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
Leashed pets are welcome at Point Reyes on sections of specific beaches and trails and in a few areas. Visiting a National Park with a pet poses unique challenges. Please take a moment to review these guidelines to keep your pet, visitors, and wildlife safe. Pet owners are responsible for knowing park rules and regulations. Those not adhering to the regulations will be cited.
Locations Where Pets are Permitted
Pets are allowed in parking lots, along public roads, and along with the trails and beaches described below. All other trails, beaches, and off-trail lands within Point Reyes National Seashore and the Northern District of Golden Gate National Recreation Area are closed to the possession of pets. Always keep your pets on a leash.
A man walks his dog on the Cross Marin Trail.
NPS / Anela Kopshever.
Trails
Warning: Many of these trails pass through cattle pasture.
Please Note: Sections of the trails listed below may temporarily be closed to dogs due to unexpected circumstances. Please check our Current Conditions page for information about temporary closures of the following trails.
Within Point Reyes National Seashore
Pets are permitted on:
Kehoe Beach Trail.
the paths and roads within the Niman Ranch/Commonweal area south of the Commonweal entrance road and west of Mesa road. This does not include RCA Beach.
All other trails within Point Reyes National Seashore are closed to pets.
Within the Northern District of Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Pets are permitted on the :
Tomales Bay Trail*
Bolinas Ridge Trail
Cross Marin Trail
Jewell Trail
McCurdy Trail
Randall Trail
trails within the Giacomini Wetlands
* Please note that the Tomales Bay Trail on the east side of Tomales Bay is not the same as the Tomales Point Trail at the north end of the Point Reyes Peninsula. Pets are not permitted on the Tomales Point Trail.
Please Note: Sections of the beaches listed below may temporarily be closed to dogs due to unexpected circumstances. Please check our Current Conditions page for information about temporary closures of the following beaches.
Ocean-facing Beaches
Pets are allowed on the following ocean-facing beaches throughout the year:
Kehoe Beach - north of the Kehoe Beach trail
Limantour Beach - southeast of the parking lot to the beach adjacent to Coast Camp
Point Reyes/Great Beach - from the North Beach parking lot south to the historic Navy installation/lifeboat station located approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) south of the South Beach parking lot.
Location:Kehoe Beach Trailhead along Pierce Point Road in Point Reyes National Seashore
Season:Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
Time Of Day:Day, Dawn, Dusk
Follow this relatively flat trail from Pierce Point Road along the northern edge of Kehoe Marsh and out to Kehoe Beach. This beach is at the north end of the eleven-mile long Point Reyes Beach. Pets are permitted year-round on the Kehoe Beach Trail and on the beach to the north of the trail (e.g., to the right if you are facing the ocean). Pets must be on a six-foot or shorter leash at all times. Allow 25–30 minutes driving time from Bear Valley to the Kehoe Beach Trailhead.
Sites:Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Point Reyes National Seashore
Duration:1-5 Hours
Reservations:No
Pets:Yes
Location:Cross Marin Trailhead, Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Season:Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
Time Of Day:Day, Dawn, Dusk
The up-to-10.6-miles- roundtrip Cross Marin Trail is a relatively flat, easy trail that follows the historic North Pacific Coast Railroad right-of-way paralleling Lagunitas Creek. Pets are permitted on the Cross Marin Trail and must be on a six-foot or shorter leash at all times. Allow about 5 minutes to drive from Bear Valley to the trail's northern trailhead.
Sites:Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Point Reyes National Seashore
Duration:1-11 Hours
Reservations:No
Pets:Yes
Location:Bolinas Ridge Trailhead along Sir Francis Drake Boulevard
Season:Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
Time Of Day:Day, Dawn, Dusk
Admire redwood forests and expansive views of the Olema Valley on this dog-friendly, multi-use trail. This up-to-11-mile-long trail begins at either at the Bolinas Ridge Trailhead along Sir Francis Drake Boulevard or at the trail's southern end at the Fairfax-Bolinas Road's junction with the West Ridgecrest Rd. Allow about 5 minutes to drive from Bear Valley to the trail's northern trailhead. Allow about 30 minutes to drive from Bear Valley to the trail's southern trailhead.
A 0.6-mile-long path alongside a marsh leads to dog/pet-friendly Kehoe Beach (pets must remain on leash at all times). To the south, the Point Reyes Beach stretches over 11 miles to the Point Reyes Headlands. To the north, one can get a close-up view of a dramatic juxtaposition of ancient rocks. Never turn your back to the ocean. Due to the frequently large surf, this is not a beach at which it is safe to play close to the water's edge, much less to go for a swim.
Limantour Beach is one of four beaches at Point Reyes National Seashore to which one can drive. Limantour Beach stretches for close to four miles from the west end of Limantour Spit east to Santa Maria Beach at its southeast end. Limantour Beach is a popular beach for a variety of low-impact beach activities, such as sunbathing, playing in the surf, birdwatching, viewing marine mammals, and walking pets (leashes are required at all times).
Point Reyes Beach North (aka North Beach) is one of four locations at Point Reyes National Seashore to which one can drive to the edge of a beach. Point Reyes Beach stretches over 11 miles from Kehoe Beach to the Point Reyes Headlands with North Beach located at the mid-point. Never turn your back to the ocean. Due to the frequently large surf, this is not a beach at which it is safe to play close to the water's edge, much less to go for a swim. Leashed pets are permitted.
Point Reyes Beach South (aka South Beach) is one of four locations at Point Reyes National Seashore to which one can drive to the edge of a beach. The sandy Point Reyes Beach stretches over 11 miles from north to south, with South Beach located on the beach's southern half. Never turn your back to the ocean. Due to the frequently large surf, this is not a beach at which it is safe to play close to the water's edge, much less to go for a swim. Leashed pets are permitted.
* Notice: Sections of the beaches or trails highlighted in the above maps may temporarily be closed to dogs due to unexpected circumstances. Please check our Current Conditions page for information about temporary closures of the highlighted beaches and trails.
Collect and dispose of all animal waste in a proper waste receptacles. Pet waste can pass diseases to park wildlife. Water sources may be impacted by pet feces.
Pets must be on a leash no longer than 6 feet (1.8 meters) at all times. Leashes protect your pets and wildlife. Wildlife can harm your pets, and off-leash dogs have injured and killed wildlife.
Pets can chase and threaten wildlife, scaring birds and other animals away from their nesting, feeding, and resting sites. Please keep your distance from any birds roosting on beaches.
Listed above are the beaches and trails where pets are welcome.
Never leave a pet unattended in the car.
Additional Information
Working service dogs may accompany their owners to all park locations and programs. If you have a service dog, please inquire at a park visitor center for information before setting out.
Please note: Only dogs are classified as service animals, and they must perform a specific task that assists a person with a disability. Emotional support or comfort animals are not service animals.
If you bring a dog, or any other pet, to the park, please observe the following regulations:
Pets must be on a leash at all times; the leash must be no longer than 6 feet.
All trails, beaches, and off-trail lands within Point Reyes National Seashore and the Northern District of Golden Gate National Recreation Area are closed to the possession of pets, except as described above.
Pets are not permitted in public buildings, on public transportation vehicles, or in locations designated as a swimming beach, or within any structure or area closed to the possession of pets by the superintendent. This prohibition does not apply to working service dogs, which are allowed on trails and in public buildings.
Leaving a pet unattended and tied to an object is prohibited.
All backcountry campgrounds within the park are closed to pets.
During the northern elephant seal pupping and mating season (January through March), pets and humans are not allowed on the beach south of the historic Navy installation/lifeboat station located approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) south of the South Beach parking lot.
Pet owners not adhering to regulations will be cited.
Dogs and other pets are wonderful animals that give comfort and companionship. However, a national park is not the best place for them.
Dogs can scare, chase, harass, and/or kill wild animals, such as nesting shorebirds, deer, rabbits, and marine mammals. As an example, in 2019 here at Point Reyes, a dog which was illegally off-leash attacked and killed a rare Guadalupe fur seal.
Dogs leave behind a territorial "predator" scent typical of all wild canines, like wolves and coyotes. This scent can linger in the area for long periods of time and can disrupt or alter the behavior of the native animals this park has been set aside to protect.
Pets can transmit diseases to wild animals—such as coyotes, badgers, and marine mammals—or contract diseases from wild animals. Some diseases transmitted by ticks and fleas, such as Lyme disease and bubonic plague, could then be transmitted to humans.
Native predators, such as mountain lions and coyotes, may see pets as prey, placing both pet and owner in danger.
Pets can damage the ground, sensitive archaeological sites, and plants by digging or rolling.
Even normally well-behaved pets can become stressed by unfamiliar surroundings, threatening visitors and wildlife in close situations, such as on park trails or along the narrow paths to the lighthouse.
Pets can intimidate, disturb, and/or annoy other visitors by making noise or by scaring wildlife away.
Bolinas Ridge Trail, Jewell Trail, McCurdy Trail, and Randall Trail within Golden Gate National Recreation Area and the trails and roads within the Niman Ranch/Commonweal area pass through cattle pasture. Cattle can feel threatened by dogs, which they may perceive to be a predator. Mother cows may become aggressive when trying to protect their young. Please read Understanding Working Rangelands: Sharing Open Space: What to Expect from Grazing Livestock (1,314 KB PDF) to better understand basic cattle behavior and to give yourself a better chance to predict how cattle are likely to react to your dog's presence. This will help make your hike along these trails safer and more enjoyable.
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.
