sight as water cascades over a ~40-foot-tall (~12 m) cliff onto the south end of Wildcat Beach. While no easy trek—a 13-mile (20 km) minimum round-trip hike is required—this spectacular spot is a popular—and a sometimes overcrowded—visitor draw. Take note: it is also the site of multiple search-and-rescue operations each year. Beware of getting too close to cliff edges and be mindful of coastal erosion!
Beaches of Point Reyes
Point Reyes National Seashore contains approximately 130 kilometers (80 miles) of shoreline. Some beaches are rocky and good for tidepooling, while other beaches are covered by vast expanses of sand and great for a walk. Visit our Current Conditions page for potential closures or advisories on beaches.
Chimney Rock
Chimney Rock is located at the eastern spur of the Point Reyes Headlands. The Chimney Rock area is a popular destination for visitors wishing to view elephant seals, birds, and wildflowers. The 1.75-mile (2.8-km) round-trip Chimney Rock Trail leads along the ridge crest of a narrow peninsula, offering spectacular views of Drakes Bay and the coastline stretching to the southeast. The historic Chimney Rock Lifeboat Station offers a glimpse into the harrowing jobs of rescuing crew and passengers from ships that ran aground along this rugged coastline.
Cotati Certified Farmers Market
La Plaza Park, Old Redwood Highway and West Sierra Avenue, Cotati, CA 94931
Historic KPH Maritime Radio Receiving Station and Cypress Tree Tunnel
Guglielmo Marconi sited and commissioned the building of a wireless telegraphy transmitting station west of Bolinas and a receiving station in Marshall on Tomales Bay in 1913–14. The Marshall station was supplanted in 1929 to support the growing point-to-point business in the Pacific by a new Art Deco-designed facility at Point Reyes Beach on the "G" Ranch. Few of the succeeding generations of antennas—arranged in "farms"—remain at the two sites. However, the radio equipment, ship-to-shore Morse communications, and teletype—some of it dating to the World War II-era—remains intact, has been restored and made functional, and is used to broadcast on numerous frequencies, including KPH. Visit our Communications at Point Reyes page to learn more about this history.
Morgan Horse Ranch
The Morgan Horse Ranch was established at Point Reyes National Seashore as an interpretative program as well as a breeding and training program to provide horses for the National Park Service. The ranch was dedicated in 1970 with the help of the Northern California Morgan Horse Association. Two mares were donated to the park and a select breeding program was set up with stud services provided by private owners. At its height, the ranch maintained a herd of approximately 35–40 horses, and bred 73 horses over the life of the breeding program. As foals were born, mature animals trained at the ranch were transferred to other parks. For many years classes were also held at the ranch to train park rangers in horsemanship.
Tomales Point, Pierce Ranch, and Tule Elk
Tomales Point (aka Pierce Point) is located at the northern end of Point Reyes National Seashore. The Tomales Point area is a popular destination for visitors wishing to view tule elk, birds, and wildflowers. The historic Pierce Ranch offers a glimpse into the early dairy ranching days on the peninsula. A short 0.4-mile (0.6-km) trail leads down to the beautiful McClures Beach. The 9.7-mile (15-km) round-trip Tomales Point Trail leads along the ridge crest of a narrow peninsula, offering spectacular views of Tomales Bay and Bolinas Ridge to the east, Bodega Bay to the north, and the coastline of the Point Reyes peninsula stretching to the south.
Trailheads at Point Reyes
Click above to view some of the all-time favotire trailheads in the area!
Watch for Whales at Point Reyes
Gray whales migrate past Point Reyes from December through May and can frequently be seen from the Lighthouse and Chimney Rock areas.
Visit the Point Reyes Lighthouse
The Point Reyes Headlands jut 10 miles (16 km) out to sea and pose a threat to ships traveling between San Francisco Bay and locations to the north. The historic Point Reyes Lighthouse was built in 1870 to warn mariners of this navigational hazard and served for 105 years. The Point Reyes Lighthouse was retired from service in 1975 when the U.S. Coast Guard installed an automated light adjacent and below the historic tower. The Coast Guard then transferred ownership of the lighthouse to the National Park Service, which has taken on the job of preserving this fine specimen of our maritime heritage. Visit our Lighthouse History at Point Reyes page for more.