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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 »
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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 »
California Coastal Cleanup Day
Point Reyes National Seashore thanks the 78 volunteers who helped collect over 300 pounds of garbage and marine debris from Drakes Beach on September 15, 2012. Please join us next year on September 21, 2013 Point Reyes National Seashore, in conjuction with the California Coastal Commision, will be sponsoring a Beach cleanup at Drakes Beach on Saturday, September 21, 2013. The cleanup will take place from 10 am to 1 pm. This is a family friendly event with a "Dress like Drake" (our famous pirate) contest and a "Bling Your Bucket" competion with prizes awarded. There will be light refreshments served as well. Participants are encouraged to bring sunscreen and their own waterbottles. California Coastal Cleanup Day is an annual event which occurs on the third Saturday of September. California Coastal Cleanup Day is the premier volunteer event focused on the marine environment in the country. On this day, 50,000 volunteers turn out to over 700 cleanup sites statewide to conduct what has been hailed by the Guinness Book of World Records as "the largest garbage collection" (1993). Since the program started in 1985, over 750,000 Californians have removed more than 12 million pounds of debris from our state's shorelines and coast. In 2011, volunteers picked up 1,345,776 pound of trash along California's coastlines and over 40% of it was recycled. When combined with the International Coastal Cleanup, organized by The Ocean Conservancy and taking place on the same day, California Coastal Cleanup Day becomes part of one of the largest volunteer events of the year. The Drakes Beach cleanup is sponsored by Point Reyes National Seashore, Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary, Environmental Action Committee of West Marin, and Point Reyes National Seashore Association. This is an annual effort in California, when citizens come out to help collect data and clean up our beaches. Meet in front of the Kenneth C. Patrick Visitor Center at Drakes Beach at 10 am to pick up supplies. Contact Kim Hawkins at 415-464-5130 or by email for more details. If you plan on bringing a school class, a Scout Troop, or other group of 10 or more people, please contact Kim Hawkins at least 2 weeks in advance. Or visit the California Coastal Commission's Coastal Cleanup Day page for information about other locations. 
Flyers from previous years: 
Beach Clean Up Volunteers. Safety is our first priority for any beach cleanup. Even the cleanest-looking beach can hide dangers under the sand. Nails, broken glass, hypodermic needles…even an unexploded grenade have been found during Coastal Cleanup Days. Everybody that joins a beach cleanup is required to sign the California Coastal Commission's waiver form. Members of school groups, scout troops, and any person under the age of 18 will need a signature from a parent or guardian to participate in the cleanup. Forms are also available at cleanup sites on Coastal Cleanup Day. Coastal Cleanup Day is the highlight of the California Coastal Commission's year-round Adopt-A-Beach program and usually takes place every year on the third Saturday of September, from 10 am to 1 pm. Coming at the end of the summer beach season and right near the start of the school year, Coastal Cleanup Day is a great way for families, students, service groups, and neighbors to join together, take care of our fragile marine environment, show community support for our shared natural resources, learn about the impacts of marine debris and how we can prevent them, and to have fun. Coastal Cleanup Day is also the kick-off event for Coastweeks-three weeks of coastal and water-related events for the whole family. The world's rubbish dump: a garbage tip that stretches from Hawaii to Japan |
Did You Know?
In the mid-1800s, the tule elk was hunted to the brink of extinction. The last surviving tule elk were discovered and protected in the southern San Joaquin Valley in 1874. In 1978, ten tule elk were reintroduced to Point Reyes, which now has one of California's largest populations, numbering ~500. More...