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Notice to campers staying at Coast Campground:
The Coast Trail between the Hostel and Coast Campground is closed weekdays while salvage operators attempt to remove a wrecked boat from Santa Maria Beach. The potable water sources at Coast Campground have been shut off. More »
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2012 Harbor Seal Pupping Season Closures
From March 1 through June 30, an annual closure of Drakes Estero and certain beaches of Tomales Bay is implemented to protect harbor seals during the pupping season. Please avoid disturbing seals to ensure a successful pupping season. More »
Amateur Radio Activation at the Point Reyes Lighthouse
Saturday, August 6, & Each year, the Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society (ARLHS) sponsors several activities to increase awareness of our lighthouse heritage. One of these events includes International Lighthouse-Lightship Week, which will be observed in 2011 from August 1 to 8. To celebrate this international heritage event, Valley of the Moon Amateur Radio Club (VOMARC), in partnership with Point Reyes National Seashore, will activate a temporary radio station at the Point Reyes Lighthouse. Visitors to the Point Reyes Lighthouse are invited to view the temporary radio station from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (1600Z to 2359Z) on Saturday, August 6, & Sunday, August 7, 2011. They will broadcast from the green garages located near the Point Reyes Lighthouse Visitor Center area. The modes of transmission to be used are single-sideband (SSB) voice, phase-shift keying (PSK) digital mode, and International Morse code. The first two are in use in commercial radio today while the code is still used by amateur radio operators but has dropped out of use with maritime, commercial and military communicators. Individuals with radios capable of only receiving AM and FM bandwidths will not be able to tune in to these shortwave radio broadcasts. The broadcasts will be transmitted over the following radio frequencies:
QSLs via W6AJF w/S.A.S.E. The Point Reyes Lighthouse first shown December 1st, 1870. This treacherous point, once characterized as "the worst the Pacific has to offer" (SF Chronicle, 1870), was lit to guide mariners safely past Point Reyes. In 1870, as many as four men employed by the US Government's Lighthouse Board were stationed at Point Reyes. With the aid of lighthouse keepers, the Point Reyes Light Station remained in operation for 105 years. Today, the US Coast Guard maintains an automated light and fog signal while Point Reyes National Seashore staff serve as the modern day light keepers to the historic structure. Visitors to Point Reyes National Seashore can view the historic 1870 lens room with its intact first order Fresnel lens and clockwork mechanism. The Point Reyes Lighthouse and Visitor Center are open Thursday through Monday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with lens room tours from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Winds in excess of 40 mph will close the lighthouse stairs and cancel programs. For additional information, including weather conditions call the Point Reyes Lighthouse at 415-669-1534 or the Bear Valley Visitor Center at 415-464-5100 x2 x5. Download the flyer for 2011 Radio Station Activation (176 KB PDF)
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Did You Know?
The Point Reyes Lighthouse was completed in 1870, 16 years after Congress initially appropriated funds for its construction. It still stands in its original location, having weathered over 135 years at what is considered to be the windiest, foggiest location on the US west coast. More...