Point Reyes California

Tomales Bay Beaches

(better for swimming)

*Note: Some of these recommendations are harder to access than others and some are dog-friendly, please check the internet for details.

~ Shell Beach (great for swimming in Tomales bay, parking is limited, short hike (0.4 miles) to and from beach)

~ Heart's Desire Beach (Accessible, picnic tables and BBQ stands, part of a Tomales Bay State Park, entry fee required)

~ Laird's Landing / Felix Cove (location of significance to coast Miwok and later the former home of local bohemian artist, Clayton Lewis, 1 mile from Marshall Beach trailhead)

~ Marshall Beach (Secluded cove about as north as you can go on the west side of bay, great for swimming, 1.2 mile hike to beach)

~ Chicken Ranch Beach

~ Millerton Point

Pacific Ocean Beaches

*Note: Some of these recommendations are harder to access than others and some are dog-friendly, please check the internet for details.

~ Drake's Beach (Accessible, elephant seals (usually gone by May), sandstone cliffs, beach wheelchair available by reservation at visitor center)

~ Abbotts Lagoon (Dunes, wildflowers and river otters. 2+ mile walk out and back)

~ McClures Beach (Tide pools and Tule Elk. 0.4 mile hike from parking lot)

~ Limantour Beach (long sandy beach, nesting snowy plovers, bring layers, notoriously windy AF)

~ Sculptured Beach (Cool weather sculptured rock formations, 2.5 miles from nearest parking lot)

~ Kehoe Beach

Food & Drink

~ The Marshall Store

~ Hog Island Oyster (reservation needed)

~ Inverness Park Market & Tap Room (the market is one of our favorite places to grab lunch, not open Sundays)

~ Vladimirs Czechoslovakian Restaurant (unique, good ambiance, great for a beer, meat-heavy)

~ Little Wing Farm Stand (a nice place to stop and pick up veggies, eggs or flowers on the way out of town, cash only)

~ Toby's Coffee (good coffee / espresso drinks, cash only)

~ Heidrun Meadery (a lovely place to spend an afternoon)

~ Old Western Saloon (Historic saloon in Point Reyes Station)

~ Bovine Bakery (Coffee (no espresso) and pastries. Sustainability focused)

~ Brickmaiden Breads (Bakery offering up organic sourdough, pastries, sandwiches and more)

Hikes & Nature

~ Chimney Rock (1.8 mile out and back, great for wildflowers, Tule elk are often spotted nearby, wear layers)

~ Abbotts Lagoon (Quiet beach, dunes, wildflowers, lagoon and river otters. 4-5 mile walk out and back to the beach)

~ Muddy Hollow Trail (4 mile trail feat. wildflowers, ocean views and lots of connecting trail options (e.g. this great 7.4 mile loop))

~ McClures Beach (Tide pools and Tule Elk. 0.4 mile hike from parking lot)

~ Tomales Bay State Park (large state park on the eastern, Tomales Bay, side of point reyes with several great swimming beaches and lots of trails through bishop pine and mixed hardwood forests)

~ Drake's Estero Trail (Meandering trail through coastal grasslands and scrublands with views of Drakes Estero and Estero de Limantour, many connecting trail options)

~ Bear Valley Visitor Center (Accessible visitor and interpretive center in Olema valley with extensive trail options including the short, paved, Earthquake trail)

Local Businesses

~ Visions

~ The Little Store

~ West Marin Community Thrift Shop

~ Spirit Matters (maybe you'll find a mineral or gem you resonate with)

~ Blunk Space

~ Mostly Natives Plant Nursery

~ Point Reyes Books

Excursions Nearby

~ Bolinas (A socially acknowledged nature-loving town. Located south of Point Reyes, Bolinas is the oldest town in coastal Marin (claiming the oldest bar on the west coast) known for its surfing beaches and loose-fitting laid-back lifestyle.)

~ Stinson Beach (Long white sand beach great for families and picnics, south of Bolinas)

~ Muir Beach (A quiet cove, beach, and lagoon tucked into the coastline three miles west of Muir Woods)

~ Mount Tamalpais (One of the tallest mountains in the Bay Area (2,500 ft) symbolic for Marin County. Beautiful trails, wildflowers, forests, meadows and vistas. A favorite place to hike. You can drive to the peak for a 360 degree view)

~ Muir Woods (Beautiful and iconic old growth redwood forest on Mount Tam. Accessible elevated trails. Requires a reservation to visit.)

~ Bodega Bay (Famous beach town north of Point Reyes known for the Alfred Hitchcock movie, The Birds)

~ Marin Headlands (Fog-swept coastal prairie system just north of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge. Miles of trails over rolling coastal bluffs leading to hidden coves, beaches and vistas)