Temporary facilities closures are in effect until further notice.The following areas, buildings, and trails are closed until further notice:
Additional Seasonal Closures Currently in Effect
More information and details about the multiple closures referenced above may be found below. For emergency road and weather conditions in West Marin, visit Point Reyes National Seashore's Twitter feed, the County of Marin's Public Emergency Portal, the National Weather Service San Francisco Bay Area's Twitter feed, the Marin County Department of Public Works' Twitter feed, the Marin Sheriff Department's Twitter feed, the Marin Fire Department's Twitter feed, the California Highway Patrol: Marin's Twitter feed, or tune in to KWMR, 90.5 FM. Area Road ClosuresFor information on road closures in Marin County and the Bay Area, check the Marin Sheriff Current Emergency Information, the California Department of Transportation's Current Highway Conditions, and CHP Traffic Incident Information (select "Golden Gate" from the "Communication Centers" drop-down menu in the upper left corner, then look for "Marin" in the "Location" and/or "Area" columns) websites. Old Tocaloma/Platform Bridge ClosureAs of January 13, 2020, the bridge known as Old Tocaloma/Platform Bridge, which runs parallel to Sir Francis Drake Boulevard at its intersection with Platform Bridge Road ~ 2 miles east of Olema, is closed to all vehicular traffic until further notice. The bridge is being closed to vehicular traffic due to structural deficiencies that make the weight of a vehicle unsafe to cross over the bridge. Beach ClosuresFrom December 15 to March 31, to better protect elephant seals from disturbance, especially during the pupping season when they are exceptionally vulnerable, the park implements closures along beaches near the Point Reyes Headlands. Additional closures may be implemented if elephant seals haul out on beaches outside of these areas. See the Northern Elephant Seals section of the Wildlife Protection Closures below for more details. From Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day Weekend, a closure of the Point Reyes Beach between the North Beach parking lot and the mouth of Abbotts Lagoon is in effect on weekends and federal holidays to better ensure the survival of western snowy plover nests and chicks within this area on busy weekends. All public use is prohibited. Additional restriction on pets at various beaches are in effect between March 1 and September 30. See the Western Snowy Plover section of the Wildlife Protection Closures below for more details. Campground ClosuresAll campgrounds within Point Reyes National Seashore are currently open. Road ClosuresTrail Advisories and ClosuresVisitor Center ClosuresAll Visitor Centers will be closed on December 25. Visitor Centers usually close at 2 pm on Thanksgiving Day. Visit our Visitor Centers page for current days and hours of operations. Wildlife Protection ClosuresTule ElkLlamas are prohibited from all areas that are inhabited by tule elk. Map (180 KB PDF) Marine Protected AreasOn May 1, 2010, a number of Marine Protected Areas went into effect within and adjacent to Point Reyes National Seashore, in part to better protect nesting birds. Per the Marine Life Protection Act (MPLA), the Point Reyes Headlands is closed to all vessels within 305 meters (1000 feet) of shore from Chimney Rock west to Longitude 123° 01.00'. Per the Superintendent's Compendium, from Longitude 123° 01.00' west to the Point Reyes Lighthouse the headlands is closed to all vessels within 91 meters (100 yards) of shore. There are also 91-meter (300-foot) special closures around Point Resistance and Double Point/Stormy Stack, per the MLPA. Harbor SealsTo protect harbor seals from disturbance during the most crucial part of the pupping season, from March 1 through June 30 the National Park Service has closed the following areas to the public: Drakes Estero, Estero de Limantour, Double Point, and the western end of Limantour Spit. Duck Island and the east side of Hog Island are closed to the public year round. Western Snowy PloversThe western snowy plover is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Disturbance by park visitors, especially those with pets, in plover breeding areas can separate chicks from the adults, and the chicks may then not be able to forage efficiently, thermoregulate properly, and hide from predators. Annual Closures
Temporary Closures
Northern Elephant SealsTo better protect elephant seals from disturbance, especially during the pupping season when they are exceptionally vulnerable, the park implements the following closures: Drakes Beach Elephant Seal Colony Year-Round ClosureThe Drakes Beach elephant seal colony as delineated by signs at the western-most end of Drakes Beach is closed to all entry due to seal activity at all times of the year. This closure is necessary to protect an established elephant seal colony from disturbance and protect the public. The elephant seal colony is used all year. No management action other than a year-round closure is sufficient. Seasonal Closures:From December 15 to March 31, the following areas are closed to all entry in order to better protect nursing elephant seal pups:
Interactive Map Illustrating the Locations of the Closures Referenced Above(Scroll past the first image in the StoryMap below and click on the "Beach Closures" header. Or scroll almost all the way through the Story Map to the "Beach Closures" section.) |
Last updated: June 23, 2022