Bicycle Riding at Point Reyes National Seashore

 

A bicyclist riding on the Bolinas Ridge Trail.

NPS Photo

Point Reyes National Seashore provides a variety of off-road biking opportunities traversing diverse habitats and terrains. You can explore trails through evergreen forests, coastal scrub, or along estuaries and beach bluffs.

Visitor Centers offer a free map of the park's trails, indicating which trails are designated for bike travel. These maps are also available to download from our Maps page. Point Reyes permits biking only outside of wilderness areas along emergency access/dirt fire roads, paved roads and a few single-track trails.

Carry plenty of water!

Electric bicycles

An electric bicycle (aka e-bike) is a two or three wheeled cycle with fully operable pedals and an electric motor of less than 750 watts (1 h.p.) that provides propulsion assistance. In order to provide for resource protection, minimize conflicts between users groups, and due to the nature of the multi-use routes within the park, e-bike usage is limited to Class I e-bikes where traditional bikes are allowed and as listed below, except as noted (Abbotts Lagoon Trail). Only class I e-bikes are permitted; class II and class III e-bikes are prohibited. E-bikes are prohibited where traditional bikes are prohibited. Except where use of motor vehicles by the public is allowed, using the electric motor to move an e-bike without pedaling is prohibited.

 

Bicyclists must yield to hikers/pedestrians and to horse riders.

Yield to all other Users

Horseback riders have right-of-way on the trails with hikers coming second. Bicyclists must yield to both of these trail user groups. Be aware that many horses are easily spooked when approached from behind. Reduce your speed when approaching horses or hikers. When approaching from behind, announce your presence. Stop on the downhill side of the trail while horses pass. The speed limit for bicycists on all trails, even when headed downhill, is 15 mph, and 5 mph when passing others or approaching blind turns. Be courteous. If trails are dry and dusty, slow down even more so as not to leave hikers in a cloud of dust.

Yellow Jackets

In the summer and fall, reports of yellow jacket activity along trails increase. Park staff will post notices at appropriate trail junctions warning hikers of the presence of yellow jacket nests located in close proximity to the trail as nests are discovered and/or reported. Please use an alternate route if you are allergic, want to avoid any risk of yellow jacket stings, or are riding a horse. Please notify park staff at 415-464-5100 x2 x5 if you encounter a swarm of yellow jackets along a trail that has yet to be posted. Visit our Your Safety Around Yellow Jackets for more information.

Group Size Limits

The maximum number of bicyclists in any one group is 10. Larger groups of cyclists will have to divide into groups no larger than 10. This size restriction is necessary for the safety of cyclists using public roadways and authorized trails within the Park. These roadways and trails are narrow and winding and will not safely accommodate large numbers of bicyclists.

Trail Hazards

Caution: Loose dirt and gravel cover many of the trails. This slick surface can be difficult to maneuver in and can make for easy slide outs. The loose dirt can also hide potholes. These technical riding surfaces challenge even the most experienced bikers. We recommend always wearing a helmet, a long-sleeved shirt and long pants.

Cattle

If you plan to ride your bike on a trail that leads through cattle pasture, please read Understanding Working Rangelands: Sharing Open Space: What to Expect from Grazing Livestock (1,314 KB PDF). By understanding basic cattle behavior, you can give yourself a better chance to predict how cattle are likely to react to your presence and in response to your actions. This will help make your ride through these areas safer and more enjoyable.

Invasive Weeds

To help control the spread of non-native plants, please:

• Start the day with clean shoes and gear by using a handheld boot brush to ensure there were no missed seeds or plant parts from your last adventure.

• Before leaving home, spray down your bike with water or compressed air to remove mud and plant parts from tires and fenders. Bring along a brush for use after your ride.

• Stay on marked and/or designated trails to keep invasive species populations localized for easier management and prevent introduction to new areas.
• When your adventure is done and before leaving the park, clean your:
  • Footwear with a handheld boot brush.
  • Clothes and gear by picking off seeds and burrs and brushing off extra dirt.

More Information

• Visit our Exotic Invasive Plants page.
• Visit the PlayCleanGo® Stop Invasive Species In Your Tracks® campaign's website.

Top of Page

Trails Open to Bicycles

Within Point Reyes National Seashore, bicycles and class I e-bikes are only permitted on the following trails:

• Abbotts Lagoon (from the trailhead to the footbridge) - No e-bikes
• Bear Valley Trail (from the Bear Valley Trailhead to its junction with the Glen Trail)
• Bull Point Trail
• Coast Trail (from the Coast Trailhead on Laguna Road to Coast Campground)
• Estero Trail from the Estero Trailhead to its junction with the Drakes Head Trail
  • Drakes Head Trail
  • Sunset Beach Trail
• Inverness Ridge Trail (from Limantour Road to Mount Vision Road)
• Kule Loklo Trail (from the visitor center north to Bear Valley Road)
• Lighthouse Service Road from the gate to the Visitor Center
• Marshall Beach Trail
• Olema Valley Trail
• Sky Trail (from Limantour Road to Sky Campground)
• Stewart Trail
  • Glen Trail (from its junction with the Stewart Trail to its southern junction with the Glen Camp Loop Trail)
    • Glen Camp Loop Trail (from its southern junction with the Glen Trail to Glen Campground)

Within the north unit of Golden Gate National Recreation Area, bicycles are permitted on the following trails (listed from north to south):

• Bolinas Ridge Trail
• Cross Marin Trail
• Jewell Trail
• McCurdy Trail
• Randall Trail

Trail Guide
Trail Advisories and Closures

Multimedia:

Bicyclists and other visitors to Point Reyes may find our Wilderness Videos page to be of interest. There we feature multiple videos about the Phillip Burton Wilderness and Leave No Trace® outdoor ethics.

Top of Page