Shipwrecks @ Pt. Reyes: 12781 Sir Francis Drake Blvd Inverness, Ca. 94937
Cypress Tree Tunnel: 17400 Sir Francis Drake Blvd Inverness, Ca. 94937
Drakes Beach: 3 Drakes Beach Road Pt. Reyes Station Ca. 94956
Elk Preserve at Tomales Point: Pierce Point Road Inverness, Ca. 94937
Point Reyes National Seashore is maintained by the U.S. National Park Service and a preserved park situated on the Point Reyes Peninsula in Marin County Ca. The Point Reyes National Seashore includes headlands, estuaries, uplands, and wild coastal beaches. The preserve is very rich with shorebirds and other wildlife such as the Tule Elk at Tomales Point, elephant seals at Drakes Bay Beach, and whale watching at Point Reyes Lighthouse.
We drove for about 90 minutes from San Francisco to Point Reyes via US 101 North and Sir Francis Drake Blvd. On our way, we had to pass through a few farmlands, meadows, water reservoirs, farm animals, and a famous cheese company called Nicasio Valley cheese company. My wife bought their famous organic cheese called “Foggy Morning”.
We created our own trip itinerary which consisted of Drakes Bay Beach, Cypress Tree Tunnel, Tomales Point, Shipwrecks Point Reyes, and The Marshall Store Restaurant. The iconic Shipwrecks also called Tomales Shipwreck is an abandoned 380 ft. cargo steamship. We drove through Sir Francis Blvd and almost missed the Inverness Store which is where the Shipwreck is located at the back of the store. We purchased some snacks at the store as a courtesy since we used their parking lot to access the Shipwreck. There was an outside public restroom (porta-potty) available on site. From the parking lot, we walked for 5 minutes and saw a warning sign indicating that the property owner gives permission to visitors to pass and use the trail to access the Shipwreck area. When we arrived at the location, we didn’t realize that the ground was wet, muddy and there were a few insects present. All the visitors were courteous and we all took turns taking pictures. Most of the visitors were also wearing a mask and practiced social distancing. We took a few pictures of the Shipwreck with a picturesque backdrop. We only stayed there for about 15-30 minutes.
Our next destination was the Cypress Tree Tunnel which took us about 12 minutes (6 miles) via Sir Francis Blvd. We drove through a long road and end up parking outside on the side of the road because the gate entrance was closed due to Covid restrictions. From the gate, we were amazed by the tunnel of Monterrey Cypress Trees on the driveway leading to an old building with a radio station. My wife and I took a lot of pictures underneath the tunnel of the Monterrey Trees with the sun’s rays as our backdrop. We even walked all the way to the old building and came back. We wore our masks and practiced social distancing as there were a lot of visitors on the day we visited. My wife took great pictures and stayed there for about 10-30 minutes and drove off.
Our next destination was Drakes Beach which took us about 10 minutes (5.5 miles) from the Cypress Tree Tunnel. Drakes Beach is a remote, wide stretch of beach backed by a dramatic sandstone cliffs. We thought that we were lost since we were the only car on the road. After a few minutes, we passed through a huge meadows with lots of cows and a view of the ocean as a backdrop. We pulled over on the side of the road and took pictures of the beautiful scenery. The parking lot at Drakes Beach wasn’t crowded when we arrived. We even noticed that there was a Park Ranger on-site to enforce the rules and safety. The beach is beautiful, clean and the sand was very soft. There were families that day that were having a picnic on the beach. We only stayed at Drakes Beach for about 30-45 minutes.
Our final destination was the Tomales Point/ Elk Preserve which took us about 35-40 minutes (18.5 miles) drive from Drakes Beach. We drove through narrow long backroads with lots of twists and turns, meadows, and farm animals throughout the scenic route. During our drive, we passed through Kehoe Beach and drove after a few miles, and finally arrived at our destination. Elk Preserve at Tomales Point is also close to the famous Mc Clure’s beach. It was a beautiful sunny day and both the parking lot for the Elk Preserve and the Mc Clure’s Beach was overcrowded and full. So we had decided to just let my wife and daughter do the trail hike to see the Tule Elks while I double park and waited for someone to leave. Per my wife and daughter, the trail was long and hilly. My wife, daughter, and a few hikers saw a Coyote on top of the hill but later decided to leave. My daughter and wife told me that the trail was a moderate hike and had beautiful scenery overlooking the ocean. The experience was well worth the adventure, driving on narrow roads and crowded parking areas. I suggest coming in early in the morning to beat the crowd and find a parking spot.
Tips: We had our car tank full since there is only one gas station around the area which is located at the Point Reyes station. We ate at “The Marshall Store” Restaurant on our way going back home. They have good selections of food (crab sandwich, oysters, steamed crab, etc) and outdoor seating. We were lucky enough to have watched the beautiful sunset at their outdoor seating area. Some people ate and watched from their car in the parking lot of the bay water.
Let me know if you have any questions and what you think about Point Reyes National Seashore after your visit in the comments below. And kindly share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you
Click here to find a hotel close to Point Reyes National Seashore in Marin County.