Operating Hours & Seasons

Temporary facilities closure is in effect until further notice.

A Stay at Home (also known as Shelter-In-Place) 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 shelter-in-place legal orders, until further notice:

• Some roads and parking areas are closed to motorized access.
• Point Reyes National Seashore's visitor centers are closed.
• Point Reyes National Seashore's campgrounds are closed. No camping permits will be issued, e.g., camping is prohibited.
• Point Reyes National Seashore's picnic areas are closed.
• High-touch equipment, such as drinking fountains and benches, are closed to all use.
• No beach fire permits will be issued, e.g., wood fires are prohibited.
• 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 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. 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. 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

Spring, summer, and early fall hours from March 1 through October 31:
The Bear Valley Visitor Center is 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

Extended Summer Hours

From July 3, 2015, through September 5, 2015, the Bear Valley Visitor Center was open until 6 pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Extended hours for Fridays and Saturdays were not offered during the summers of 2016, 2017, 2018, or 2019. Extended hours for Fridays and Saturdays of summer 2020 have yet to be determined.

 

Lighthouse Visitor Center and the Point Reyes Lighthouse

The Lighthouse Visitor Center, the stairs leading down to the lighthouse, and the equipment building are 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 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 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 Saturday, December 26, 2020, except for on Saturday, August 29, 2020, when it will be open during the 39th Annual Sand Sculpture Contest.

Winter hours from Saturday, December 26, 2020, through late March or early April 2021:
The Kenneth C. Patrick Visitor Center will be open on:
Weekends and federal holidays from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm on days when the park operates the Winter Shuttle Bus System.
Closed Mondays through Fridays, and on weekends and holidays when the park does NOT operate the Winter Shuttle Bus System.

Call 415-464-5100 x2 x3 x1 the evening prior to or the morning of your visit to learn whether the park will or will not be operating the Winter Shuttle Bus System.

 

PRNSA Bookstore at Drakes Beach

The PRNSA Bookstore at Drakes Beach is open from 11 am to 4:30 pm on Saturdays, Sundays, and most federal holidays (except Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day)
Closed Mondays through Fridays, and on Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.

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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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