Place

Kelham Beach

A wave washes in from the right onto a sandy beach at the base of beige-colored bluffs on the left.
Kelham Beach is one of the more remote beaches at Point Reyes, but is no longer safe to visit.

NPS Photo

Quick Facts
Location:
Kelham Beach, Point Reyes National Seashore. Geo-coordinates: 37.9969, -122.8213
OPEN TO PUBLIC:
No

Scenic View/Photo Spot

Kelham Beach is a 0.9-mile-long (1.5-kilometer-long) beach deep within the Phillip Burton Wilderness in the central part of the national seashore. As of 2024, there are no safe routes to access Kelham Beach. In January 2023, coastal erosion eliminated the lowest 12 feet or so of steps at the bottom of the Kelham Beach Trail. In April 2024, a much larger landslide occurred, taking out even more of the Kelham Beach Trail. The route is unstable and moving. Visitors are still welcome to hike to the Kelham Ranch site, where an old eucalyptus provides a shady spot to rest and from which the Kelham Beach Trail used to descend to the beach...but DO NOT USE THE KELHAM BEACH TRAIL OR ATTEMPT TO DESCEND TO KELHAM BEACH. If you descend onto the beach, you may not be able to get back up. The Kelham Ranch site is five miles (eight kilometers) from the nearest trailhead. The closest place to park is the Bear Valley Trailhead.

Point Reyes National Seashore

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Last updated: July 1, 2024