Imagine an overcast weather and a foggy misty shore, you cannot see anything. When you reached the light house, only a few stairs were visible. The glowing sun amidst of the foggy shoreline and the stairs created a beautiful scene. I named it “the stairs of heaven”. This was our first-time experience. We did not see anything. Neither the shore, nor the lighthouse was visible due to the thick mist. But the experience was quite awesome and one of the memorable one. Our second time visit to this place was totally different. It was a bright sunny day and we saw a very beautiful sunrise here. Both experiences are quite different. While the first time was quite surreal, second time was authentically exploring Point Reyes. The morning was quite peaceful. It was very early in the morning and the lighthouse was not open that time.
Point Reyes Light House
The location of this place is really amazing. If you simply look at the map, it appears to be a large triangular peninsula that appears to be broken away from the Northern California Coast. This place is only one hour north of busy San Francisco. So, if you are visiting San Francisco, you can drive only one hour and visit this amazing serene place. This place is home for more than 1500 animal and different plant species. The main attraction of this National Sea shore is the light house, which is located at the most western part of the National Sea shore area. The path is a little bit windy and sometimes may take much more time to reach the lighthouse parking lot, especially if there are a number of vehicles on the road. And remember, there are only around 38 parking spots in the parking lot. If the parking lot gets crowded, please refrain from parking along the shoulder or off the road as it may be harmful for the vegetation and induce erosion. From the parking lot, walk around 0.45 mile uphill to the visitor center and there are 313 steps (descend) to the lighthouse. The stairs leading down to the lighthouse open only specific days of the week and maintain specific hours. Even during the high wind speed (more than 40 mph), they closed the stairs to ensure the safety of the visitors. Even you can’t get to visit the lighthouse, still the seashore view is really astonishing.
If you want to get the view of the infinite coastline of California, there is a short trail from the parking lot. You can get the birds eye view of the beach and waves through the rugged coastline. The view is really something. Specially during the wildflower season, the view of infinite coastline from the top and wildflower is a very beautiful combination. Please be mindful about the vegetation. We aim to get a view but not to harm any vegetation.
Visitor Center at Bear Valley
The park’s main visitor center is located at Bear valley. If you want to know more about the park or any information, please stop by. You can also get the updates on whale watching time or update, which istypically January to mid-April when you can see whales from the sea shore, know information about different trails, if it is accessible or not, and also about the wildflower displays. Kids love the interactive displays here.
Tunnel of trees / Cypress tree tunnel
This is the one place I would recommend you check out- the beautiful Cypress tree tunnel. During the winter morning, when the light rays come out of the tree branches, it creates a beautiful scene you don’t want to miss. The location of the tree tunnel is halfway between the visitor center and the lighthouse. It’s really easy to find if you simply keep looking on the road and I think you can see the trees from a distant. There is no sign but it’s very easy to find. I am adding the coordinates so that you can find it easily. Sunrise and the golden hour before sunset are the best time to visit the Cypress tree tunnel.
There is a lot of hiking trails for overnight backpacking or simple day hike, different beaches in this area. I will post about different hikes later. This place is also a heaven for wildlife watching. We even saw a pack of coyotes just from the roadside while driving. That’s whole another story. For now, let’s stick to the places that you can visit in a half day; at least that’s what we did. There is a small beautiful town of Point Reyes Station which gives a kind of festive vibe all the time. If you are there, don’t forget to check out the town, restaurants, and shops.
At a glance/fact
- Address: Visitor center (at Bear Valley): 1 Bear Valley Road, Point Reyes Station, CA
- Lighthouse visitor center: 27000 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Inverness, CA 94937
- Cypress tree tunnel location: 38.093861, -122.945490
- Best Time to go: Any time of the year is great, but the summer months may have more crowd. Plan for fall or winter to get some serene view.
- Please leave no trace. Take a lot of pictures, leave your footprint; nothing else.
Source
- Point Reyes National Seashore (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)
- Point Reyes | National Park Foundation (nationalparks.org)
- Point Reyes National Seashore | Visit California