• The Point Reyes Beach as viewed from the Point Reyes Headlands

    Point Reyes

    National Seashore California

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  • Operational Changes Took Effect on May 1

    The Lighthouse Visitor Center is now only open Fridays through Mondays. The Kenneth C. Patrick Visitor Center will be closed through late December 2013. More »

  • 2013 Harbor Seal Pupping Season Closures

    From March 1 through June 30, the park implements closures of certain Tomales Bay beaches and Drakes Estero to water-based recreation to protect harbor seals during the pupping season. Please avoid disturbing seals to ensure a successful pupping season. More »

Press Kit

Point Reyes National Seashore was established in 1962 to preserve and protect wilderness, natural ecosystems, and cultural resources along the diminishing undeveloped coastline of the United States. Located just an hour's drive from a densely populated metropolitan area, the Seashore is a sanctuary for countless plant and animal species and a haven for human inspiration, education, and recreation.

For updates or additional details, contact: Point Reyes National Seashore
Public Information Officer
1 Bear Valley Rd.
Point Reyes Station, CA 94956

Park Statistics

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The National Park Service and Its Mission
America's National Park Service was created by Congress to "... conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein, and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such a manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations." Additionally, the Congress has declared that the National Park System should be, "... preserved and managed for the benefit and inspiration of all the people of the United States." The National Park Service has as its overall mission the preservation and public enjoyment of significant aspects of the nation's natural and cultural heritage.

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International Designations
Point Reyes contains an example of one of the world's major ecosystem types. For this reason and because Point Reyes is dedicated to the conservation of nature and scientific research, it was recognized in 1988 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Man and the Biosphere program and named the Central California Coast Biosphere Reserve. International Biosphere Reserves are a project of the Man and the Biosphere program of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Reserves are protected samples of the world's major ecosystem types. These sites are standards against which we can measure human impact on our environment and predict its probable effects. There are now over 190 reserves in 50 countries.

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Did You Know?

Bubblegum coral. Image courtesy of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute.

On the Cordell Bank, just 32 kilometers (20 miles) to the west of Point Reyes, there are deep-water corals that are 10 to 15 meters (33 to 50 feet) high and estimated to be over 1500 years old. More...