Current Road Closures
All park roads are currently open, except for:
- Drakes Beach Road - In January 2019, elephant seals occupied the section of Drakes Beach adjacent to the Kenneth C. Patrick Visitor Center, and, at times, the parking lot and wooden ramps leading up to the visitor center. As a result, the entire Drakes Beach area south of the junction of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard and Drakes Beach Road was closed to the public to better protect the elephant seals from disturbance. With the partial government shutdown ended, Point Reyes National Seashore has reopened the Drakes Beach Road and parking lot from 9 am until 5 pm on weekends and federal holidays. The Kenneth C. Patrick Visitor Center is open from 10 am until 4:30 pm on weekends and federal holidays. Park Rangers and Winter Wildlife Docents will be on site to provide direction, education, and safe elephant seal viewing opportunities for the public. Access may change based upon elephant seal activity. Until further notice, the Drakes Beach area will remain closed on Mondays through Fridays, as well as before 9 am and after 5 pm on weekends and holidays. Citations will be issued to individuals and vehicles found south of the road closure during these times.
Winter Shuttle Bus System Road Closures
Beginning Saturday, December 29, 2018, the western end of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard may be closed on weekends and federal holidays when the Winter Shuttle Bus System is operating. However:
- Due to the Lighthouse Restoration Project, the shuttle bus will not be stopping in the lighthouse area for the majority of the 2018–2019 shuttle bus season.
- Until further notice, the winter shuttle bus operation is on hold. In January 2019, female northern elephant seals hauled out at Drakes Beach adjacent to the Kenneth C. Patrick Visitor Center and gave birth to pups. The National Park Service is working to determine:
- how best to provide visitors opportunities to view the seals at Drakes Beach in such a way as to not disturb the seals; and
- whether or not to operate the shuttle buses to relieve traffic congestion on the Chimney Rock Road and to mitigate the limited parking available at Chimney Rock.
Please continue to monitor this page and our social media sites for updates.
Potential Closures due to Storm Damage
After wind and/or rain storms, many roads to and from and within Point Reyes National Seashore may be blocked due to flooding, mud slides, downed trees, and/or power lines. Reports of closures and re-openings of roads are received too frequently to keep this page up-to-date. For emergency road and weather conditions in West Marin, visit Point Reyes National Seashore's Twitter feed, 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.
Information about Road Closures outside of the National Seashore
For more 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.
