Beaches of Point Reyes

 

Visitors enjoy sunset at Point Reyes Beach North.

NPS / Anela Kopshever

 

Point Reyes National Seashore contains approximately 130 kilometers (80 miles) of shoreline. Some beaches are rocky and good for tidepooling, while other beaches are covered by vast expanses of sand and great for a walk. Visit our Current Conditions page for potential closures or advisories on beaches.

 

Safety

Please note that not all beaches are suitable for swimming or wading, especially for young children. The ocean water may be as low as 10°C (50°F). Hypothermia, sneaker waves, and rip currents are just a few of the hazards of which visitors should be aware.

Water Quality

Marin County Environmental Health Services monitors a number of ocean, bay and freshwater sites within Point Reyes National Seashore and the surrounding area. These sites are sampled once a week from April 1 through October 31 to determine if a beach meets the California water quality standards for recreational water contact. EHS works cooperatively with the NPS to collect water samples and post advisory signage as needed at the designated sampling sites. For more information, visit the EHS's Marin County Ocean and Bay Water Quality Testing Program page or their Beach Water Quality Information page.

Beaches and rivers across California often have high-risk water quality following large winter rain events. While the park strives continually to improve water quality, please note that in their annual beach report card, Heal the Bay recommends swimmers and boaters "avoid contact with ocean water around storm drains and river outlets, and avoid all ocean contact for at least three days following a significant rain event." For more information visit Heal the Bay’s website.

 

 

 

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Rules and Regulations

While most beach-goers follow park rules and regulations and Leave No Trace principles, every now and then, park staff encounter someone who isn't taking only pictures and leaving only footprints. Some of the park regulations commonly violated by beach-goers include:

 

Glass is Prohibited

Possession of a glass container within fifteen meters (fifty feet) of any riverbank, lakeshore, or beach, or on the water, or in a vessel is prohibited. This restriction is necessary to reduce the amount of injurious trash in the park and for the protection of visitors who frequent these areas in bare feet.

Take only pictures; leave only footprints

Almost everything one finds at Point Reyes' beaches is protected by law, including shells, rocks, fossils, flowers, and artifacts.

Respect Wildlife

Do not chase or feed the gulls (or any other birds) and keep your distance from seals and sea lions.

Drones are Prohibited

Launching, landing, or operating a remotely operated aircraft (aka "remotely piloted aircraft," "unmanned aircraft," or "drone") from or on lands and waters administered by the National Park Service within the boundaries of Point Reyes National Seashore is prohibited.

Metal-detectors are Prohibited

Metal-detectors are prohibited throughout the National Seashore.

Pets

Pets are permitted on certain sections of Kehoe, Limantour, and Point Reyes Beach (aka, Great Beach) and must be restrained by a 1.8-meter (6-foot) leash at all times. Visit our Pets page for more information.

Camping

Camping on beaches is prohibited, with the exception of some beaches on the west side of Tomales Bay. Visit our Backcountry Camping page for more information.

Wood fires

Within the National Seashore, visitors may have wood fires only on park beaches if a Beach Fire Permit has been obtained in advance. Visit our Beach Fires page for more information.

Fishing

Fishing is permitted along most park beaches, but not along Drakes Beach or the western end of Limantour Beach. Visit our Fishing page for more information.

Other Regulations

Please visit our Park Regulations page to familiarize yourself with some of the other rules pertaining to visiting the park.

Reporting Violations of Park Regulations

If you observe violations of any of the above regulations in Point Reyes National Seashore, please call park dispatch at 415-464-5170 or contact staff at the nearest Visitor Center as soon as possible. If you observe drone use in other National Park Service areas or if you find photographs or videos online or elsewhere that were illegally taken within National Park Service areas from drones, you can report the violation to the National Park Service tip line at 888-653-0009 or by email.

Driftwood Structures

Although it is not a regulation, the following request is in line with Leave No Trace principles: if you build any driftwood structures during your visit, take them down before leaving the beach so that future visitors arriving at the beach might have the chance of feeling as if they are the first persons to set foot on the beach.

 

Help Keep Your Beaches Clean

The beaches of Point Reyes are some of California's cleanest. Please help protect marine life and keep your park's beaches clean by disposing of trash and recycling in the appropriate receptacles located at beach and trailhead parking lots. You can also help clean up the beaches by picking up marine debris and trash on California Coastal Cleanup Day on the third Saturday of September, or any day you visit a beach.

We hope that your visit to these beaches is safe and enjoyable.

Sturgeon Carcass Reporting

Researchers studying the causes of death of adult sturgeon (142 KB PDF) request that any observations of sturgeon carcasses be reported to them by email.

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