Park Archives: Point Reyes National Seashore

Coastal wilds and human enterprise share this world of far horizons and close-up wonders. Tule elk, once overhunted, have returned to coastal prairies. Ranching families have tended cattle on the grasslands for over 150 years. Northern elephant seals tend their young on the Drakes Bay shore. The bay is named for Sir Francis Drake, whose round-the-world expedition is said to have stopped here in 1579. This was the first European contact with the Coast Miwok people who have lived here for thousands of years. The 1870 lighthouse is an ideal setting for limitless views of land, sea, and sky.

In 1962, with proposed development threatening the peninsula's coastal scenery and habitat, Congress authorized Point Reyes National Seashore. More than a third of the park's acreage is protected as wilderness. Another third is preserved as the pastoral zone, where dairy and beef ranches have operated since the 1850s. The park is also in the Golden Gate Biosphere Reserve.

Point Reyes contains a broad range of habitats: ocean, shore, estuary, grasslands, upland forest. Deep-water upwellings not far offshore carry nutrients to the surface. Western gulls scan beaches for mole crabs scurrying into the sand. The estuary's eelgrass shelters tiny invertebrates from fish and other predators. California poppies brighten spring grasslands. Coastal scrub may look quiet, but it conceals the nonstop activity of mammals, birds, and reptiles. Higher up, forests of Douglas fir and the rare bishop pine brave relentless winds.

Roads, trails, and beaches through or near these habitats allow you to explore at your own pace.

Separating the Point Reyes Peninsula from the mainland is a narrow linear valley running northwest-southeast. Incorporating the Bolinas Lagoon, Olema Valley, and Tomales Bay, the valley lies directly on the San Andreas Fault, where the Pacific and North American continental plates meet.

These plates are segments of Earth's crust "floating" on a sea of molten rock. The Point Reyes peninsula rides on the eastern edge of the Pacific Plate, which advances northwestward. This is why Point Reyes' rocks don't match those east of the fault zone, yet they match rocks hundreds of miles southeast.

The average rate of movement of the Pacific Plate is only one or two inches a year. But the plates don't always move freely relative to one another. The fault zone is actually many large and small faults running parallel and at odd angles. The plates can "catch" on each other, pressure builds up, and eventually the underlying rock breaks loose in a sudden jolt. This caused the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, when the peninsula leapt 20 feet northwestward in less than a minute. It could happen again in 30 minutes or 300 years. The Earthquake Trail near Bear Valley Visitor Center shows you the results of Earth's tremendous force.

This portion of the California coast is one of the most biologically rich but threatened areas on Earth. Like land, the ocean has varied habitats influenced by temperature, sunlight, currents, and seafloor terrain. The California Current's spring and summer upwellings carry nutrients to surface waters, the foundation of a food web including everything from plankton to whales. Migrating whales skirt the continental shelf; gray whales often swim quite close to the Point Reyes shore in winter.

The global significance of protecting Point Reyes and its surrounding waters continues to grow, aided by federal and state law. National Marine Sanctuaries, administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, conserve habitats and species while allowing for compatible human use.

Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary (NMS), protects a rocky underwater island perched on the edge of the continental shelf. Surrounded by soft mud and sand, the hard-surfaced bank is a haven for colorful invertebrates and fish.

Gulf of the Farallones NMS protects open ocean, rocky reefs, and estuarine wetlands. Over 25 endangered or threatened species, including killer, blue, and humpback whales, seasonally feed in this rich environment.

The state of California administers a network of Marine Protected Areas off the Point Reyes coast. Some of these areas allow limited sport fishing and commercial harvest; others don't. For detailed information and regulations visit www.nps.gov/pore/parkmgmt/lawsandpolicies_mlpa.htm.

Stop by the Bear Valley Visitor Center. There are exhibits and information to help you plan your activities. Ranger-led programs are scheduled on weekends year-round.

Things to Do
Limantour Beach Sheltered beach; no lifeguard. Nearby Estero de Limantour is a good birding spot.

Mount Vision Overlook Panoramic view of the Point Reyes peninsula from Mount Vision, 1,282 feet.

Point Reyes Beach (Great Beach) 11-mile expanse of Pacific shoreline. Be careful along the water's edge: High surf, rip currents, and very large, powerful "sneaker" waves can be deadly. The area is subject to severe undertow.

Point Reyes Lighthouse Spectacular views of Point Reyes Beach and Pacific Ocean. Descend 300 steps to the lighthouse. The observation platform is an ideal perch for spotting migrating gray whales in winter.

Chimney Rock Watch elephant seals as they breed and molt on the beach. Early spring wildflowers.

Drakes Beach Sheltered beach beneath sandstone cliffs. No lifeguard. Visitor center and cafe.

Abbotts Lagoon 1.5-mile trail to diverse bird habitat. Nesting area for threatened snowy plover.

Tule Elk Reserve Hunted to near-extinction in the 1800s, Tule elk were reintroduced to this designated wilderness in 1978.

Historic Pierce Point Ranch Established in the 1860s, this dairy ranch operated until 1973. Short trail down to McClures Beach.

Giacomini Wetlands Restored wetlands habitat, good birding spot. (Part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area.)

Hiking
The park's 150 miles of trails traverse pasture lands, chaparral ridges, California-laurel valleys, forests, and meadowlands. Check on trail conditions and get detailed trail maps at park visitor centers.

Camping
Camp at four hike-in campgrounds: Sky, Glen, Coast, and Wildcat. Permits and walk-in reservations at Bear Valley Visitor Center. Advance reservations at www.recreation.gov.

Protect Your Park and Keep It Safe
Federal laws protect all natural and cultural features in the park. Do not approach or collect injured or oiled marine mammals or birds; report these to park staff. • Sneaker waves and treacherous currents make beaches dangerous. • See park website for firearms regulations. • Many ranches inside the park are in a pastoral zone and continue to operate under agreements with the National Park Service. Please respect their privacy. • For a full list of regulations, visit the park website.

Accessibility
We strive to make our facilities, services, and programs accessible to all. For information go to a visitor center, ask a park ranger, or check our website.

Wilderness
Established in 1976, the Phillip Burton Wilderness ensures the highest level of protection for over 32,000 acres of land and water in Point Reyes National Seashore. It offers an unparalleled experience to over 7 million Bay Area residents. Designation under the Wilderness Act of 1964 protects forever the land's wilderness character, natural conditions, opportunities for solitude, and scientific, educational, and historical values.

The contents of brochures, site bulletins and trading cards (denoted with a colored caption) can be viewed by clicking on the cover. Most modern-day brochures, however, are cover only (denoted by a white caption) due to photograph copyrights. These items are historical in scope and are intended for educational purposes only; they are not meant as an aid for travel planning. The dates under each brochure do not reflect the complete range of years that a particular brochure was issued.

1967	1972	1973	cover only 1974	1976	cover only 1977
1978		1980		cover only 1984-1987
cover only 1988-1991		cover only 1991-2000		cover only 2003-2011
cover only 2012		cover only 2013-2019

Birdwatching at Bear Valley 07/28/2007		Birdwatching at Limantour 07/28/2007		Boating Guide Date Unknown
Campgrounds in Marin County and along the Sonoma Coast 04/28/2014		Camping Information 05/01/2022		Climate and Weather Date Unknown
The Coast Miwok of Point Reyes 03/1993		Comment Form 06/2014		Defining Habitats Date Unknown
Dogs and Pets 05/04/2009		Dogs and Pets 09/29/2019		Francis Drake 04/27/2020
The Northern Elephant Seal Date Unknown		Managing Eucalyptus 09/2006		Eucalyptus Date Unknown
Date Unknown (German edition)		Date Unknown (Spanish edition)		Pacific Gray Whales Date Unknown
Harbor Seals 02/27/2014		Hiking Guide 2017		Horses and Pack Animals 07/28/2007
Marine Life Protection Act Date Unknown		What Are Marine Protected Areas Date Unknown		Spring Wildflowers 11/1993
Morgan Horse Ranch Date Unknown		Mountain Biking 11/09/2007		Planet Ocean Date Unknown
Ranching on the Point Reyes Peninsula 02/09/2008		The San Andreas Fault Date Unknown		Tidepooling at Point Reyes National Seashore Date Unknown
Tule Elk Date Unknown		Trail Maps 1984		Velella Velella (or By-the-Wind-Sailors)
Historic Life-Saving Service and G Ranch Cemetery Date Unknown		The Historic Life-Saving Service and G Ranch Cemetery 11/10/2019		Fire & Fuels Date Unknown
RCA Ranch and Station KPH Date Unknown		1906 Earthquake Centennial Date Unknown		Mammals of Point Reyes National Seashore 06/20/2021
Splashes of Color on the Landscape Date Unknown		cover only Safety Date Unknown	A Guide to the Miwok Village Date Unknown
Enjoying the Beach Safely Date Unknown	The Historic Point Reyes Lighthouse 2012	The Historic Point Reyes Lighthouse Date Unknown	Your Guide to Marin County Public Lands Date Unknown	National Parks: Good for Your Mind and Body Date Unknown	Share Our Seashore and Protect the Western Snowy Plover Date Unknown

Long-term Monitoring of Coho Salmon and Steelhead Trout During Freshwater Life Stages in Coastal Marin County

Olema Lime Kilns (Gordon Chappell and F. Ross Holland, Jr., 1973, October 17, 1975)

Pacific Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina richardii) Monitoring at Point Reyes National Seashore and Golden Gate National Recreation Area

Riparian Landbird Monitoring in Golden Gate National Recreation Area and Point Reyes National Seashore

The following visual bibliography is just a sampling of the handbooks and books which have been published for this park. NPSHistory.com does not endorse these, but are merely presenting them for informational purposes only. As most are copyrighted, we are only able to provide the covers, and not contents, of these publications.

cover only The Point Reyes Light Pat Hall 1979	cover only Point Reyes: The Enchanted Shore Stephen Trimble 1980	cover only The Natural History of the Point Reyes Peninsula Jules G. Evens 1993	cover only Discovering Birds at Point Reyes Rich Stallcup and Melissa Pitkin 2007	cover only Wildflowers of Point Reyes National Seashore Katherine H. Holbrook and Elisabeth Ptak, eds. 2008
cover only Discovering Historic Ranches at Point Reyes Dewey Livingston 2009	cover only Discovering Native People at Point Reyes Betty Goerke 2012