National Park Service · California
A wild Marin County peninsula of cliffs, elk, lighthouse fog, and tule-elk reserves, with backcountry hike-in and boat-in camping reserved on Recreation.gov.
Field briefing
Point Reyes National Seashore starts with access, not mileage.
Before you go
There is no entrance fee. The defining camping fact: there is no drive-up campground. All camping is hike-in (four backcountry campgrounds) or boat-in (sites on Tomales Bay), and you must reserve a permit on Recreation.gov, often three months ahead to the day. Plan around the coastal fog, which can gray out summer.
The landmarks worth the trip. Tap any photo to enlarge.
Weather, crowds, and what the season changes about the trip.
Green hills, wildflowers, and variable weather, with wind and fog on the headlands.
Pack Wind shell, layers, and footwear for muddy coastal trails.
Cool and famously foggy on the coast, often gray and breezy even when inland is hot.
Pack Warm layers, a wind shell, and low expectations for sun on the headlands.
Often the clearest, calmest season, with mild days and the best chance of sun.
Pack Layers, a wind shell, and early reservations for the popular trails.
Cool, green, and wet, with prime gray-whale watching from the lighthouse on clear days.
Pack Rain shell, warm layers, and traction for steep, slick lighthouse stairs.
Point Reyes Lighthouse
The classic windswept lighthouse, reached by a long staircase. One of the best land-based gray-whale watching spots in winter.
Tomales Point Trail
A coastal ridge hike through the tule-elk reserve, with ocean on both sides and big chances to see elk.
Chimney Rock and the elephant seals
A short headland walk with wildflowers in spring and an elephant-seal overlook in winter breeding season.
Alamere Falls
A rare tidefall that drops onto the beach, reached by a long coastal hike from the Palomarin trailhead.
Put the access rule first: shuttle, parking, timed-entry, or reservation windows should decide the order of the day. For one day in Point Reyes National Seashore, make Point Reyes Lighthouse the non-negotiable, add Tomales Point Trail only if the first stop runs clean, and keep Chimney Rock and the elephant seals as the flexible finish.
Turn Point Reyes's conditions into water, pack, and sleep-system decisions.
Build around access
Plan the transfer before the trail list.
Plan your trip
4 quick tools, already seeded for Point Reyes National Seashore. Tune the route, pack weight, weather margin, and overnight setup after the access plan is real.
Start with the gear decisions this park changes: footing, weather, camping, and water.
Kit Authority
Point Reyes National Seashore packing list
0 of 22 packed. Check items as you pack, then take this list to the store, trailhead, or campsite.
Pack planning
Use this as a constraint check while you are still shaping the trip. The active checklist becomes useful once your route, dates, and sleep plan are set.
Checklist mode
22 items, grouped for the trip you are actually taking.
The buying guides that match what Point Reyes asks of your kit, with our current top picks across budget and use case.
If you want to camp in the park, you backpack to one of the four hike-in campgrounds (Sky, Coast, Glen, Wildcat) or paddle to a Tomales Bay boat-in site, all by permit on Recreation.gov. For lodging, the gateway towns of Point Reyes Station, Olema, and Inverness sit at the edge of the seashore, with inns and rentals; the broader Marin and San Francisco area is within easy reach for day trips.
Camping reservations
There is no drive-up campground at Point Reyes. The seashore has four backcountry hike-in campgrounds and a set of Tomales Bay boat-in sites, all by reservation. Permits go fast, so book the day your window opens.
Reviewed June 11, 2026
Booking window
Reserve a backcountry permit on Recreation.gov in advance, often three months to the day ahead. Camping is limited to four nights per visit and 30 nights per year. Sites are about $30 per night for up to six people.
Where to book or verify
Official NPS page on the hike-in and boat-in campgrounds and permit rules.
Recreation.gov listing for the seashore's backcountry permits.
Check for federal campground, backcountry, tour, and permit inventory tied to this park.
All Point Reyes camping requires a reserved permit on Recreation.gov.
Campgrounds to know
Make the transfer plan before the trail plan.
Weather windows, boat schedules, flight buffers, and backup days shape what is realistic.
Getting there
Car strategy
Drive about 1.5 to 2 hours north from San Francisco through Marin County, then out winding roads to the headlands and trailheads.
Car strategy
A car is essential: the park is large, distances between trailheads are long, and there is no public transit to most sights.
Shuttle access
In winter, a seasonal shuttle sometimes serves the lighthouse and Chimney Rock area on busy weekends.
Pair this with lodging: the best base is the one that protects the departure window, pickup point, or weather buffer.
Yes, but only by hiking or paddling in. There is no drive-up campground. The four hike-in campgrounds (Sky, Coast, Glen, Wildcat) and the Tomales Bay boat-in sites all require a reserved permit on Recreation.gov, about $30 per night, often booked three months ahead.
No. Point Reyes charges no entrance fee. The only camping cost is the backcountry permit fee for the hike-in or boat-in sites.
Late summer and fall are often clearest, since the coast is famously foggy in midsummer. Winter and spring bring gray-whale watching from the lighthouse, elephant seals at Chimney Rock, and green hills with wildflowers.
The Tomales Point Trail runs through the tule-elk reserve at the north end of the peninsula and is the most reliable place to see the herd, with the ocean on both sides of the ridge.