Point Reyes National Seashore
Point Reyes Pixabay Public Domain
Incredible beauty cannot be contained, and at Point Reyes National Seashore, you have over 70,000 acres of stunning vistas to explore. Established in 1962 to protect the peninsula and stave off the threats of development, Point Reyes is now among the most influential and important natural preserves in the entire state.
The entire park is separated from the mainland by the San Andreas Fault, which has sunk below sea level in what is now known as Tomales Bay. Along the peninsula, discover the scenic headlands, sweeping beaches of rock and sand, as well as protected wildlife areas and estuaries. Some of the animals visible on the National Seashore include native Tule elk as well as an abundance of sea birds and raptors, with migrating gray whales visible off the coast several months of the year.
It's not just animals and picture-perfect ocean scenes at Point Reyes National Seashore. There are also a few historic landmarks including the 1595 Sebastião Rodrigues Soromenho's shipwreck, roughly fifteen Native American sites, a recreated Coast Miwok village, and the Point Reyes Lifeboat Station and Lighthouse.
Hiking is an extremely popular activity at Point Reyes, with amazingly tended trails through Tule elk grazing fields, flower-covered valleys, and sandy beaches. Earthquake Trail (0.6 miles) runs right over the San Andreas Fault and includes descriptions of seismological information while the Bear Valley Trail moves up to the highest point in the park, Mount Wittenburg.
