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Point Reyes National SeashoreBear Valley Visitor Center
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Point Reyes National Seashore
Park Regulations

Park regulations are established to protect Point Reyes National Seashore’s natural and cultural resources, and to provide for visitor safety. Your cooperation and assistance will ensure that we may all enjoy these resources for generations to come. The following is a summary of park regulations. A comprehensive list is available in Title 36 Code of Federal Regulations (36 CFR) and the Superintendent's Compendium. Please contact the appropriate office for additional information.

Alphabetical Listing of Park Regulations

Aircraft
Bicycles
Boats
Camping
Collecting
Commercial activities
Dogs
Fires
Fishing
Guns
Horses and pack animals
Metal Detectors
Mushrooms
Permits
Pets
Skateboarding, In-line skates and similar devices
Viewing wildlife
Weapons

 

Aircraft

Remote controlled, motorized aircraft are prohibited due to potential disturbance to visitors and wildlife. Hang gliders require special use permit to operate in the park. Contact the Special Park Uses office at 415-464-5111 for information about hang gliding at Point Reyes.

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Bicycles

Bicycles must remain on paved roads or on trails designated by signs for their use. Bicyclists may not exceed 25 km/hr (15 mph) on trails, and must yield to horses and pedestrians. Visit our Bicycle Riding page for more information.

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Boats

Non-motorized vessels may be used on freshwater lakes within the Seashore. They are also permitted at Abbott’s Lagoon, Limantour Estero and Drakes Esteros, except that Limantour and Drake’s Esteros are closed to all boat traffic from March 1 through June 30 each year to protect breeding wildlife. Visit our Kayaking page for more information. Personal water craft are prohibited in Tomales Bay. Map of PWC closure

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Camping

Camping is allowed by permit ONLY in designated backcountry campgrounds and on the western Tomales Bay beaches that are not closed for wildlife protection. Contact the camping desk at 415-663-8054 or visit our Backcountry Camping page for more information.

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Collecting

All objects (plants, animals, or parts of them such as flowers or antlers, historic artifacts, minerals, etc.) within the National Seashore are protected and may not be collected. However, certain products are available for personal (non-commercial) use only in limited quantities. These are:

  • Edible berries - 1 liter (1 quart) per person per day
  • Edible mushrooms - 2 gallons plus 1 mushroom per adult per day
  • Unoccupied seashells, gathered by hand
  • Daffodil flowers from the abandoned nursery site near the Laguna Trailhead - six (6) flowers per person per day

Research specimens may only be taken with a special use permit. Contact the Pacific Coast Science and Learning Center at 415-464-5247 for more information or visit the NPS Research Permit and Reporting System to learn about the NPS procedures and requirements for applying for scientific research and collecting permits.

Please note: employee housing as well as park administrative, maintenance, operations, and storage facilities, including, but not limited, to access roads, outbuildings, grounds, and docks, are closed to public use.

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Commercial activities

Most commercial activities are prohibited. Those which are permitted require a permit obtained in advance. Check with the park special uses office at 415-464-5111 for information on conducting commercial activities within the park.

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Fires

Fires are allowed on beaches but are subject to restrictions. A permit is required and is available at the visitor centers or from field rangers. Permits are issued free of charge on a same day basis (the same-day you plan to have a fire). During periods of high fire danger, all open fires may be prohibited. Check with a visitor center for fire closures on the day you obtain your permit. For more information about fire regulations, visit our Beach Fires page or call the Bear Valley Visitor Center at 415-464-5100 x2 x5.

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Fishing

Fishing is closely regulated in the park and is subject to California State Fish and Game regulations. It is the individual’s responsibility to be familiar with the state laws pertaining to the area they intend to fish, and with the species and limits of fish they take. A valid state fishing license is required. Fishing is allowed on park beaches and freshwater lakes and ponds. Fishing is prohibited in Lagunitas Creek and all its tributaries including Olema and Bear Valley Creeks, in all inland freshwater streams in the park, in Limantour Estero, and in the Point Reyes Headlands Marine Conservation Area.

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Guns

Guns and firearms of all types are prohibited within the park. See “Weapons” section. Hunting within the National Seashore is prohibited. Map of NPS & State Park lands closed to hunting

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Horses and pack animals

Horses are permitted on all open trails in the park. The Bear Valley Trail (between the Mt. Wittenberg Trail and the Glen Trail junctions), the Meadow Trail, and the Old Pine Trail are closed to horses on weekends and holidays. Horses are prohibited at Kule Loklo, Drake's Beach, Earthquake Trail, Woodpecker Trail, and on roadways. Map of trails closed to horses. Llamas are prohibited from Tomales Point Tule Elk Reserve and the Limantour area from Home Bay to the Coast Trail/Woodward Valley Trail Junction from the beach up to Inverness Ridge. Map of trails closed to llamas. Read the Superintendent's Compendium or contact the visitor centers for further information.

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Metal detectors

Metal detecting and detectors are prohibited in the park to protect cultural and historic resources. Metal detectors may be transported through the park if they are cased and broken down so as to prevent their use.

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Permits

The following is a list of activities that require a permit. Not all activities requiring a permit are listed. Contact the park's Special Park Uses office (415-464-5111) for further information or refer to listed offices.

  • Commercial filming or photography--contact the Special Park Uses office at 415-464-5111.
  • Research specimens collection--contact the Division of Natural Resources at 415-464-5202.
  • Camping--contact the Camping reservations desk at 415-663-8054.
  • Fires--check with visitor centers or field ranger for permits and restrictions.
  • Special Events including but not limited to weddings, fund-raisers, sporting events, group events larger than 100 persons--contact the Special Park Uses office at 415-464-5111.

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Pets

All pets must be restrained at all times while in the Seashore on a leash no longer than six feet long. Pets may not be tied to an object and left unattended, or be allowed to make unreasonable noise. Pets are not permitted in public buildings, on most trails, or in campgrounds. Pets are permitted on the Kehoe Trail to Kehoe Beach, and on the Bolinas Ridge, Randall, Jewell, and McCurdy Trails. Please observe all signs indicating pet restrictions. Check out the Pet Regulations page or contact a Visitor Center for additional information on where pets are permitted.

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Skateboarding, in-line skates and similar devices

These activities are prohibited within the park.

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Viewing wildlife

Wildlife may not be viewed with an artificial light at night, nor approached so that animal behavior is altered.

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Weapons

Weapons, including firearms, B-B guns, slingshots, bows and arrows, or any object capable of discharging a projectile, as well as weapons prohibited by the state, are prohibited and must be secured to prevent their use. Hunting within the National Seashore is prohibited. Map of NPS & State Park lands closed to hunting

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Kule Loklo, a replica of a Coast Miwok village  

Did You Know?
Coast Miwok people have lived in the Point Reyes vicinity for over 4,000 years. They lived in villages similar to Kule Loklo, which is located near the Bear Valley Visitor Center.
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Last Updated: November 06, 2009 at 20:10 EST