Point Reyes Beach (The Great Beach)

The main beach at Point Reyes can be arbitrarily divided into North Beach and South Beach. However, a more appropriate name is the Great Beach which fairly accurately sums up this 12 mile long stretch of unbroken golden sand.

On one of the frequent wild and windy days, where you feel the full force of the Pacific waves pounding  unabated into the shoreline, it is hard to imagine you are barely an hour from downtown San Francisco. The contrast couldn’t really be greater as you stroll along the deserted expanse of untouched beach. Point Reyes beach is a place for taking a long stroll and blowing away the cobwebs, although we would stress the ocean here can be quite dangerous, so swimming is not recommended.

At the far southerly tip, on the point itself, is Point Reyes Lighthouse. Dating back to the 1870s the lighthouse sits on a rocky promontory at the foot of a 300-step stairway. As well as the automated light, the lighthouse has kept shipping safe with its mighty foghorn which is essential on this frequently foggy stretch of coast.

Point Reyes is something of a haven for wildlife with the headlands attracting vast numbers of breeding seabirds. The area is also known for Steller sea lions and a colony of elephant seals. During the spring Point Reyes is a favorite whale-watching spot as gray whales migrate to and from Baja in the south.