Operating Hours & Seasons

Temporary facilities closures are in effect until further notice.

A Risk Reduction Order is in place for Marin County until further notice. Following guidance from the CDC and public health officials, and to comply with county-wide public health legal orders, until further notice:

• On weekends and federal holidays, access to the Lighthouse and Chimney Rock areas will be managed 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.
• Point Reyes National Seashore's visitor centers are closed, as are the Point Reyes Lighthouse and the stairs leading down to the lighthouse. However, park rangers will be stationed at the front doors of the Bear Valley Visitor Center daily from 10 am to 3 pm (or later, as staffing allows) to provide visitors information and maps. Please line up along the sloped pathway from near the accessible parking spaces; only one person per family/party/group, please. Please maintain at least six feet of physical distance and wear a mask. The interior of the visitor center is closed until further notice.
• Point Reyes National Seashore's Sky Campgrounds is closed. No camping permits will be issued for Sky Campground until further notice, e.g., camping is prohibited. Coast, Glen, and Wildcat Campgrounds and Boat-in Camping along Tomales Bay have reopened, with some new rules in an effort to keep campers healthy.
• Point Reyes National Seashore's picnic areas are open, with some new rules in an effort to keep picnickers healthy.
• All ranger-led programs and volunteer activities have been cancelled.

Updates will be posted to our Current Conditions page and social media channels.

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 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. Please be aware that, because physical distancing (staying at least six feet apart) cannot reasonably be maintained in certain outdoor locations, there are many outdoor areas in the park where individuals over the age of two years must wear masks, except when actively eating or drinking. 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.

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The park is open daily from 6 am to midnight throughout the year.

The Point Reyes Lighthouse area west of the visitors' parking lot is open to the public from 6 am to 10 pm; closed from 10 pm to 6 am.

Overnight camping is available by permit only.

All Visitor Centers are normally open throughout the year, but are closed December 25. Visitor Centers may close at 2 pm on Thanksgiving. Call 415-464-5100 for hours of operation on these holidays.

Visitor Center hours are as follows:

 

Bear Valley Visitor Center - reduced hours and capacity limits are in effect until further notice

• Beginning on Saturday, May 15, 2021, the Bear Valley Visitor Center will be open daily from 10 am to 3 pm.
• Visitation will be limited to 24 visitors in the Visitor Center at a time.
• Masks are required.
• Please maintain at least 6 feet of physical distance between you and other visitors and park rangers.

Spring, summer, and early fall hours from March 1 through October 31:
The Bear Valley Visitor Center is normally open on:
Weekdays from 10 am to 5 pm
Weekends and holidays from 9 am to 5 pm

Winter Hours from November 1 through February 28:
The Bear Valley Visitor Center will be open on:
Weekdays from 10 am to 4:30 pm
Weekends and holidays from 9 am to 4:30 pm

 

Lighthouse Visitor Center and the Point Reyes Lighthouse - closed until further notice

The Lighthouse Visitor Center, the stairs leading down to the lighthouse, and the equipment building are normally only open:
Fridays through Mondays from 10 am to 4:30 pm
Please note: If wind speeds exceed 64 km/h (40 mph), the stairs leading down to the lighthouse are closed.

The Lighthouse's first gallery (the middle chamber, which contains the clockwork mechanism and from which visitors can closely view the Fresnel lens) is normally only open (as weather & staffing permit):
Fridays through Mondays from 2:30 pm to 4 pm.

The Lighthouse Visitor Center and the stairs leading down to the lighthouse are normally closed Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

Winter Shuttle Bus System

On weekends and holidays from late December through mid-April when visitation by whale watchers to the Point Reyes Lighthouse area is heavy, visitors may be required to ride a shuttle bus from Drakes Beach to the Lighthouse and Chimney Rock areas.

 

Kenneth C. Patrick Visitor Center

The Kenneth C. Patrick Visitor Center at Drakes Beach is closed seven days a week until further notice.

 

PRNSA Bookstore at Drakes Beach

The PRNSA Bookstore at Drakes Beach is closed until further notice.

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SEASONAL EVENTS

Event	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Gray Whale Migration	X	X	X	X
Elephant Seal Pupping & Breeding	X	X	X									X
Bird Migration			X	X	X			X	X	X	X	X
Harbor Seal Pupping			X	X	X	X
Peak Flower Blooms				X	X
Tule Elk Rut							X	X	X	X
Big Time Festival							X
Sand Sculpture Contest								X

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