Point Reyes Lighthouse

 The Point Reyes Lighthouse is located at the end of the hook of land that makes the Point Reyes National Seashore.  This 37-foot high lighthouse was first lit to guide ships in 1870 as they navigated past this point heading into or out of San Francisco Bay and along the California Coast.

To get to the lighthouse today you will depart the town of Point Reyes Station on Sir Francis Drake Blvd and drive through the beautiful Point Reyes National Seashore.  Along the way, you can choose to stop and walk through the Cypress Tree Tunnel or stop at a number of the beaches that have access along the road.  You will have to make a couple of turns but the signs along the way will help you.  This area also has a number of dairy farms along the way, which you literally drive through and makes the drive interesting.  The drive is about 20 miles and will take you about 40 minutes to complete each direction.  Eventually, the road will end in the parking lot for the trail to the Point Reyes lighthouse.

The trail is 1.3 miles roundtrip to walk to the lighthouse.  You will be walking on the paved road, so the surface is even and easily accessible.  The trail climbs up a hill at first and then levels out as you proceed out to the lighthouse.  You begin to get views of the ocean (if it is not foggy) and the beaches that run to the north of this point.

Point Reyes Lighthouse

At the top, there is a visitor center and restrooms.  In June of 2021, the visitor center was closed.  From the visitor center, you continue around a rock outcropping, and you are greeted with your first views of the lighthouse on the point directly below you.  To access the lighthouse from here you have to descend 300 stairs to get to the light itself.  The stairs are not open if they are not staffed and there are very limited hours.  You can check the current hours for the stairs here.  If your goal is to walk down to the lighthouse itself your best bet is to visit on the weekends.

The view from the point is great, but know that the area can fill in with fog just like so many locations along the coast.  When we first arrived the lighthouse was covered with thick for and the wind was blowing pretty good.  We waited about twenty minutes and were able to get the fog to clear enough and get a nice view.

Heavy fog can cover the lighthouse.


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