Geography
Bounded on three sides by more than 50 miles of bay and ocean frontage, the point of Point Reyes, described as hammer-headed—or winged-shaped—literally and figuratively sticks out and stands out from California’s fairly straight-trending coast north of San Francisco.
Point Reyes is a great place to conduct a time-motion study of the San Andreas Fault. Evidence of both slow- and fast-moving forces can be found at the national seashore. In fact, the peninsula is geologically separated from nearly all the rest of the continental U.S. by that fault zone.
Hike along the earthquake rift zone, tramp along creeks flowing through the peninsula’s fissures, and look down from the ridges at Olema Valley, the 1906 quake’s epicenter.
You’ll see wave-torn rocks on the craggy coast that match rocks in the Tehachapi Mountains more than 300 miles to the south. And many plants and shrubs found on the West side of the fault are pre-Ice Age relics not found on the east side.
Natural Attractions
Point Reyes is a haven for birds; the seashore makes Audubon’s magazines “Top Ten National Seashores list. A diversity of habitats—seashore, forest, chaparral, and more is one reason the bird count exceeds 430 species. Because Point Reyes thrusts 10 miles into the Pacific, it lures many winter migrants. Limantour and Drake esteros (estuaries) are resting and feeding areas for many species of shore birds and waterfowl.
Other wildlife-watching opportunities abound. Hikers frequently spot black-tailed deer and a resident Tule elk herd roams the tamales point area. Migrating California Gray whales travel by close to the point raised lighthouse. Elephant seals have colonized the shores near Chimney Rock and harbor seals and sea lions haul-out on the peninsula’s isolated beaches.
Point Reyes also features Douglas fir forests and slopes dotted with Bishop pine. Spring wildflower displays are spectacular.
History
When British explorer Sir Francis Drake arrived on these shores in 1579 ,he must have felt quite at home, considering the Point Reyes’ resemblance to Britain’s shores. Long before and after European discovery, the native Coast Miwok lived well off the land’s bounty: elk, deer, fish, shellfish, acorns, berries, and much more.
Since the 1850s cows grazed the lush grasses of the peninsula and such beef and dairy operations continued until 2025. Butter produced here was particularly prized by San Francisco gourmands.
As early as the 1930s, the National Park Service worked to purchase Point Reyes and add it to the park system. The price tag for Depression-mired America was too steep at that time, and then World War II halted all park plans.
During the post war housing boom of the 1950s, real estate developers sought to carve up the peninsula into golf courses, residential and commercial parcels. The Park Service, Marin conservationists, and concerned Californians rallied to the peninsula’s protection. In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed into law the bill establishing Point Reyes National Seashore.
For more Information
Point Reyes National Seashore, 1 Bear Valley Road, Point Reyes Station, CA 94956. Call 415-464-5100. The park’s stellar support organization is Point Reyes National Seashore Association