A Stay at Home (also known as Shelter-In-Place) Order is in place for Marin County until further notice. Please help do your part to slow the spread of the coronavirus by staying close to home; if you do visit Point Reyes, please maintain at least six feet of physical distance. Individuals engaged in outdoor exercise, such as walking, hiking, running, or bicycling, are not required to wear a face covering, but should carry one with them and must wear a facial covering when interacting with others who are not members of their household in public and private spaces if they cannot practice physical distancing. On November 13, 2020, the California Department of Public Health issued a Travel Advisory for Non-Essential Travel, which includes travel that is considered tourism or recreational in nature. Persons arriving in California from other states or countries, including returning California residents, should practice self-quarantine for 14 days after arrival. These persons should limit their interactions to their immediate household. Californians are encouraged to stay home or in their region and avoid non-essential travel to other states or countries. Avoiding travel can reduce the risk of virus transmission and bringing the virus back to California. Marin County is within the Bay Area Region, which also includes the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Monterey, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, and Sonoma. Visit our Recreate Responsibly page for guidelines for responsible recreation in the outdoors at Point Reyes and other park lands during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Updates will be posted to our Current Conditions page and social media channels. ![]() Current Road ClosuresThe following roads are closed to all traffic (i.e., motor vehicle, bicycle, pedestrian, etc.) until further notice:
Drakes Beach Road Temporary Closure is in Effect until Further NoticeDrakes Beach Road and the parking lot is only open from 9 am until 5 pm, Fridays through Mondays; closed Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. To better ensure the safety of visitors and elephant seals, Drakes Beach Road south of its intersection of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard is closed daily between 5 pm and 9 am, and will remain closed all day on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Access may change based upon elephant seal activity. This closure applies to all visitor use, including pedestrians and bicycles. Citations will be issued to individuals and vehicles found south of the road closure during the times the area is closed. Sir Francis Drake Boulevard Managed AccessOn weekends and federal holidays, access to the Lighthouse and Chimney Rock areas will be managed beyond (e.g., southwest of) the intersection of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard and Drakes Beach Road in an effort to ensure visitor and staff safety by limiting the number of people at these otherwise crowded locations. Visit our Current Conditions page for more information. MapsDownload a park map indicating the areas closed due to the Woodward Fire and roads subject to closures, managed access, or road work. (8,547 KB PDF) ![]() Point Reyes is located along the west coast of California approximately thirty miles (fifty km) north of San Francisco off of Highway 1 (see Maps). Travelers may approach the park from the winding scenic Highway 1, either northbound or southbound. Visitors can also reach the park via Sir Francis Drake Boulevard or the Point Reyes-Petaluma Road. Below are directions for the quickest routes to Point Reyes National Seashore's Bear Valley Visitor Center from San Francisco, the East Bay, Sacramento, and Petaluma. For directions from the Bear Valley Visitor Center to points of interest and trailheads within Point Reyes National Seashore, please visit our Directions to Park Destinations page. Public TransportationPublic transportation to the Bear Valley Visitor Center from San Rafael along Sir Francis Drake Boulevard is available through the West Marin Stagecoach. Parking at Bear ValleyOn weekends and holidays, the paved parking lot adjacent to the Bear Valley Visitor Center can fill early, especially if visitors who are spending more than thirty minutes in the Bear Valley area park in the paved lot. To help reduce traffic congestion in the paved parking lot, day hikers, backpackers, and other visitors who will be spending an extended period of time (i.e., more than thirty minutes) in the Bear Valley area are encouraged to park their vehicles in the gravel parking lot on the left (east) side of the access road close to the Bear Valley Trailhead. (Bear Valley Area Map [427 KB PDF]) The Headlands Shuttle Bus SystemNOTE: On weekends and holidays from late December through mid-April, when visitation to the Point Reyes Lighthouse and Chimney Rock areas is heavy, visitors may be required to ride a shuttle bus from Drakes Beach to the Lighthouse and Chimney Rock areas. Please note: The shuttle bus system has been cancelled for winter 2020–2021. Other Useful InformationRoad Closures in Point Reyes National Seashore Directions from San Francisco
Directions from the East Bay (San Francisco Bay Area)
Directions from Sacramento
Directions from Petaluma
Alternative Fuel VehiclesDo you plan to travel to the park in an alternative fuel vehicle? If so, good for you! Your actions help us reduce petroleum use and reduce greenhouse gas emissions that are contributing to anthropogenic climate change. Plan your trip with the Alternative Fueling Station Locator from the Department of Energy (search on zip code 94956) and visit our Electric Vehicle Charging Stations page to learn where you can charge your vehicle within Point Reyes National seashore. RVs and TrailersSome of the park's roads and parking lots are closed to or do not have space for recreational vehicles (RVs) and vehicles pulling trailers. While there may appear to be sufficient parking space early in the morning at some of the smaller parking lots, the parking lot can quickly fill. On a number of occasions, RV drivers have parked in a lot and by the time the driver returned to depart, the parking lot was full and there wasn't sufficient room to maneuver the RV out of the parking lot without damaging other vehicles. Not until much later, after the parking spots adjacent to and in front of the RV were cleared, was the driver of the RV able to safely get the RV out of the parking space and out of the lot. Some visitors who arrived during this time and were told by the driver of the RV (and later by park staff) that they couldn't park in the parking lot, even though there were parking spaces apparently available, weren't too happy. If you are traveling with a trailer or are driving an RV towing a passenger vehicle, consider unhitching at the bus/RV/trailer-only parking lot at Bear Valley and taking only the passenger vehicle for the drive out to the Lighthouse area. Overnight parking/camping in RVs and trailers is prohibited throughout Point Reyes National Seashore. Visit our Nearby Campgrounds page for alternatives. |
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Last updated: January 21, 2021