The Limantour Beach South Parking Lot Road will be closed on Tue., Apr. 1 & Wed., Apr. 2 as new vault toilets are installed. The accessible parking lot south of the main lot will also be closed. The main parking lot & the path to the beach remain open.
Drakes Beach Road now only open 10 am to 4 pm to better protect elephant seal pups.
Northern elephant seals have returned to Drakes Beach and given birth close to beach access points. To better protect the pups during this important time, this area will only be open when park staff and volunteers are present. The beach itself is closed. More
Take a deep breath, smell the ocean, and watch hundreds of brant wheel and squawk overhead. Dip your paddle into calm salty water as bat rays and leopard sharks glide below you. Only 90 minutes after leaving San Francisco, in the heart of Point Reyes National Seashore, you can feel the stress ebbing away.
As part of the Phillip Burton Wilderness—the only West Coast marine wilderness south of Alaska—Drakes Estero is one of the most protected estuaries in California. Thousands of species of birds, mammals, fish, and other wildlife depend on estuaries, where fresh water mixes with salty ocean water.
"It is not difficult for either the casual park visitor or the seasoned scientist to recognize the ecological significance of Drakes Estero—enhanced by robust eelgrass meadows and sandbars that provide nursery areas for fish, harbor seals and other marine life, and are visited by tens of thousands of shorebirds and waterfowl."
-Sylvia Earle, Explorer in Residence at National Geographic
Drakes Estero is an estuary complex made up of five branching bays. The 2500 acre complex includes 2300 acres of underwater wilderness—which is more than twice the size of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. With five miles of oyster racks and other debris removed, we can help stop the spread of invasive species and allow for the growth of critical native species.
The invasive sea squirt Didemnum vexillum, or Dvex, typically grows on hard surfaces. Removing oyster racks and other debris eliminates habitat for Dvex. Eelgrass beds are critical to fish reproduction and the health of the estuary. Eelgrass can now expand into areas once covered by debris.
View photographs of offshore infrastructure, shellfish, and marine debris removed from Drakes Estero.
Harbor seals on a sandbar at Drakes Estero
NPS / Jessica Weinberg McClosky.
We restored Drakes Estero by:
Removing five miles of pressure-treated wooden oyster racks weighing nearly 500 tons
Cleaning up several acres of underwater plastic, metal, and shell debris weighing nearly 1300 tons
Removing plastic, metal, and cement debris from the sandbars, where one-fifth of California's harbor seal pups are born and raised
Conducting long-term scientific monitoring of non-native species, eelgrass, harbor seals, and water quality
Restoration:
The National Park Service partnered with the National Park Foundation and Point Reyes National Seashore Association to continue the restoration of Drakes Estero.
Abandoned oyster racks in Drakes Estero on January 18, 2015.
NPS Photo
July 2017: End of harbor seal pupping closure
The waters of Drakes Estero open to recreational use following the end of the harbor seal pupping season.
May 2017: Onshore work complete
All aquaculture debris removed from onshore staging area. Drakes Estero access road opens to the public.
April 2017: Offshore work complete
All offshore removal of aquaculture debris completed.
March 2017: Harbor seal pupping closure
Bottom debris work completed within a 1/4 mile of harbor seal pupping areas. Work outside of a 1/4 mile continues under former oyster racks.
June–July 2015: Continued on-shore restoration
Contractors removed remaining structures, water, power, and septic systems associated with the commercial oyster operation.
January–June 2015: Employee relocation
The National Park Service helped oyster company workers find new jobs and residences through a relocation contractor, Legal Aid of Marin, and West Marin Community Services. Former employees lived at Drakes Estero at no cost for up to six months after commercial oyster operations ceased.
February 2015: Oyster rack removal test
We pulled out a few oyster racks to find the best methods and equipment for protecting sensitive resources. This test helped us design the underwater restoration, with the least impact to the estero ecosystem.
January 2015: On-shore restoration begins
Contractors removed nine commercial buildings, utilities, debris, and over 6,000 square feet of asphalt and concrete.
Barges with oyster bags removed from Drakes Estero
October 2014: Settlement agreement reached
Under a settlement agreement between the National Park Service and Drakes Bay Oyster Company, oyster farming at Drakes Estero closed on December 31, 2014. This opened a new future for the estuary and new opportunities for the public to enjoy this extraordinary place.
Photographs of offshore infrastructure, shellfish, and marine debris that will be removed from Drakes Estero during the restoration process.
Beach Clean Up Station at Drakes Estero.
Help Us Keep Drakes Estero Clean
In collaboration with All One Ocean, we installed Beach Clean-Up Stations throughout the seashore. You can pick up a reusable bag at Drakes Estero and gather trash while you explore.
When you return, empty the trash in the garbage containers at the parking lot. Then return the reusable bag to the Beach Clean-Up Station. Thanks for helping to keep Drakes Estero clean!
Buried in debris for decades, Drakes Estero is now one of the few remaining undeveloped estuaries on the U.S. Pacific coast. After a massive cleanup, scientists tracked the regrowth of an eelgrass community there—and found it transformed.
Offices:San Francisco Bay Area Inventory & Monitoring Network
Recently, a team of scientists chose southern sea otters to test if predator-prey population dynamics modeling could help conservation planners figure out where predator reintroductions could work. The team published their results in June. They found that two estuaries in Point Reyes National Seashore could probably feed lots of cute (or not) whimsical water weasels one day!
Locations:Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve, Point Reyes National Seashore
The Wilderness Act has been a leading instrument of conservation for nearly 60 years, providing the highest level of protection for federal lands. National parks account for more than half of wilderness lands, offering protection first as a park and then as wilderness. But what portion of these wilderness areas are marine? Just two parks on the Pacific include marine waters in their wilderness boundaries: Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve and Point Reyes National Seashore.
415-464-5100
This number will initially be answered by an automated attendant, from which one can opt to access a name directory, listen to recorded information about the park (e.g., directions to the park; visitor center hours of operation; fire danger information; wildlife updates; ranger-led programs; seasonal events; etc.), or speak with a ranger. Please note that if you are calling between 4:30 pm and 10 am, park staff may not be available to answer your call.
