View source for Point Reyes National Seashore

{{Short description|Park preserve in California, United States}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2022}}
{{use mdy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Infobox protected area
| name = Point Reyes National Seashore
| iucn_category = V
| photo = Chimney Rock Trail Point Reyes December 2016 panorama 1.jpg
| photo_caption = Headlands of the Point Reyes Peninsula from Chimney Rock, looking north
| map = California#USA
| relief = 1
| map_caption =
| location = [[Marin County, California]], United States
| nearest_city = [[Point Reyes Station, California]]
| coordinates = {{coord|38|4|N|122|53|W|region:US-CA_scale:400000_source:gnis|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| coords_ref = <ref name="gnis">{{cite gnis|234493|Point Reyes National Seashore}}</ref>
| area_acre = 71028
| area_ref = <ref name="area">{{NPS area|year=2010|accessdate=2011-07-13}}</ref>
| established = September 13, 1962
| visitation_num = 2,336,202
| visitation_year = 2022
| visitation_ref = <ref name="visits">{{NPS visitation|accessdate=2023-07-23}}</ref>
| governing_body = [[National Park Service]]
| website = [https://www.nps.gov/pore/index.htm Point Reyes National Seashore]
}}
[[File:NPSmap.jpg|right|thumb|Map of Point Reyes National Seashore, with the wilderness area in green]]
'''Point Reyes National Seashore''' is a {{convert|71028|acre|km2|adj=on}} park preserve located on the [[Point Reyes|Point Reyes Peninsula]] in [[Marin County, California]]. As a [[national seashore]], it is maintained by the US [[United States National Park Service|National Park Service]] as an important nature preserve. No other park in the world hosts breeding hoofed megafauna ([[elk]]) and marine megafauna ([[elephant seal|elephant and other seals]]). Some existing agricultural uses are allowed to continue within the park. [[Clem Miller]], a US [[Congressman]] from [[Marin County, California|Marin County]], wrote and introduced the bill for the establishment of Point Reyes National Seashore in 1962 to protect the peninsula from development which was proposed at the time for the slopes above Drake's Bay.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-07-24 |title=Point Reyes National Seashore |url=https://www.nps.gov/pore/learn/management/statistics.htm |access-date=2024-07-24 |website=National Park Service}}</ref> About half of the national seashore is protected as wilderness.

== History ==
The Native American [[Coast Miwok]] lived in the area for thousands of years, in villages of seventy five to several hundred people. The Coast Miwok developed an economy of hunting, gathering, and fishing, utilizing the seashore as a source of year-round food such as crab, clams, and oysters. Drip nets and woven surf nets were used for fishing, while bow and arrows were used for hunting deer, quail, and rabbits.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |last2= |first2= |last3= |first3= |last4= |first4= |last5= |first5= |last6= |first6= |title=Coast Miwok at Point Reyes - Point Reyes National Seashore (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/pore/learn/historyculture/people_coastmiwok.htm |access-date=2025-06-05 |website=www.nps.gov |language=en}}</ref>

[[Francis Drake]] and his crew aboard the [[Golden Hind]] were likely the first Europeans to discover what is today Point Reyes National Park, when they likely camped in the area in 1579. Drake claimed the land for [[Elizabeth I]] before setting sail to complete his circumnavigation of the world. Spanish ships making the voyage between [[Manila]] and [[Acapulco]] likely passed by Point Reyes during the late 1500s, including the captain [[Sebastião Rodrigues Soromenho]] in 1595, whose ship was wrecked by a storm in [[Drakes Bay]]. On January 6, 1603, Captain [[Sebastián Vizcaíno]] sighted the headlands and named it Point of the Kings, or la Punta de los Reyes, in honor of [[Three Kings' Day]].<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |last2= |first2= |last3= |first3= |last4= |first4= |last5= |first5= |last6= |first6= |title=Early European Explorers at Point Reyes - Point Reyes National Seashore (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/pore/learn/historyculture/people_europeanexplorers.htm |access-date=2025-06-05 |website=www.nps.gov |language=en}}</ref>

==Geography ==
The Point Reyes peninsula is a well defined area, geologically separated from the rest of Marin County and almost all of the continental United States by a [[rift zone]] of the [[San Andreas Fault]].<ref name="NPS">[https://www.nps.gov/pore/index.htm Point Reyes National Seashore] , National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior</ref> The northern half of the fault is sunk below sea level and forms [[Tomales Bay]] and the southern half lies along [[Olema Creek]]. The peninsula is part of the [[Salinian Block]] which rises as [[Inverness Ridge]] before dropping to the fault zone.<ref>{{cite gnis|I225956|Inverness Ridge}}</ref> East of the fault is the [[Franciscan Complex]] which has a different soil and flora composition.

The small town of [[Point Reyes Station, California|Point Reyes Station]], while not located on the peninsula, provides most services to it. Some services are also available at [[Inverness, California|Inverness]] on the west shore of Tomales Bay. The small town of [[Olema, California|Olema]], about {{Convert|3|mi}} south of Point Reyes Station, serves as the gateway to the Seashore and its visitor center.

The peninsula includes wild coastal beaches and headlands, estuaries, and uplands. Parts of the park are private farms and ranches which have commercial cattle grazing. These were leased back when the park was purchased to continue these historic uses.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article233662527.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190809133922/https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article233662527.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 9, 2019|title=Feds plan to kill elk at Point Reyes to protect ranches. Here's how you can weigh in|last=Sabalow|first=Ryan|date=August 8, 2019|work=Sacramento Bee|access-date=August 9, 2019}}</ref> Other parts are under the jurisdiction of other conservation authorities with the National Park Service providing signage and managing visitor impact on the entire peninsula and Tomales Bay. The Seashore also administers the parts of the Golden Gate National Recreation area, such as the Olema Valley, that are adjacent to the Seashore.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Houston|first=Will|date=2020-09-19|title=Point Reyes releases final plan to preserve ranches, cull tule elk|url=https://www.marinij.com/2020/09/18/point-reyes-releases-final-plan-to-preserve-ranches-cull-tule-elk/|access-date=2020-09-20|website=Marin Independent Journal|language=en-US}}</ref>

== Wildlife and ecology ==
Point Reyes National Seashore lies at the convergence of two marine ecological provinces (southern Oregonian and northern Californian) and harbors 45% of North America's bird species and 18% of California's plant species. The National Seashore's {{convert|100|mi|km}} of coastline include estuaries, bays and lagoons which provide rich habitats including subtidal seagrasses, tidal mudflats and marshes that support a rich diversity of wildlife.<ref name=WatershedAssessment/> There are at least 42 [[Rare species|rare]] and [[endangered]] plants of the more than 850 plant species identified. Almost 40 species of land mammals plus a dozen marine mammals such as the [[harbor seal]] live or [[wiktionary:migrate|migrate]] through this area. Bird species counts are well over 400.

It is part of the [[Golden Gate Biosphere Network]], recognized in the [[World Network of Biosphere Reserves]].

===Fauna===
[[File:Tupeelkpointreyes.jpg|thumb|right|300px|[[Tule Elk]] at [[Tomales Point]]]]

Until recently, the northernmost part of the peninsula, Tomales Point, was maintained as a reserve for [[tule elk]] (''Cervus canadensis nannodes''), a species historically native to the region.<ref>{{cite news|date=March 19, 2015|title=A Brief History of Tule Elk on the Point Reyes Peninsula|first=Charles|last=Post|work=Marin Coast Guide|url=http://marincoastguide.com/columns/a-brief-history-of-tule-elk-on-the-point-reyes-peninsula/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160210173250/http://marincoastguide.com/columns/a-brief-history-of-tule-elk-on-the-point-reyes-peninsula/|archive-date=February 10, 2016}}</ref> Although they had been completely extirpated from Point Reyes by the nineteenth century, in 1978, ten tule elk were reintroduced to Point Reyes from the [[San Luis National Wildlife Refuge]] near [[Los Banos, California|Los Banos]].<ref name="Lin">{{cite newsletter|last =Linse | first =Kim |title =Tule Elk: The Return of a Species| url = https://www.nps.gov/pore/learn/upload/resourcenewsletter_tuleelk.pdf|year=1998|url-status=live|archive-date=2013-10-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017181747/https://www.nps.gov/pore/planyourvisit/upload/resourcenewsletter_tuleelk.pdf |work=Point Reyes National Seashore | publisher = National Park Service}}</ref> By 2009, the population climbed to over 440 elk at [[Tomales Point]]'s {{convert|2,600 |acres}} of coastal scrub and [[grassland]]s.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Viewing Tule Elk - Point Reyes National Seashore |url=https://www.nps.gov/pore/planyourvisit/wildlife_viewing_tuleelk.htm |access-date=2024-09-09 |website=National Park Service |language=en}}</ref> In 1999, 100 elk from Tomales Point were moved to the Limantour wilderness area of the Seashore and above Drakes Beach to Ranch A, as that ranch's long-term lease expired and was not renewed.<ref name=":0" /> The drought in 2012–2015 was also a threat to the elk confined north of the fence on Tomales Point, with nearly half the elk there dying from lack of water. In 2012 there were 540 elk, then only 357 in 2013, and by 2014 only 286.<ref>{{cite news |title=Drought Likely Cause of Death for 250 Native Elk At Point Reyes National Seashore |publisher=AP Press |date=April 16, 2015 |url=https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/250-native-elk-die-inside-fenced-area-at-point-reyes-national-seashore/70252/ |access-date=September 2, 2020}}</ref> In August and September 2020, drought and wildfires again threaten the Tomales Point elk, leading some conservationists to illegally bring water to the elk north of the fence.<ref>{{cite news |title=Drought and Wildfire Threaten Tule Elk at Point Reyes National Seashore |author=Deborah Moskowitz |publisher=Western Watersheds Project |url=https://www.westernwatersheds.org/2020/08/drought-and-wildfire-threaten-tule-elk-at-point-reyes-national-seashore/ |access-date=September 2, 2020}}</ref> The Park Service began a public review and comment period in 2023 on a proposal remove of the tule elk fence with a final decision expected in the summer of 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ramos |first=John |date=2023-06-19 |title=Activists, ranchers clash over proposed changes to Point Reyes nature preserve - CBS San Francisco |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/activists-ranchers-clash-over-proposed-changes-to-point-reyes-nature-preserve/ |access-date=2023-06-21 |website=CBS News |language=en-US |agency=Bay City News Service}}</ref> In December, 2024 the Tomales Point fence was breached by the National Park Service, allowing the confined elk herds to roam freely through the park. Then, in January, 2025 a deal brokered by [[The Nature Conservancy]] led to a buy-out of most of the peninsula's ranchers, reducing the number of cattle from about 10,000 to 200 over the next 1.5 years, and returning most of the park to wilderness status.<ref>{{cite news |title=Point Reyes Ranching Will All But End Under New Deal, Capping Decadeslong Conflict |author=Katie DeBenedetti and Erin Baldassari |publisher=KQED |date=Jan 10, 2025 |url=https://www.kqed.org/news/12021426/point-reyes-ranching-will-all-but-end-under-new-deal-capping-decades-long-conflict |accessdate=January 11, 2025 }}</ref>

The preserve is also very rich in [[Bird of prey|raptor]]s and [[shorebirds]].<ref name="NPS"/> The [[western snowy plover]] that nests here is considered "threatened" under the [[Endangered Species Act]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Valentino |first=Silas |date=2022-06-02 |title=Access to Point Reyes beach denied so plover birds can thrive |url=https://www.sfgate.com/travel/article/Point-Reyes-beach-closed-for-summer-17215492.php |access-date=2022-06-03 |work=SFGATE |language=en-US}}</ref>

The [[Point Reyes Lighthouse]] attracts [[whale watching|whale-watchers]] looking for the [[gray whale]] migrating south in mid-January and north in mid-March.
[[File:Elephantsealdrakesbeach.jpg|thumb|right|300px|[[Elephant seal]] at [[Drakes Bay]]]]
When [[Elephant seals]] (''Mirounga angustirostris'') established a rookery in 1981, Point Reyes National Seashore became the only park in the world with breeding [[ungulate]]s and [[pinniped]]s. The first elephant seal breeding colony was established at Chimney Beach, which is protected by {{convert|100.|ft|m|adj=on}} cliffs,<ref>{{cite journal |title=Colonization by northern elephant seals of the Point Reyes Peninsula, California |author=Sarah G. Allen, Susan C. Peaslee, Harriet R. Huber |date=July 1, 1989 |journal=Marine Mammal Science |volume=5 |number=3 |pages=298–302 |doi=10.1111/j.1748-7692.1989.tb00342.x |bibcode=1989MMamS...5..298A }}</ref> although the first documented pup was born at Point Reyes in 1976.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Elephant Seals Breeding on the Mainland in California |author=Burney J. Le Boeuf and Kathy J. Panken |year=1977 |journal=Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences |volume=XLI |number=9 |pages=267–280 }}</ref> In January 2019, during the [[2018–19 United States federal government shutdown|federal government shutdown]], park rangers were not working and the seals had pups on Drakes Beach and its parking lot.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-elephant-seals-point-reyes-20190523-story.html|title=Elephant seals take over beach at Point Reyes for the second time this year|agency=Associated Press|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=May 23, 2019|access-date=2019-05-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Amy Graff |url=https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Point-Reyes-Drakes-Beach-elephant-seals-13570578.php |title=Elephant seals took over a Pt. Reyes beach during shutdown. It won't reopen anytime soon |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |date=January 30, 2019 }}</ref> Small-group tours to view the seals from the edge of the parking lot began the following month after the shutdown ended.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Beach-taken-over-by-elephant-seals-to-reopen-for-13580482.php |title=Beach taken over by elephant seals to reopen for viewing |agency=Associated Press |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |date=February 1, 2019 }}</ref> Docents help keep the public safe during the winter months as the colony continues to grow each year.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Harrell |first=Ashley |date=2022-02-19 |title=Huge creatures are taking over a Point Reyes beach |url=https://www.sfgate.com/california-parks/article/elephant-seals-take-over-point-reyes-beach-16928390.php|access-date=2022-02-22|work=SFGATE|language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Flora ===
Point Reyes lies within the [[California interior chaparral and woodlands]] [[ecoregion]]. The Point Reyes area has more than 50 species of rare, threatened or endangered plants.<ref>{{cite web |title=Threatened, Rare, & Endangered Plants |url=https://home.nps.gov/pore/learn/nature/endangered_plants.htm |access-date=2009-07-17 |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref> Perennial wildflowers include the yellow larkspur (''[[Delphinium luteum]]''), federally listed as endangered, and state listed as rare since 1979.<ref>{{cite web |title=Delphinium luteum |url=http://northcoastcnps.org/cgi-bin/inv/inventory.cgi/Show?_id=delphinium_luteum |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120423191852/http://northcoastcnps.org/cgi-bin/inv/inventory.cgi/Show?_id=delphinium_luteum |archive-date=2012-04-23 |access-date=2009-07-17 |work=Inventory of rare and endangered plants |publisher=CNPS}}</ref> It has yellow flowers that bloom from March through May, grows in plant communities of coastal scrub, and is extremely poisonous (major toxicity class 1 <ref>{{cite web |last=Filmer |first=Ann King |title=Toxic Plants |url=http://www.plantsciences.ucdavis.edu/ce/king/PoisPlant/Tox-SCI.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090713235529/http://www.plantsciences.ucdavis.edu/ce/king/PoisPlant/Tox-SCI.htm |archive-date=July 13, 2009 |access-date=2009-07-17 |publisher=UC Davis}}</ref>). Rare grasses include the endemic Sonoma shortawn foxtail (''Alopecurus aequalis'' var. ''sonomensis'') in the family [[Poaceae]], federally listed as endangered since 1997. The [[California Native Plant Society]] lists this subspecies population as seriously endangered, and that more taxonomic information is needed.

In his book ''The Natural History of the Point Reyes Peninsula'', Jules Evens identifies several plant communities. One of the most prominent is the [[Coastal Douglas-fir]] (''Pseudotsuga menziesii'') forest, which includes [[Coast live oak]], [[Tanoak]], and [[California bay]] and reaches across the southern half of Inverness Ridge toward [[Bolinas Lagoon]]. Unlogged parts of this Douglas-fir forest contain trees over 300 years old and up to {{convert|6.|ft|m}} in diameter. But despite these large, old trees, the forest may nevertheless be a result of European settlement. The [[Coast Miwok]] people who once lived in the area set frequent fires to clear brush and increase game animal populations, and early explorers' accounts describe the hills as bare and grassy. But as the Native American settlements were replaced by European ones from the seventeenth century onward, the forests expanded as fire frequency decreased, resulting in the forests we see today.<ref name="fireHistory">{{Cite journal
 |first1       = Peter M.
 |last1        = Brown
 |first2      = Margot W.
 |last2       = Kaye
 |first3      = Dan
 |last3       = Buckley
 |title       = Fire History in Douglas-fir and Coast Redwood Forests at Point Reyes National Seashore, California
 |year        = 1999
 |volume      = 73
 |issue       = 3
 |pages       = 205–216
 |journal     = Northwest Science
 |url         = http://www.rmtrr.org/data/Brownetal_1999_NWSci.pdf
 |url-status     = live
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20080515131256/http://www.rmtrr.org/data/Brownetal_1999_NWSci.pdf
 |archive-date = 2008-05-15
}}</ref>

The [[Bishop pine]] (''Pinus muricata'') forest is found on slopes in the northern half of the park. Many of these trees growing in thick swaths came from seeds released after the 1995 Mt. Vision fire. The bishop pines of the Phillip Burton Wilderness are considered an intermediate between the northern variety (''Pinus muricata'' v. ''borealis'') and the southern (''Pinus muricata'' v. ''muricata''). The [[Monterey cypress]] (''Callitropsis macrocarpa''), a closed-cone conifer, is also present.

Salt, brackish, and freshwater marshlands are found adjacent to [[Drakes Estero]] and [[Abbotts Lagoon]]. The other communities identified by Evens are the coastal strand, dominated by European beach grass (''[[Ammophila arenaria]]''), [[Carpobrotus edulis|ice plant]] (''Carprobrotus edulis'', also called [[sea fig]] or [[Hottentot fig]]), [[sea rocket]] (''Cakile maritima'') and other species that thrive on the immediate coast; [[California coastal prairie|northern coastal prairie]], found on a narrow strip just inland from the coastal strand that includes some native grasses; coastal rangeland, the area still grazed by the cattle from the peninsula's remaining working ranches;<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-point-reyes-park-settlement-20170713-story.html|title=Conservationists, National Park Service and Point Reyes ranchers reach settlement on disputed land|newspaper=[[LA Times]]|first=Joseph|last=Serna|date=July 13, 2017|access-date=23 July 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170722020937/http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-point-reyes-park-settlement-20170713-story.html|archive-date=22 July 2017}}</ref> [[northern coastal scrub]], dominated by [[coyote bush]] (''Baccharis pilularis''); and the intertidal and subtidal plant communities.

Point Reyes is home to the only known population of the endangered Sonoma spineflower, ''[[Chorizanthe valida]]''.<ref>[http://northcoastcnps.org/cgi-bin/inv/inventory.cgi/Go?_id=chorizanthe_valida&sort=DEFAULT&search=Chorizanthe%20valida CNPS Profile: ''Chorizanthe valida''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120423191917/http://northcoastcnps.org/cgi-bin/inv/inventory.cgi/Go?_id=chorizanthe_valida&sort=DEFAULT&search=Chorizanthe%20valida |date=2012-04-23 }}</ref>
{{clear}}

===Cattle ranches===
The park has {{convert|28,000| acres}} of dairy and beef cattle ranching.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Houston|first=Will|date=2021-09-14|title=Point Reyes adopts controversial ranch, elk plan|url=https://www.marinij.com/2021/09/13/point-reyes-adopts-controversial-ranch-elk-plan/|access-date=2021-09-15|website=Marin Independent Journal|language=en-US}}</ref> Extremely high levels of fecal coliform bacteria (''[[Escherichia coli]]'') concentrations have been documented in streams adjacent to existing dairy operations. Cattle manure spreading areas are correlated with the increased presence of invasive and noxious weed species. Tomales Bay, Drakes Estero and Abbotts Lagoon are all affected by E. coli discharges from cattle operations in rainy winter months.<ref name=WatershedAssessment>{{cite report |title=Coastal Watershed Assessment for Golden Gate National Recreation Area and Point Reyes National Seashore Natural Resource Report NPS/PWR/NRR—2013/641 |author1=Anitra Pawley |author2=Mui Lay |date=March 1, 2013 |publisher=U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service |url=https://www.restoreptreyesseashore.org/ptreyes-pdfs/2013-03-0-Coastal%20Watershed%20Assessment%20GOGA-PORE.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210507220437/https://www.restoreptreyesseashore.org/ptreyes-pdfs/2013-03-0-Coastal%20Watershed%20Assessment%20GOGA-PORE.pdf |url-status=usurped |archive-date=May 7, 2021 |accessdate=May 7, 2021}}</ref> A joint inspection in 2022 by the Marin County Environmental Health Services and the National Park Service found the ranches were discharging raw sewage either through leaks or missing septic systems.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Houston |first=Will |date=2022-09-07 |title=Point Reyes ranch inspections find more sewage leaks |url=https://www.marinij.com/2022/09/06/point-reyes-ranch-inspections-find-more-sewage-leaks/ |access-date=2022-09-08 |work=Marin Independent Journal |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Climate==
[[File:Point Reyes Fog.JPG|thumb|right|300px|Fog rolling in from the Pacific at Point Reyes National Seashore.]]
{|
|-
|{{climate chart
|  Point Reyes National Seashore
| 4| 12| 112
| 4| 13| 109
| 6| 16| 121
| 6| 16| 51
| 8| 19| 1
| 10| 19| 10
| 11| 21| 1
| 11| 23| 4
| 11| 24| 17
| 10| 21| 31
| 7| 15| 133
| 4| 12| 178
|float=left
|clear=left
|source = <ref name = "nasa">{{Cite web |url= http://neo.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/dataset_index.php|title= NASA Earth Observations Data Set Index|access-date = 30 January 2016 |publisher= NASA}}</ref>
}}
|}

==Landmarks and facilities==
[[File:Chimney Rock Trail Point Reyes December 2016 panorama 2.jpg|thumb|right|400px|View to the southeast from Chimney Rock Trail]]
The [[Point Reyes Lifeboat Station]] is a [[National Historic Landmark]]. It is the last remaining example of a rail-launched lifeboat station that was common on the Pacific coast.

[[Nova Albion]], Francis Drake's 1579 campsite; [[Sebastião Rodrigues Soromenho]]'s 1595 wreck; and fifteen associated Native American sites are included in the Drakes Bay Historic and Archaeological District [[National Historic Landmark]]. This encompasses {{convert|5,965 |acre|km2}} along the coast of Drakes Bay.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.nps.gov/nhl/Fall11Noms/DrakesBayES.pdf | title=National Historic Landmarks Program: National Park Service: Drakes Bay Historic and Archeological District | access-date=October 23, 2012 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222133454/http://www.nps.gov/nhl/Fall11Noms/DrakesBayES.pdf | archive-date=February 22, 2014 }}</ref>

[[Kule Loklo]], a re-created [[Coast Miwok]] village, is a short walk from the visitor center.

Lairds Landing was the site of a wharf on the southwest shore of Tomales Bay.<ref name=CGN>{{California's Geographic Names|650}}</ref> It was named after ranchers, Charles and George Laird, who leased the site in 1858 to transport supplies and produce across the bay.<ref name=CGN /> The location was settled by the Felix family around 1861, a family of [[Filipino Americans|Filipino]] and [[Coast Miwok|Miwok]] heritage.<ref name=NPS2009>{{cite report |author=Christy Avery |date=2009 |title=Tomales Bay Environmental History and Historical Resource Study |url=http://www.sfnps.org/download_product/2833/0 |publisher=United States Department of the Interior |access-date=26 September 2018 }}</ref> After the descendants of the Felix family left in 1955, the land was zoned for development, then made part of the Point Reyes National Seashore, before becoming home to artist [[Clayton Lewis]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Curwen |first=Thomas |date=18 April 2016 |title=Reminders of a bohemian artist's past will soon fade at Laird's Landing |url=http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-point-reyes-preservation-20160418-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=26 September 2018 }}</ref> In 2015, structures built by the Felix family were placed on the [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Marin County, California|National Register of Historic Places]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Guth |first=Anna |date=20 September 2018 |title=Restoration underway at Lairds Landing |url=https://www.ptreyeslight.com/article/restoration-underway-lairds-landing |work=Point Reyes Light |access-date=26 September 2018 }}</ref>

The Point Reyes National Seashore attracts 2.5 million visitors annually. Hostelling International USA (part of [[Hostelling International]]) maintains a 45-bed [[Hostel|youth hostel]] at the Seashore.<ref>[http://www.hiusa.org/hostels/usa_hostels/california/point_reyes/60109] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100617015104/http://www.hiusa.org/hostels/usa_hostels/california/point_reyes/60109|date=June 17, 2010}}</ref>

The Point Reyes National Seashore Association, formed in 1964, collaborates with the Seashore on maintenance, restoration and educational projects.<ref>{{Cite web|title = About Point Reyes National Seashore Association|url = http://www.ptreyes.org/about|website = Point Reyes National Seashore Association|access-date = 2015-08-09|url-status = live|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150821023657/http://www.ptreyes.org/about|archive-date = 2015-08-21}}</ref>

=== Wilderness ===
More than {{convert|30000|acre|km2}} of the Point Reyes National Seashore are designated as the Phillip Burton Wilderness, named in honor of California Congressman [[Phillip Burton]], who wrote the legislation creating the [[Golden Gate National Recreation Area]] and was instrumental in helping to pass the [[California Wilderness Act of 1984]]. The [[US Congress]] passed legislation ([[Act of Congress|Public Law]] 94-544) in 1976 that created the Point Reyes Wilderness, and in 1985, Congress, in recognition of Burton's dedication to wilderness preservation, renamed the wilderness after him (P.L. 99-68). It is one of only three designated [[National Wilderness Preservation System|wilderness areas]] along the California coast, the others being the [[King Range Wilderness]] and the [[Rocks and Islands Wilderness]].

There are three separate sections:

The southeastern area protects the [[Inverness Ridge]] down to a long coastline and is the largest unit. Within this area are forests of [[Douglas fir]] and [[California buckeye]], coastal foothills, terraces, caves, beaches, several small inland lakes and the high point of [[Mount Wittenberg]]. The four trailcamps are in this section, with Wildcat and Coast camps located near shore, and Sky and Glen camps inland.  Each camp has a different number of individual sites, with 52 sites total and four group sites.

The central section, which is separated from the southeastern unit by Limantour Road, protects the crest of the Inverness Ridge, the east shore of  Estero de Limantour and the Limantour Spit. An [[Endemism|endemic]] (restricted to one area) and rare coastal pine known as the [[Bishop pine]] grows here.

The north segment includes the Tomales Point area, which is an open grassland peninsula that separates the Pacific Ocean to the west from the Tomales Bay, a submerged valley, on the east. A reserve for the reintroduced [[tule elk]] is in this section.  Although there are no trailcamps, boat-in camping is allowed on [[Tomales Bay]].

===Hiking===
[[File:People watching sunset at Point Reyes National Seashore.jpg|thumb|left|A group of people gathered to watch the sunset at Point Reyes National Seashore.]]
Point Reyes has a system of about 150 miles of hiking trails for day hiking and backpacking. Bear Valley Trail is the most popular hike in the park. It travels mostly streamside through a shaded, fern-laden canyon, breaking out at Divide Meadow before heading downward to the coast, where it emerges at Arch Rock. A portion of Arch Rock collapsed on March 21, 2015, killing one person.<ref>{{Cite news|url = http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Hiker-dies-another-injured-after-cliff-collapse-6151164.php|title = Hiker dies, another injured after cliff collapse in Point Reyes|date = March 22, 2015|newspaper=Bay City News |via=San Francisco Chronicle |url-status = live|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150322211320/http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Hiker-dies-another-injured-after-cliff-collapse-6151164.php|archive-date = March 22, 2015}}</ref> [[File:U-S- National Geodetic Survey marker Mt- Wittenberg, Point Reyes National Seashore.jpg|thumb|A [[United States Coast and Geodetic Survey]] marker at the peak of Mount Wittenberg, the highest point in the park.]]
Three trails connecting from the west with the Bear Valley trail head upward toward Mount Wittenberg, at {{convert|1407|ft|m|0}}, the highest point in the park.<ref name="NPS"/> The Earthquake Trail, a {{convert|0.6|mi|km|adj=on}} loop that runs over the [[San Andreas Fault]]. The trail provides descriptions of the fault and the surrounding geology, and features a fence that was pulled {{convert|18|ft|m}} apart during the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake]].<ref>[https://www.nps.gov/pore/planyourvisit/hiking_guide.htm Trail Guide & Suggested Hikes - Point Reyes National Seashore] . NPS.gov. Retrieved on 2013-07-21.</ref>

At the western end of the Point Reyes Peninsula is the historic Point Reyes Lighthouse, reached by descending 308 steps. Unlike many lighthouses, that were built high so the light could be seen by ships far out to sea, the Point Reyes lighthouse was built low to get the light below the fog that is so prevalent in the area. Nearby is the short Chimney Rock hike, which is noted for its spring wildflower displays.<ref name="NPS"/>

Point Reyes offers several beach walks. Limantour Spit winds up on a narrow sandy beach, from which Drakes Beach can be glimpsed across [[Drakes Bay]]. North Beach and South Beach are often windswept and wave-pounded. Ocean vistas from higher ground can be seen from the Tomales Point Trail and, to the south, from the Palomarin trailhead at the park's southern entrance outside the town of [[Bolinas, California|Bolinas]]. All of the park's beaches were listed as the cleanest in the state in 2010.<ref name="dirty">[https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Bay-Area-beaches-grade-well-for-safe-swimming-3187113.php Bay Area beaches grade well for safe swimming], May 27, 2010 by Carolyn Jones, San Francisco Chronicle</ref>

For [[backpacking (wilderness)|backpackers]], Point Reyes has four hike-in campgrounds available by reservation.

Point Reyes is a terminus of the [[American Discovery Trail]] which is the only transcontinental trail in the United States.<ref name=DiscoveryTrail>{{cite web |url=http://www.discoverytrail.org/ |title=American Discovery Trail Society - the only coast-to-coast, non-motorized recreational trail for hiking, biking, riding |access-date=2018-04-26 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150801112831/http://discoverytrail.org/ |archive-date=2015-08-01 }} American Discovery Trail website retrieved October 21, 2010</ref>

===Marine Protected Areas===
[[Point Reyes State Marine Reserve & Point Reyes State Marine Conservation Area]], [[Estero de Limantour State Marine Reserve & Drakes Estero State Marine Conservation Area]] and [[Duxbury Reef State Marine Conservation Area]] adjoin Point Reyes National Seashore. These [[marine protected area]]s help conserve ocean wildlife and marine ecosystems.

===Oyster farm===
[[File:Point Reyes National Shoreline.jpg|thumb|Point Reyes National Shoreline 2018]]

A large oyster farm was located in [[Drakes Estero]] until, under court order, it closed down at end of 2014. Court appeals to keep the operation in place were dropped in December, 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marinij.com/marinnews/ci_27061022/legal-stand-ends-drakes-bay-oyster-co-supporters|title=Legal stand ends for Drakes Bay Oyster Co. supporters|website=marinij.com|access-date=3 May 2018|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141207084057/http://www.marinij.com/marinnews/ci_27061022/legal-stand-ends-drakes-bay-oyster-co-supporters|archive-date=7 December 2014}}</ref>

The farm was purchased by the National Park Service in 1972, and the agency issued a permit to allow the previous owner to continue operations for 40 years. The business was sold to a new owner in 2004, the [[Drakes Bay Oyster Company]], who was informed by the NPS at the time of purchase that their permit to operate would not be renewed beyond the November 30, 2012 expiration date.<ref name=DOI/> A federal law enacted in 2009 authorized, but did not require, [[United States Secretary of the Interior|Interior Secretary]] [[Ken Salazar]] to renew the permit.<ref name="CourthouseNews">[http://www.courthousenews.com/2013/05/15/57673.htm 9th Circuit Mulls Fate of California Oyster Farm] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141208223225/http://www.courthousenews.com/2013/05/15/57673.htm |date=2014-12-08 }}, [[Courthouse News Service]], May 15, 2013.</ref> The NPS and conservation groups viewed the farm as an inappropriate and environmentally-insensitive use of the estero, which was designated a "potential wilderness area" by Congress. The farm's supporters argued that it was not ecologically harmful and was important to the local economy.<ref name="CourthouseNews"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.press-democrat.com/article/20120708/ARTICLES/207081005/1350?p=2&tc=pg&tc=ar|title=Oyster farm battle|access-date=September 9, 2012}}</ref>

On November 29, 2012, Salazar announced that he would not renew the permit, citing the original intent of the Point Reyes Wilderness Act to designate the area as wilderness upon the removal of the oyster farm.<ref name=DOI>[http://www.doi.gov/news/pressreleases/secretary-salazar-issues-decision-on-point-reyes-national-seashore-permit.cfm Secretary Salazar Issues Decision on Point Reyes National Seashore Permit] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140417071831/http://www.doi.gov/news/pressreleases/secretary-salazar-issues-decision-on-point-reyes-national-seashore-permit.cfm |date=2014-04-17 }}, [[United States Department of the Interior]], November 29, 2012</ref> Salazar visited the farm the previous week and later personally phoned the farm's owner to give him the news.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/ap-newsbreak-interior-secretary-denies-renewal-of-oyster-company-lease-on-national-seashore/2012/11/29/2fd739de-3a4f-11e2-9258-ac7c78d5c680_story.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121212004556/http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/ap-newsbreak-interior-secretary-denies-renewal-of-oyster-company-lease-on-national-seashore/2012/11/29/2fd739de-3a4f-11e2-9258-ac7c78d5c680_story.html|archive-date=December 12, 2012|title=Interior secretary denies renewal of oyster company lease on national seashore in California|access-date=November 29, 2012 | url-status=dead}}</ref>

The oyster farm closure was challenged in [[U.S. District Court]] on January 25, 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marinij.com/westmarin/ci_22453742/drakes-bay-attorneys-argue-injunction-keep-oyster-operation|title=Drakes Bay attorneys argue for injunction to keep oyster operation open|access-date=January 27, 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130127155744/http://www.marinij.com/westmarin/ci_22453742/drakes-bay-attorneys-argue-injunction-keep-oyster-operation|archive-date=January 27, 2013}}</ref> The challenge was rejected by a federal court judge, who ruled that the law gave Salazar unfettered discretion to approve or deny a renewal of the permit.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marinij.com/westmarin/ci_22518722/federal-judge-declines-halt-closure-drakes-bay-oyster|title=Federal judge declines to halt closure of Drakes Bay Oyster Co.|access-date=February 4, 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130208014633/http://www.marinij.com/westmarin/ci_22518722/federal-judge-declines-halt-closure-drakes-bay-oyster|archive-date=February 8, 2013}}</ref> The California Coastal Commission voted on February 7, 2013 to unanimously approve cease and desist and restoration orders for violations of the California Coastal Act.<ref name="IJ: CC ruling">{{cite news|last=Prado|first=Mark|title=Point Reyes oyster farm dealt another setback|url=http://www.marinij.com/westmarin/ci_22551578/point-reyes-oyster-farm-dealt-another-setback|access-date=22 July 2013|newspaper=Marin Independent Journal|date=February 8, 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530031917/http://www.marinij.com/westmarin/ci_22551578/point-reyes-oyster-farm-dealt-another-setback|archive-date=30 May 2013}}</ref> The [[United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit]] rejected an appeal of the district court's decision, ruling on Sept. 3, 2013 that the oyster farm's owner had not shown a likelihood of success on the merits because Salazar had acted within his discretion in denying the permit.<ref name="SFGateAppeal">[http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Appeals-court-deals-blow-to-Drakes-Bay-Oyster-Co-4783375.php Appeals court deals blow to Drakes Bay Oyster Co.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130904072341/http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Appeals-court-deals-blow-to-Drakes-Bay-Oyster-Co-4783375.php |date=2013-09-04 }}, Bob Egelko, ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'', Sept. 3, 2013</ref> An attempt to have the appeals court rehear the case was rejected on January 14, 2014 and a petition to the [[United States Supreme Court]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marinij.com/ci_24909002/court-denies-drakes-bay-oyster-co-petition-have|title=Court denies Drakes Bay Oyster Co. petition to have its case reheard|access-date=January 14, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116115413/http://www.marinij.com/ci_24909002/court-denies-drakes-bay-oyster-co-petition-have|archive-date=January 16, 2014}}</ref> was denied on June 30, 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marinij.com/marinnews/ci_26061482/u-s-supreme-court-refuses-take-drakes-bay|title=U.S. Supreme Court refuses to take Drakes Bay Case|access-date=June 30, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140706163705/http://www.marinij.com/marinnews/ci_26061482/u-s-supreme-court-refuses-take-drakes-bay|archive-date=July 6, 2014}}</ref> The oyster farm closed its on site retail operation on July 31, 2014.<ref>[http://www.marinij.com/marinnews/ci_26127263/drakes-bay-oyster-co-shut-down-this-month Drakes Bay Oyster Co. to shut down this month per federal order] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140725012810/http://www.marinij.com/marinnews/ci_26127263/drakes-bay-oyster-co-shut-down-this-month |date=2014-07-25 }}, Mark Prado, [[Marin Independent Journal]], July 10, 2014</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/local/la-xpm-2013-jul-18-la-me-oyster-farm-20130719-1-story.html |title=Oyster farm must comply with California coastal laws, judge rules July 18, 2013 |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |first=Julie |last=Cart |date=July 18, 2013 |access-date=20 August 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160829023427/http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jul/18/local/la-me-oyster-farm-20130719-1 |archive-date=29 August 2016 }}</ref> However, controversy continued over the condition of the estero sea floor and the ongoing off shore operations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kcet.org/news/redefine/rewild/aquatic/trash-invasive-species-left-behind-as-controversial-oyster-farm-closes.html|title=Trash, Invasive Species Left Behind as Controversial Oyster Farm Closes|date=20 August 2014|website=kcet.org|access-date=3 May 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905093556/http://www.kcet.org/news/redefine/rewild/aquatic/trash-invasive-species-left-behind-as-controversial-oyster-farm-closes.html|archive-date=5 September 2015}}</ref> Another lawsuit challenging the closure itself was rejected in September 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/local/2676740-181/court-battle-over-drakes-bay|title=Court battle over Drakes Bay oyster farm set to resume|date=6 September 2014|website=pressdemocrat.com|access-date=3 May 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222051729/http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/local/2676740-181/court-battle-over-drakes-bay|archive-date=22 December 2017}}</ref><ref name=PDrejected>Kovner, Guy. [http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/local/2732113-181/judge-rejects-firms-bid-to Judge rejects firms’ bid to keep Drakes Bay Oyster Co. open] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140911084655/http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/local/2732113-181/judge-rejects-firms-bid-to |date=2014-09-11 }}, [[Santa Rosa Press-Democrat]], 9 September 2014</ref>

The work to remove the offshore racks and onshore buildings was completed in May 2017; {{convert|1,700|t}} of debris had been hauled away. The estero is part of the [[Phillip Burton Wilderness]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/6876346-181/drakes-estero-cleanup-in-point|title=Point Reyes estuary gets cleanup after 80 years of oyster farming|date=13 April 2017|website=Santa Rosa Press Democrat|access-date=3 May 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180106174237/http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/6876346-181/drakes-estero-cleanup-in-point|archive-date=6 January 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/pore/learn/management/planning_drakesestero_restoration.htm|title=Drakes Estero Restoration - Point Reyes National Seashore (U.S. National Park Service)|website=www.nps.gov|access-date=3 May 2018|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180317144322/https://www.nps.gov/pore/learn/management/planning_drakesestero_restoration.htm|archive-date=17 March 2018}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery widths="300px" heights="200px">
Image:Point Reyes 1.jpg|Point Reyes Beach from the Lighthouse Visitor Center
Image:McCluresBeach.jpg|McClure's Beach
File:Point Reyes Lighthouse (April 2012).jpg|Point Reyes Lighthouse
File:AlamereFalls.JPG|[[Alamere Falls]]
File:Tule elk on Tomales Point Trail.JPG|Tule elk on Tomales Point Trail
File:Tomales Bay as viewed from Tomales Point Trail 4.JPG|Tomales Bay on the Eastern side
File:Coastline as seen from Chimney Rock, Point Reyes National Seashore.jpg|Coastline as seen from Chimney Rock
File:Point Reyes Marsh at Dusk.jpg|Point Reyes Marsh at dusk
File:Drakes Beach during the 2015 Annual Sand Sculpture Contest.jpg|Drakes Beach during the 2015 Annual Sand Sculpture Contest.
File:Wildcat beach at Point Reyes National Seashore 4.JPG|Wildcat Beach
File:McClures Beach, Point Reyes National Seashore.jpg|McClures Beach
File:Point Reyes National Seashore ca. 1966.PNG|Photo of Point Reyes National Seashore taken for the [[National Park Service]]'s Mission 66 initiative, ca. 1966.
</gallery>

==See also==
{{Portal|San Francisco Bay Area}}
*[[List of beaches in California]]
*[[List of California state parks]]
* [[Camp Hydle]]
* [[Bertha Felix Campigli]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons|Point Reyes National Seashore|Point Reyes National Seashore}}
{{Wikivoyage}}
* [https://www.nps.gov/pore/index.htm National Park Service official website about Point Reyes]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20190902003042/https://pointreyes.org/ West Marin Chamber of Commerce site about Point Reyes]
* [http://www.ptreyes.org Point Reyes National Seashore Association, a nonprofit organization working in coordination with the National Park Service.]
* [http://www.kuleloklo.com Kule Loklo, a recreation of a Coast Miwok Indian village]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzbbiCfNewk&feature=youtu.be Video on controversy over lack of water for tule elk at Tomales Point]

{{SeashoreLakes}}
{{WestMarin}}
{{Protected areas of California|NPS}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Point Reyes National Seashore| ]]
[[Category:National seashores of the United States]]
[[Category:National Park Service areas in California]]
[[Category:Parks in Marin County, California]]
[[Category:Protected areas established in 1962]]
[[Category:West Marin]]