Point Reyes was established as a national seashore in 1962 and protects 71,028 acres of coastal Marin County, an hour north of San Francisco. The peninsula sits across the San Andreas Fault from the mainland and is famously misty, wind-blown, and emerald-green much of the year. For reunions it's the rare California coastal anchor with three things you can't easily get together elsewhere: tule elk grazing on cliffs above the Pacific, a working oyster culture in Tomales Bay, and a historic lighthouse you can walk down to. The gateway towns of Point Reyes Station and Inverness are tiny but full of inn-style lodging and well-loved restaurants.
Where it is
Things to do (with the family)
Hand-curated. Every entry links to its official source so you can plan without guessing.
Point Reyes Lighthouse
308 stairs (round trip) down to the 1870 Fresnel-lensed lighthouse; one of the best gray-whale watching spots in winter.
Official source ↗Tomales Point / Tule Elk Reserve
9.7-mile out-and-back through California's only tule elk reserve; turn around at Pierce Point for a 3-mile family version.
Official source ↗Drakes Beach
Sheltered white-sand beach with a small visitor center and the Drakes Beach Cafe (seasonal). Easiest beach in the park for older relatives.
Official source ↗Bear Valley Visitor Center
Main park hub: Junior Ranger pickup, Earthquake Trail (paved, 0.6 mi loop along the San Andreas Fault), and the historic Morgan Horse Ranch.
Official source ↗Earthquake Trail
0.6-mile paved loop with interpretive signs over the San Andreas Fault — one fence was offset 16 ft in the 1906 quake.
Official source ↗Tomales Bay oysters
Hog Island Oyster Co. and Tomales Bay Oyster Company sell live oysters on the shore in Marshall — bring shucking gloves and a picnic.
Official source ↗Cypress Tree Tunnel
Half-mile-long Monterey cypress tunnel leading to the historic Marconi/RCA receiving station — a viral photo spot but free and easy.
Official source ↗Chimney Rock
1.8-mile out-and-back wildflower walk on a narrow peninsula; elephant seal overlook in winter.
Official source ↗Junior Ranger program
Free booklet at Bear Valley Visitor Center; kids 4–13 earn a wooden badge.
Official source ↗Point Reyes Station town
Main gateway village: Cowgirl Creamery, Bovine Bakery, Toby's Feed Barn — the reunion-grocery and dinner-out hub.
Official source ↗Find more things to do for your Point Reyes National Seashore reunion
The picks above are general. Inside the Reunly app, Rosi tailors local activities, meals, and printables to your actual dates, group size, ages, and budget — and saves them straight to your reunion plan.
Good for
- Reunions within an hour of San Francisco
- Foodie groups (oysters, cheese, bakeries)
- Wildlife families (tule elk, elephant seals, gray whales)
- Mixed-mobility groups (Drakes Beach, Earthquake Trail are easy)
- Cool-weather summer escape from the Bay Area
Practical logistics
- Closest Airports
- San Francisco (SFO) ~1.5 hr · Oakland (OAK) ~1.5 hr · Sonoma County (STS) ~1 hr.
- Group Lodging
- No in-park hotels. Inns and B&Bs in Point Reyes Station, Inverness, Olema, and Marshall — most are 4–8 rooms. Vacation rentals on Tomales Bay are the standard reunion pick. Olema House (formerly Point Reyes Seashore Lodge) handles the largest blocks.
- Cell Service
- Spotty in the gateway towns; almost none on the peninsula.
- Parking
- Lighthouse / Tomales Point lots fill 9 AM on weekends. The lighthouse runs a weekend shuttle from Drakes Beach in winter whale season (peak weekends only).
- Park Fee
- Free park entry. Some seasonal shuttle services have a small fee.
- Accessibility
- Bear Valley Visitor Center, Earthquake Trail (paved 0.6 mi loop), Kule Loklo native village walk, and Drakes Beach are wheelchair-friendly. The Lighthouse stairs and Tomales Point trail are not.
- Weather
- Foggy and 50–60°F much of the year; dress for chill even in August. September–October is the warmest, clearest stretch.
- Official Site
- https://www.nps.gov/pore/index.htm
When to go
September and October for the warmest, clearest weather. December through April for gray whale watching at the lighthouse and elephant seals at Chimney Rock. February–March is wildflower peak. Summer (June–August) is foggy and chilly — beautiful but bring layers.
Best for your group size
Small group · 10–25
10–25 fits in 1–2 large bay-front vacation rentals in Inverness or Marshall, or an inn block at Olema House.
Medium group · 25–60
25–60 should book a 3–4 house cluster in the Inverness / Tomales Bay corridor 6+ months ahead.
Large group · 60+
60+ groups need a multi-house Tomales Bay compound plus daily rendezvous at Drakes Beach or Bear Valley; the gateway towns are too small to absorb a single hotel block at this scale.
Sample 3-day Point Reyes reunion
A starter agenda you can copy into Reunly\'s Schedule and customize for your group.
Friday — Arrival & Bay Picnic
- Travel day. Most relatives fly into SFO or OAK.
- 3 PM check-in at Tomales Bay vacation rental
- 5 PM oyster pickup at Tomales Bay Oyster Company
- 6:30 PM grill-and-shuck welcome dinner on the deck
- 9 PM stargazing on the bay (light pollution is low)
Saturday — Lighthouse + Elk
- 7:30 AM Bovine Bakery run for breakfast pastries
- 9 AM Tomales Point trail — turn around at Pierce Point for a 3-mile family loop
- 11:30 AM tule elk viewing on the way back
- 12:30 PM picnic lunch at Drakes Beach
- 2:30 PM Point Reyes Lighthouse — 308 stairs for those who can
- 5:30 PM group photo at the Cypress Tree Tunnel
- 7 PM dinner at Saltwater Oyster Depot in Inverness (book ahead)
Sunday — Easy Loop & Goodbyes
- 8 AM coffee at the rental
- 9:30 AM Earthquake Trail at Bear Valley Visitor Center
- 10:30 AM Junior Ranger badge ceremony
- 11:30 AM final group photo at Drakes Beach
- 1 PM goodbye lunch at Cowgirl Creamery / Pizza Antica in Point Reyes Station
- 2:30 PM travel home
Reunion organizer tips
Rent a Tomales Bay vacation house, plural if needed. Inverness, Marshall, and Point Reyes Station have a long tradition of multi-bedroom water-view rentals. Most reunion groups regret booking a chain of small inn rooms when one or two bay-front homes would have given them a single shared kitchen.
Plan a half-day at Drakes Beach for the easy day. Sheltered from wind, has a small visitor center, the Drakes Beach Cafe (seasonal), and easy parking. This is the day that works for older relatives, strollers, and anyone who skipped the lighthouse stairs.
Time the trip for whale season if you can. Mid-December through mid-April brings gray whales — the lighthouse overlook is one of the best land-based viewing points on the West Coast. Bring binoculars; bring layers; bring patience.
Build a Tomales Bay oyster picnic into the itinerary. Hog Island Oyster Co. (Marshall) takes reservations for picnic tables; Tomales Bay Oyster Company sells live oysters by the dozen and lets you shuck and grill on the shore. Bring a cooler, gloves, and a 2-foot oyster knife.
Don't underestimate fog. Even August mornings can be 52°F and dripping. Pack jackets, beanies, and good shoes for everyone. The afternoon usually clears, but evenings on the bay are coat-and-blanket cold.
Eat in Point Reyes Station. Bovine Bakery for breakfast, Cowgirl Creamery for cheese, the Saltwater Oyster Depot for an actual sit-down dinner. Reservations matter on weekends — book the night you check in.
How Reunly helps you plan it
Reunly is the all-in-one app made for family reunion organizers. Free to start. No credit card. Cancel anytime.
Smart guest list
Drop in any spreadsheet — Rosi (our AI) reads multi-sheet, color-coded family groups, even handwritten exports. RSVP, dietary, T-shirt, paid status all in one row.
Open in Reunly →Public RSVP link
Share one link with the whole family. They RSVP per event (Friday BBQ, Saturday dinner) without making an account. You see live counts.
Open in Reunly →Budget that adds up
Track estimated vs. actual, who paid, who still owes. Auto-creates per-guest fee rows from your registration cost.
Open in Reunly →Day-by-day schedule
Friday welcome BBQ, Saturday photo, Sunday brunch — with location, meal flag, and per-event RSVPs.
Open in Reunly →Name tags + printables
Avery 5160 sheets color-coded by family, programs, welcome packets, packing lists — auto-filled from your data.
Open in Reunly →Rosi the AI helper
Stuck on a reminder email? A budget? A timeline? Click Rosi anywhere in the app — she drafts it from your live data.
Open in Reunly →Plan your Point Reyes National Seashore reunion with Reunly
Free to start. Build your guest list, share an RSVP link, track payments, and print name tags — no spreadsheets.
Frequently asked
How far is Point Reyes from San Francisco?
About 1.5 hours and 35 miles north via Hwy 1 from the Golden Gate Bridge. SFO and OAK both work as airports. The drive is winding through Marin County — rent something easy to handle, not an oversized SUV.
Where do reunion groups stay near Point Reyes?
Tomales Bay vacation rentals in Inverness and Marshall are the standard pick — most sleep 8–14, with bay views. Olema House handles bigger inn-block reservations. Point Reyes Station has small B&Bs. There is no in-park lodging beyond primitive camping.
When can we see whales at Point Reyes?
Mid-December through mid-April for gray whales (peak January–February). The Point Reyes Lighthouse overlook is one of the best land-based gray-whale viewing spots on the West Coast. The park sometimes runs a weekend shuttle from Drakes Beach to the lighthouse during peak whale weekends — check the official site.
Is Point Reyes accessible for older relatives?
For most of the headline experiences, yes. Bear Valley Visitor Center, the Earthquake Trail (paved 0.6 mi loop), Kule Loklo, and Drakes Beach are wheelchair-friendly. The Point Reyes Lighthouse requires 308 stairs each way; Tomales Point is a long out-and-back. Plan the lighthouse as an optional split.
Should we plan a summer reunion at Point Reyes?
You can, but be honest about the fog. June–August has cool mornings (50s) and damp peninsula days; the locals call it "Fogust." September and October are warmer, clearer, and quieter. February–March brings wildflowers and whale viewing — the better choice if you can flex your dates.
Is there cell service at Point Reyes?
Spotty Verizon in the gateway towns (Point Reyes Station, Inverness, Olema). Almost none on the peninsula itself once you pass Bear Valley. Pre-print maps and the day's plan, and pick a daily 6 PM dinner rendezvous at the rental.
