Visit the Point Reyes Lighthouse

 

Hours of Operation

Visit our Visitor Centers page to learn when the Lighthouse Visitor Center and the stairs leading down to the Lighthouse are open.

 
1870 Historic photo of the Point Reyes Lighthouse. National Archives and Records Administration, PRNS HPRC Rec. No. 008690

A Brief History of the Point Reyes Lighthouse

The Point Reyes Headlands jut 10 miles (16 km) out to sea and pose a threat to ships traveling between San Francisco Bay and locations to the north. The historic Point Reyes Lighthouse was built in 1870 to warn mariners of this navigational hazard and served for 105 years. The Point Reyes Lighthouse was retired from service in 1975 when the U.S. Coast Guard installed an automated light adjacent and below the historic tower. The Coast Guard then transferred ownership of the lighthouse to the National Park Service, which has taken on the job of preserving this fine specimen of our maritime heritage. Visit our Lighthouse History at Point Reyes page for more.

 
A map of the Point Reyes Lighthouse area. (Click here to download a higher resolution PDF of this map.)

Come Prepared

 
  • Water: Bring a water bottle. There is a water bottle filling station/water fountain located near the east end of the green garages that are located approximately 100 yards (~90 meters) before one arrives at the Lighthouse Visitor Center. Bottled water is not sold at Point Reyes National Seashore's visitor centers or bookstores.
  • Food: There are no food services west of Inverness, which is a thirty-five-minute drive from the lighthouse parking lot. Bring food from home or purchase food at one of the stores or restaurants in West Marin before heading out to the Point Reyes Lighthouse if it is close to mealtime.
  • Phones: Cell phone reception is very minimal to nonexistent in the lighthouse area.
  • Restrooms: From 6 am to midnight, restrooms are available at the visitors' parking lot and at the east end of the green garages that are located approximately 100 yards (~90 meters) before one arrives at the Lighthouse Visitor Center. Be sure to use the restrooms before going down the stairs to the lighthouse.
 
The international symbol for no smoking, which is a cartoon of a lit cigarette surrounded by a red circle with a diagonal line across the cigarette.
  • Smoking: Smoking is prohibited in the lighthouse area, including the visitor center, observation deck, pathways, stairs, and lighthouse. Vaping and use of e-cigarettes and electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) are prohibited in all public buildings, including the visitor center, restrooms, lighthouse, and equipment building, and within 25 feet of building entrances and windows.
 
A cartoon silhouette of a dog surrounded by a red circle with a red diagonal line bisecting the circle.
  • Pets: Dogs and other pets may be walked in the parking lot and along Sir Francis Drake Boulevard east of the parking lot; otherwise, dogs and pets are prohibited. Please be aware that most visitors to the lighthouse are away from their vehicle for an hour or longer. Please do not leave your dog unattended in your vehicle; leave your dog at home instead. This prohibition does not apply to working service dogs, which are allowed on trails and in public buildings. If you have a service dog, please inquire at the Bear Valley Visitor Center for information before heading out to the Lighthouse area. Visit our Pets page for more information about visiting Point Reyes National Seashore with your dog.
 
A cartoon silhouette of an unmanned aerial vehicle (a drone) surrounded by a red circle bisected by a red diagonal line.
  • Drones: 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.

    If you observe drone use 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.
 
A narrow road winds through tan and green pastureland, through a cluster of buildings, and off toward a rocky headland on the edge of the ocean.
Sir Francis Drake Boulevard passes through a number of ranches on its way to the Point Reyes Headlands.

NPS Photo

The Drive

The Point Reyes Lighthouse is located at the western-most end of the Point Reyes Headlands and Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Sir Francis Drake Boulevard is windy and slow-going, so allow forty-five minutes to drive the ~20 miles (~32 km) from the Bear Valley/Olema/Point Reyes Station area to the lighthouse parking lot (one hour and thirty minutes round-trip), not including any time you will spend in the vicinity of the lighthouse. Allow one hour and forty-five minutes for the drive (three hours and thirty minutes round-trip) from the Santa Rosa area, northwest San Francisco, or the northern East Bay. Many visitors spend at least an hour or two in the lighthouse area.
Directions to the Point Reyes Lighthouse from the Bear Valley Visitor Center.

 
A silver Toyota FJ Cruiser parked on a narrow road blocking most of one lane.
To get around this vehicle, one would need to cross the double yellow line, endangering themselves and oncoming traffic due to the limited view of the road beyond.

NPS Photo

Parking

The Point Reyes Lighthouse's visitors' parking lot can only accommodate 38 vehicles. As a result, parking space availability is very limited, particularly in the afternoon. If you arrive and find that there are no available spots in the parking lot, you may park parallel to the road east of the parking lot. Please observe all "No Parking" signs and red curbs, and ensure that no part of your parked vehicle is within eight feet (2.4 m) of the center of the road in order to allow other vehicles to use the road without having to cross the center line.

 

Parking Lot

Point Reyes Lighthouse Visitors' Parking Lot

  • 38 total spaces
  • 0 oversized spaces
  • 37.997739719, -123.011789929
A paved parking lot with space for 38 vehicles at the west end of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. The Lighthouse Visitor Center is 0.5 miles to the west via a foot path, which departs from the west end of the roundabout at the northwest end of the lot. A vault toilet building and litter and recycling receptacles are located along the east side of the lot. The Point Reyes Lighthouse Visitors' Parking Lot is approximately 45 minutes by car from the Bear Valley Visitor Center via Sir Francis Drake Boulevard.

Image Gallery
 
A large recreational vehicle parked in a small parking lot. A red circle with a diagonal line indicates that doing so is prohibited.
Shortly after this photo was taken, this RV was flanked on both sides by other automobiles and was unable to safely leave the parking lot. Please be considerate to other visitors and park large vehicles and trailers along the road, as is indicated by the sign, and not in the small parking lot.

NPS Photo

RVs and Trailers

Recreational vehicles (RVs) and vehicles pulling trailers are prohibited from parking in the Lighthouse visitors' parking lot and must park along the road. While there may appear to be sufficient space early in the morning, as was the case when the RV in the picture to the right (or above if viewing this on a small screen) arrived, the parking lot can quickly fill. On a number of occasions, RV drivers have parked in the lot and by the time the driver returned, the parking lot was full and there wasn't sufficient room to maneuver the RV out of the parking lot without damaging other vehicles. Not until much later, after the parking spots adjacent to and in front of the RV across the inbound lane were cleared, was the driver of the RV driver able to safely get the RV out of the parking space and out of the lot. Some visitors who arrived during this time and were told by the driver of the RV (and later by park staff) that they had to park along the road, even though there were parking spaces apparently available in the lot, weren't too happy.

If you are traveling with a trailer or are driving an RV towing a passenger vehicle, consider unhitching at the bus/RV/trailer-only parking lot at Bear Valley and taking only the passenger vehicle for the drive out to the Lighthouse area.

Overnight parking/camping in RVs and trailers is prohibited throughout Point Reyes National Seashore.

 
Two metal bollards connected by a heavy chain block a narrow road leading up a hill beyond a newly constructed split rail fence.
To get to the Lighthouse and Visitor Center, walk past the gate and follow the service road/path. Only authorized vehicles and vehicles with Disabled Person parking placards or plates are permitted beyond the gate. The accessible parking lot is located 0.4 miles (0.6 km) beyond the gate.

NPS Photo

The Walk

To get from the parking lot to the lighthouse itself, one must walk—mostly uphill—0.45 mi (0.7 km) to the Lighthouse Visitor Center, and then descend 313 steps. Please take your time walking from the parking lot to the Visitor Center and climbing the stairs. When wind speeds exceed 40 mph, the stairs leading down to the lighthouse are closed for visitors' safety. If the stairs are closed, a brown sign at the trailhead will indicate that the stairs are closed due to high winds.
Wind Forecast

 

Stay on designated trails

Stay on the paved pedestrian path/service road between the parking lot and the Lighthouse Visitor Center and Lighthouse. Hiking along the bluff tops is prohibited. All off-trail areas west of the Lighthouse visitors' parking lot are closed to entry. This closure includes areas accessed by going over or beyond the railings on the lighthouse stairs and platforms. Stay away from cliff edges. Loose soil and/or rock can give way suddenly and you may fall. Do not climb cliffs.

Visitors walking off of official trails and paths trample vegetation, which may lead to the death of the trampled plants. Over time, as more and more visitors use a route, it starts to look more and more like an official trail, and more and more visitors use it, resulting in a feedback loop that makes the "trail" look "official." However, these "social paths" tend to exacerbate erosion and harm threatened and endangered species. These paths also can lead to locations where visitors may be more at risk to injury, endangering themselves and any potential rescuers.

The only official maintained trails/routes/paths in the Point Reyes Lighthouse area are the paved service road and pathway from the parking lot to the Lighthouse, the South Beach Overlook Trail (a dirt trail leading northto the South Beach Overlook from the roundabout at the west end of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard), and the path/stairs leading to the Sea Lion Overlook, located 1,100 feet (335 m) east of the Lighthouse parking lot.

 
Two metal bollards connected by a heavy chain block a narrow road leading up a hill.
Some individuals with disabilities may need assistance opening and closing the gate.

NPS Photo

Accessibility

The lighthouse area's accessible parking lot is located 0.4 miles (0.6 km) beyond (to the west of) the main visitor parking lot. A gate composed of a heavy metal chain hung between two bollards is located at the west end of the roundabout at the west end of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Individuals with a Disabled Person parking placard or plate may open the gate in order to drive to the accessible parking lot. Unclip the chain from either bollard and clip it to the other bollard, and move the chain out of the way so that your vehicle's tires will not drive over the chain. Please be aware that the chain is heavy and the clips require a fair bit of force to open. Be sure to close the gate after you've passed through.

 
A concrete parking pad with accessible parking signs. In the background on the left is a two-story-high green building. In the upper right corner of the photo is a large branch.
The accessible parking lot is on the right/north side of the road just beyond the cypress trees. If you start to drive up a steep hill via an eight-foot wide driveway to the garages, you are going too far.

NPS Photo

Please drive slowly and carefully since this section of the sixteen-foot-wide service road doubles as the pedestrian path from the main parking lot to the lighthouse. The accessible parking lot is on the right/north side of the road just beyond the cypress trees. If you start to drive up a steep hill via an eight-foot wide driveway to the garages, you are going too far.

The ~400-foot (~120 m) long path from the accessible parking lot to the Lighthouse Visitor Center and the observation deck at the top of the stairs is wheelchair-accessible. The visitor center and observation deck are also accessible. Accessible restrooms are located at the east end of the green garages that are located approximately 100 yards (~90 meters) to the east of the Lighthouse Visitor Center. To get to them, follow the accessible path from the accessible parking lot toward the Lighthouse Visitor Center for about 290 feet (~90 meters) and make a very sharp left to follow the accessible path leading to the garage.

The Lighthouse Visitor Center, observation deck, and restrooms are all fully accessible, but the lighthouse itself is not.

Visit our Accessibility page for additional information about other locations within Point Reyes National Seashore. Feel free to call 415-669-1534 or 415-464-5100 x2 x5 if you have any questions.

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Parking Lot

Point Reyes Lighthouse Accessible (ADA) Parking Lot.

  • 4 total spaces
  • 0 oversized spaces
  • 37.996969014, -123.019063825
The lighthouse area's accessible parking lot is located 0.4 miles beyond (to the west of) the main visitors' parking lot, which is located at the west end of Sir Francis Drake Blvd. Open, then close, the chain gate at the west end of the roundabout and drive along the service road, which doubles as a pedestrian path. The accessible parking lot is on the right side of the road just beyond the cypress trees. Please visit https://www.nps.gov/pore/planyourvisit/lighthouse.htm#accessibility for more details.

Image Gallery
 
The Point Reyes Lighthouse Visitor Center and Ocean Exploration Center with the Pacific Ocean in the background.
The Point Reyes Lighthouse Visitor Center and the Ocean Exploration Center.

NPS Photo

The Lighthouse Visitor Center

The Lighthouse Visitor Center offers exhibits on the historic Point Reyes Lighthouse, as well as on whales. The Fresnel lens from the San Francisco Lightship is also on display. A small bookstore offers books, maps, and other educational products. Visit our Visitor Centers page to learn when the visitor center is open.

 
The northern wall of the Ocean Exploration Center. A model of a white shark is suspended from the ceiling. Murals depicting life below the surface of the ocean are painted on the walls. A large picture window is on the left side of the image.
The interior of the Ocean Exploration Center.

NPS Photo

The Ocean Exploration Center

Attached to the Lighthouse Visitor Center is the Ocean Exploration Center. A collaboration between the National Park Service and NOAA's Cordell Bank and Greater Farallones national marine sanctuaries, the Ocean Exploration Center highlights the spectacularly rich and globally significant ocean environment of North-central California. The coastal and marine ecosystem off North-central California is one of the biologically richest ocean zones on the planet, but the sea life is largely hidden beneath the water's surface. The center increases visitors' opportunities to view and learn about this remarkable area, protected by two national marine sanctuaries and a national seashore. The Ocean Exploration Center features 3-D models of a California sea lion, a Dall's porpoise, a sooty shearwater, and a white shark suspended from the ceiling, murals depicting life below the surface painted on the walls, and informative panels describing ocean wildlife and habitats off our coast. A large picture window offers visitors a stunning view of the Point Reyes Beach and the Pacific Ocean, while protecting them from the legendary winds of Point Reyes.

 
A gray whale and her calf come to the surface of the ocean and exhale.
A gray whale mother and calf.

NPS / Anela Kopshever

The Observation Deck

The Observation Deck is located at the top of the 313 steps leading down to the lighthouse. It offers a great location for whale watching and watching birds and is the first location from which visitors can see the lighthouse—which is located ~240 feet (~70 meters) below the Observation Deck. From the northwest corner of the deck, one can observe a common murre nesting colony, which can contain approximately 20,000 birds during the spring. Sea lions frequently haul out on a pyramidal-shaped rock northwest of the murre colony.

Looking north from the Observation Deck, if it isn't too foggy, one can see the Point Reyes Beach and Tomales Point. And if it is extremely clear, Bodega Head, the Sonoma Coastline, and Mount Saint Helena can be seen. If they are not shrouded in fog, one may see the Farallon Islands twenty miles to the south. And to the southeast, Mount Tamalpais, the hills of the Marin Headlands, western San Francisco, and Montara Mountain rise above eastern waters of the Gulf of the Farallones.

The Observation Deck is open until ~11:45 pm every day, so even if the stairs leading down to the Lighthouse are closed, visitors are welcome to watch for whales and birds and enjoy the sunset from the Observation Deck. The entire Lighthouse area west of the gate adjacent to the roundabout at the visitors' parking lot is closed from 12 midnight to 6 am.

 
Visitors ascending and descending the over 300 steps leading down to the Point Reyes Lighthouse.
Visitors ascending and descending the over 300 steps leading down to the Point Reyes Lighthouse.

NPS Photo

The Stairs

The Point Reyes Lighthouse itself is another 900 feet (275 meters) beyond the Visitor Center at the base of 313 steps—the equivalent of ~20 stories.

Allow 5 to 10 minutes for the descent and 10 to 20 minutes for the ascent, plus whatever amount of time you wish to spend at the base of the stairs, i.e., checking out the lighthouse, talking with a ranger, or watching for whales or birds.

When wind speeds exceed 40 mph (64 km/hr), the steps to the lighthouse are closed for visitors' safety.
Wind Forecast

Here are some tips to make your trip down and up the stairs safe and enjoyable:

  • Do not "hop" the fence to get a "better" photo or for any other reason. The fence is there for your safety. Individuals who are found on the wrong side of the fence will be cited for entering a closed area.
  • Get here early to avoid the crowds. There are many more visitors climbing up and down the stairs between 2 pm and 3:30 pm than between 10 am and 2 pm.
  • Know your abilities and limitations.
  • Make sure you have been eating/hydrating and continue to do so during physical activity.
  • Take it slow. There are several landings for sitting and resting along the way.
  • The viewing platform above the lighthouse offers equally stunning views and wildlife viewing opportunities without the trip down the stairs.
  • The stairs leading down to the Lighthouse close promptly at 4 pm. If you start down the stairs shortly before 4 pm, you will not have too much time to spend at the Lighthouse level. If you start down the stairs at or after 4 pm, you will be turned around before reaching the Lighthouse.
 
A white light tower with a red roof next to a few other white buildings on the edge of an ocean cliff.
The Point Reyes Lighthouse's equipment building is the structure on the right.

NPS Photo

The Equipment Building

The equipment building (the long single-story building adjacent to the lighthouse) is usually open if the Lighthouse Visitor Center and the stairs leading down to the lighthouse are open, as staffing and weather conditions permit. The equipment building has an exhibit about the changes in fog signal technology at Point Reyes over the years and contains the two 1947 super typhon foghorns, the air compressors, and a backup power generator that were used at Point Reyes before the current lighthouse/fog signal building was constructed in 1975. Visit our Visitor Centers page to learn when the Lighthouse Visitor Center and the stairs leading down to the lighthouse are open.

 
A three-story-tall, white-sided, red-roofed lighthouse perched on a rocky headland with the ocean in the background.
The Point Reyes Lighthouse.

NPS Photo

The Point Reyes Lighthouse

The lighthouse's clockwork room (the second-level chamber) houses the original clockworks and provides visitors with a close look at the first-order Fresnel lens above. The clockwork room is is open as staffing and weather conditions permit. Visit our Calendar page and look for the "A Look into the Lens" talk to find out when the clockwork room may be open.

Please help us better preserve this historic artifact.

  • Do not touch any part of the clockwork mechanism or Fresnel lens.

    The clockwork mechanism's case and the frame for the Fresnel lens are composed of brass and cast iron, which more quickly tarnish and corrode, respectively, due to oils left behind when visitors touch these metals with their hands.

  • No baby/child carriers, backpacks, or large bags.

    The space within the clockwork room is very limited and there is usually insufficient space to safely maneuver while wearing a baby/child carrier or backpack on one's back. Please remove such carriers and backpacks before entering the tower. Children, of course, are welcome to enter the clockwork room, but please keep children under control and make sure they don't touch or damage the clockwork mechanism's case in the center of the room.

  • Notes to photographers:

    • The space within the clockwork room is very limited and the clockwork mechanism's case is partly composed of glass windows. Please leave tripods, monopods, selfie-sticks, and other such equipment outside of the tower, or at least collapse and store such equipment in a manner that they have a minimal to no chance of scratching or impacting the glass.
    • No flash photography. Repeated flash photography can damage historic objects and artifacts.
    • When taking photographs of the clockwork mechanism through the windows, do not allow your camera or hands or any body part to come in contact with the glass or any other part of the mechanism's case.
 

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Photos and Multimedia

 
 
Visit our keyboard shortcuts docs for details
Duration:
1 minute, 56 seconds

A condensed virtual visit to the Point Reyes Lighthouse. Climb down the 313 stairs to the Point Reyes Lighthouse. Get an up-close look of the first order Fresnel lens and clockwork.

 

Open Transcript 

Transcript

[Alexander Nakarada plays "The Great Battle"]

Visit our keyboard shortcuts docs for details
Duration:
1 minute, 58 seconds

A two-minute-long time lapse video of the reconstruction of the Point Reyes Lighthouse's Fresnel lens, which occurred from July 8 through July 13, 2019.

 
Three white-sided, red-roofed structures sit on a rocky headland above the Pacific Ocean. Scaffolding surrounds the lighthouse tower and has been erected on the right side of the larger building on the right.
Three months into the Point Reyes Lighthouse Restoration Project, contractors had erected scaffolding around the lighthouse tower and had removed the tower's roof and lantern. They had also reshingled the roof of the equipment building. Photo taken on November 17, 2018.

2018–2019 Restoration Project

From August 6, 2018, to November 7, 2019, Point Reyes National Seashore conducted a large restoration project on the historic Point Reyes Lighthouse. This was the first major restoration project for the lighthouse since its construction in 1870. Over the subsequent 148 years, the tower's cast iron had significantly rusted and weakened. The Plexiglas windows that were installed in the 1970s had also become frosted and were no longer transparent. The Fresnel lens and clockwork mechanism were temporarily removed and refurbished before the roof and lantern (the windowed, uppermost level) of the tower were deconstructed. After the tower's lantern and roof were rebuilt with new material and transparent glass windows, the lens and clockwork mechanism were reconstructed. The shingles on the equipment building's roof were replaced, the building was repainted. The Lighthouse Visitor Center was gutted and new cabinetry was installed. And improvements were made to increase accessibility for people with disabilities. Visit our 2018–2019 Lighthouse Restoration blog to learn more and to view a photo gallery of the work that was completed.

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Last updated: May 25, 2024

Further Exploration

Contact Info

Mailing Address:

1 Bear Valley Road
Point Reyes Station, CA 94956

Phone:

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.

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