Picnic Areas

On This Page Navigation

 

 

Point Reyes National Seashore contains three picnic areas, plus a number of sites at various locations in the park at which there are one or two picnic tables. Use of the picnic areas are free of charge and first-come, first-served, except for a reservable group section at the Bear Valley picnic area. Descriptions and photos of the various locations where picnic tables may be found below. The descriptions of the picnic areas/tables are accurate as of March 2018.

Rules for Picnicking:

• Leaving food unattended is prohibited.
• Don't feed the wildlife.
• Don't litter. Take all waste home or dispose of all waste in garbage and/or recycling receptacles provided. Please don't put any non-recyclable materials in recycling receptacles.
• Leave No Trace. Do not carve into the picnic tables.
• Charcoal Grills:
  • Wood fires are prohibited. Visit our Beach Fires page for information about building wood fires in the national seashore.
  • Only charcoal briquettes are permitted in the charcoal grills provided.
  • Charcoal fires must be attended anytime they are generating heat. Do not depart until the coals and ashes are cold to the touch.
  • Visitors are welcome to use their own small portable barbecues. All ash and used and unused briquettes must be packed out of the park.
• If you move picnic tables, move them back to where you found them when you are finished.
• Picnicking is permitted within all designated campgrounds; however, picnickers must yield campsites to persons with camping permits.
• A designated section of Bear Valley picnic area is available by reservation to groups of up to seventy-five (75) people. Contact the Special Park Uses office at 415-464-5111 to reserve this section.
• Groups of over 100 people who wish to picnic in the park must first obtain a permit. Because there are limited places in the park which can accommodate a picnic group of this size, and to minimize the impact of such a group on other visitors, a permit system is necessary for groups of 100 or more. Contact the Special Park Uses office at 415-464-5111 for more information.

 

Bear Valley Picnic Area

• Picnic tables: twenty-one (21)
• Charcoal grills: five (5) family sized + one (1) group sized
• Parking: Park in the gravel lot adjacent to the picnic area, not in the paved lot adjacent to the Bear Valley Visitor Center. (Directions to the Bear Valley Visitor Center; Download the Bear Valley Area Map [427 KB PDF])
• Toilets: Flush toilets are available at the southern end of the picnic area.
• Water: A water faucet is located near the restroom building.
• Refuse disposal: Garbage and recycling receptacles are located adjacent to restroom building.
• Shade: Part of the picnic area is located underneath tree cover.
• Exposure to wind: Minimally exposed.

 

Drakes Beach Picnic Area

• Picnic tables: nine (9) - seven (7) along the northern end of the parking lot and two (2) between the Kenneth C. Patrick Visitor Center and the beach
• Charcoal grills: six (6) along the northern end of the parking lot
• Parking: Potentially adjacent to the picnic tables at the northern end of the parking lot; ~50 meters (~165 feet) from the picnic tables between the visitor center and the beach. (Directions from the Bear Valley Visitor Center)
• Toilets: Flush toilets are adjacent to the Kenneth C. Patrick Visitor Center.
• Water: A drinking fountain is located between the men's and women's restrooms.
• Refuse disposal: Garbage and recycling receptacles are located close at the northern end of the parking lot and near the visitor center.
• Shade: None.
• Exposure to wind: Moderately exposed; very exposed if winds are from the south.

 

Five Brooks Trailhead

• Picnic tables: six (6) - located up to 275 meters (900 feet) from the parking lot along the Stewart Trail.
• Charcoal grills: None.
• Parking: Five Brooks Trailhead (Directions from the Bear Valley Visitor Center)
• Toilets: A vault toilet is located at the Five Brooks Trailhead.
• Water: None.
• Refuse disposal: Garbage and recycling receptacles are located at the trailhead.
• Shade: Partial shade at some sites.
• Exposure to wind: Minimally exposed.

 

Limantour Beach

• Picnic tables: two (2) located between the vault toilets and the foot bridge south of the main parking lot
• Charcoal grills: None
• Parking: There is a large gravel parking lot ~110 meters (~360 feet) north of the picnic tables. (Directions from the Bear Valley Visitor Center)
• Toilets: There are vault toilets located ~20 meters (~65 feet) to the north of the picnic tables.
• Water: No potable water, but there is a water spigot at the base of the shower post on the east side of the main path leading to the beach.
• Refuse disposal: Garbage and recycling receptacles are located adjacent to the vault toilets.
• Shade: None
• Exposure to wind: Moderately exposed, especially if winds are from the south.

 

Pierce Point Ranch

• Picnic tables: four (4) - two on the west side of the milking barn, two at the northwest corner of the milking barn
• Charcoal grills: None.
• Parking: Parking is available at the Pierce Point Ranch/Tomales Point Trailhead. (Directions from the Bear Valley Visitor Center)
• Toilets: Vault toilets are located at the McClures Beach parking lot, ~420 meters (~0.25 miles) away
• Water: None.
• Refuse disposal: Garbage and recycling receptacles are located adjacent to parking lot.
• Shade: None.
• Exposure to wind: Moderately exposed.

 

Estero Trailhead

• Picnic tables: one (1) at the south end of the trailhead parking lot
• Charcoal grills: None.
• Parking: The picnic table is located at the Estero Trailhead parking lot. (Directions from the Bear Valley Visitor Center)
• Toilets: Vault toilets are located at the northwest corner of the parking lot.
• Water: None.
• Refuse disposal: Garbage and recycling receptacles are located adjacent to the vault toilets.
• Shade: None.
• Exposure to wind: Moderately exposed.

 

Chimney Rock Boathouse

• Picnic tables: two (2) located on the southeast side of the boathouse at Chimney Rock
• Charcoal grills: None.
• Parking: The Chimney Rock Trailhead parking lot is located ~640 meters (~0.4 miles) away. (Directions from the Bear Valley Visitor Center)
• Toilets: Vault toilets are located at the Chimney Rock Trailhead, ~640 meters (~0.4 miles) away.
• Water: None.
• Refuse disposal: Garbage and recycling receptacles are located adjacent to the picnic tables.
• Shade: None.
• Exposure to wind: Moderately exposed, especially if winds are from the east.

 

Observation Deck above the Point Reyes Lighthouse

• Picnic tables: one (1)
• Charcoal grills: None.
• Parking: The lighthouse visitors' parking lot is located ~850 meters (~0.5 miles) to the east at the western end of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. (Directions from the Bear Valley Visitor Center; Download the Point Reyes Lighthouse Area map. [247 KB PDF])
• Toilets: Flush toilets are located ~150 meters (~500 feet) to the east.
• Water: A drinking fountain and water bottle filling station are located ~150 meters (~500 feet) to the east.
• Refuse disposal: Garbage and recycling receptacles are located ~85 meters (~280 feet) to the east.
• Shade: None.
• Exposure to wind: Very exposed.

Top of Page