Event Details (U.S. National Park Service)

Fee:

$7 per person

Location: LAT/LONG: 38.027980, -122.961610

Drakes Beach to the Lighthouse and Chimney Rock

Repeating Event

Days:

Every week on Sunday and Saturday

Dates:

December 28, 2019 to March 08, 2020

Time:

9:00 AM

Duration:

9 hours

Description

Winter is an exciting time to visit the park. As the gray whales migrate past and the elephant seals return to the Point Reyes Headlands, so do a lot of visitors. This means increased traffic on the narrow roadways and in the small parking lots at the lighthouse and at Chimney Rock—especially on weekends and holidays. In order to reduce traffic congestion in the Point Reyes Headlands, the Seashore instituted a shuttle bus system in 1998.

The lighthouse shuttle bus system usually begins on the last Saturday of December and continues through later March or early April. The 2019–2020 season lasted from Saturday, December 28, 2019, until Sunday, March 8, 2020. Sir Francis Drake Boulevard was closed to private vehicles at the South Beach junction from 9 am until ~5:45 pm on Saturdays, Sundays, and federal holidays when the weather was fair or better.

Shuttle service will also not run during stormy or extremely wet weather. Check the "Shuttles, Whales, and Elephant Seals" recording at 415-464-5100 x2 x3 x1 for updates on whether shuttles are operating.

To ensure the safety of bus operators and passengers, we do need to limit private vehicle (including bicycle) access on the narrow and curving road while the buses are running.

Visit our Winter Shuttle Bus System page for more information.

More information