The Facilities of Point Reyes National Seashore
 
Bear Valley Visitor Center
This barn-sized building provides an orientation to the park's roads, trails and general history. Exhibits provide an introduction to the plants, animals and people of this area. Reservations and permits for backcountry camping can be obtained here. Orientation video, slide presentation, and lighthouse video are available upon request.

Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Weekends and holidays, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Closed December 25.
Phone: (415) 464-5100
Camping: (415) 663-8054



Ken Patrick Visitor Center
Located at beautiful Drakes Beach, this facility has been expanded for exhibits focusing on 16th-century maritime exploration, marine fossils and marine environments. A minke whale skeleton is suspended from the ceiling.

Open weekends and holidays only, except as below:
Friday through Tuesday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm (Memorial Day to Labor Day).
Closed Wednesday and Thursday, and December 25.
Closed for lunch 12:00-1:00 pm.
Phone: (415) 669-1250



Lighthouse Visitor Center
Located on the Point Reyes Headlands, the center has exhibits on whales, wildflowers and lighthouses. It is a 0.4-mile walk from the parking area. The lighthouse is 300 steps down the cliff from the visitor center. Dress warmly, weather conditions are unpredictable.

Open Thursday - Monday, 10:00 am to 4:30 pm.
Lighthouse Stairs: 10:00 am to 4:30 pm.
        (The lens room is open when staffing and weather permit.)
Closed Tuesday and Wednesday, and December 25.
Phone: (415) 669-1534


Point Reyes Lighthouse
No trip to the Point Reyes National Seashore is complete without a trip to the Lighthouse. Located on the rocky promontory of the Point Reyes Headlands, the historic light contains the original first-order Fresnel lens and still operational clockworks. The 300 steps that lead down to the Lighthouse are a short 0.4 miles from the parking area. After descending the stairs, the lighthouse is an excellent place to observe marine life. Check out a year in the life of a lighthouse keeper by reading the keeper's log.

The Visitor Center hours are 10:00 am to 4:30 pm, Thursday through Monday.
The stairs and exhibits are open 10:00 am to 4:30 pm, weather permitting.
        (The lens room is open as staffing and weather conditions permit.)
All facilities are closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Dress warmly, weather conditions are unpredictable.



Clem Miller Educational Center
The Clem Miller Environmental Education Center is a handsome residential facility where teachers and students experience the natural world first-hand. This experience allows students to develop a personal understanding of and relationship with the diverse ecology of the Point Reyes Peninsula. By providing guidance and the setting, we enable teachers to successfully integrate environmental education into their curriculum in a dynamic and unique way.

For more information, visit the Point Reyes National Seashore Association web site or call (415) 663-1200.



Pierce Ranch
Established in 1858, the renovated Pierce Ranch is one of the oldest and most successful dairy ranches of its time on the Point Reyes Peninsula. It is representative of the agricultural heritage of this area. A short, self-guided trail guides visitors through the historic complex. The ranch is located at the end of Pierce Point Road on Tomales Bay.

Open every day, sunrise to sunset.



Morgan Horse Ranch
A working ranch in Bear Valley for horses used by National Park Rangers in wilderness areas and for backcountry patrol. The Morgan horse is the first American breed of horse. Self-guided exhibits, corrals and demonstrations are a part of the ongoing interpretive program of the ranch.

Open every day, 9:00 am to 4:30 pm.
Phone: (415) 464-5169



Kule Loklo
This cultural exhibit is a replica of an early Coast Miwok village. It provides a glimpse of life in California before European contact. It is an easy 1/2 mile walk from the Bear Valley Visitor Center. Exhibits along the trail provide insight into the early Coast Miwok culture. The exhibit is open every day from sunrise to sunset. To learn more about the Coast Miwok, visit our Coast Miwok page in the History section.

Lifeboat Station
Because of the high risk of shipwrecks on the shores and reefs of Point Reyes, the US Life-Saving Service established a lifesaving station on the Great Beach just north of the Lighthouse in 1890. In its 25 years of operation at Point Reyes, the Service saved many lives and lost four of its own. Overlooking Drakes Bay, the Lifeboat Station today offers a stimulating atmosphere for educational programs on issues ranging from maritime history to marine biology.

Bird Observatory
The Point Reyes Bird Observatory (PRBO) is a nonprofit, membership organization founded in 1965. Their mission is to conserve birds and the environment using science to understand and find solutions to problems threatening wildlife populations and ecosystems.

The self-guided visitor center and nature trail at the Palomarin Field Station are open to the public dawn to dusk, 365 days a year.
For more information, call (415) 858-1221.



Point Reyes Hostel
The Point Reyes Hostel is located two miles from Limantour Beach, and is accessible by car, foot, or bicycle. Once a working ranch house, the Hostel offers a number of amenities, including a spacious, fully-equipped kitchen, hot showers, and an outdoor barbecue and patio.

Call 415-663-8811 for information.



Tomales Bay State Park
In 1952, Tomales Bay State Park was formally dedicated and opened to the public. The 2,000-acre day-use park features four gently sloping, surf-free beaches, protected from winds by Inverness Ridge. The park also has hiking trails and is a popular place for picnicking, swimming, clamming and boating.
Call (415) 669-1140 for more information.