Hours of Operation
Visit our Visitor Centers page to learn when the Lighthouse Visitor Center and the stairs leading down to the Lighthouse are open.
A Brief History of the Point Reyes Lighthouse
The Point Reyes Headlands jut 10 miles (16 km) out to sea and pose a threat to ships traveling between San Francisco Bay and locations to the north. The historic Point Reyes Lighthouse was built in 1870 to warn mariners of this navigational hazard and served for 105 years. The Point Reyes Lighthouse was retired from service in 1975 when the U.S. Coast Guard installed an automated light adjacent and below the historic tower. The Coast Guard then transferred ownership of the lighthouse to the National Park Service, which has taken on the job of preserving this fine specimen of our maritime heritage. Visit our Lighthouse History at Point Reyes page for more.
Come Prepared
- Print out the Point Reyes Lighthouse Area map. (353 KB PDF)
- Fuel: The closest gas station is 20 miles (32 km) away in Point Reyes Station. Be sure you have sufficient fuel in your vehicle for a minimum 40-mile (64 km) round-trip drive, not including side trips to other points of interest within the National Seashore.
- Weather: Visitors will likely experience high winds, cool temperatures, fog, and/or rain along the 0.65-mile (1.05-km) walk to the lighthouse; so dress appropriately. Wear layered clothing.
National Weather Service Forecast for the Point Reyes Lighthouse area
- Water: Bring a water bottle. There is a water bottle filling station/water fountain located near the east end of the green garages that are located approximately 100 yards (~90 meters) before one arrives at the Lighthouse Visitor Center. Bottled water is not sold at Point Reyes National Seashore's visitor centers or bookstores.
- Food: There are no food services west of Inverness, which is a thirty-five-minute drive from the lighthouse parking lot. Bring food from home or purchase food at one of the stores or restaurants in West Marin before heading out to the Point Reyes Lighthouse if it is close to mealtime.
- Phones: Cell phone reception is very minimal to nonexistent in the lighthouse area.
- Restrooms: From 6 am to midnight, restrooms are available at the visitors' parking lot and at the east end of the green garages that are located approximately 100 yards (~90 meters) before one arrives at the Lighthouse Visitor Center. Be sure to use the restrooms before going down the stairs to the lighthouse.
- Smoking: Smoking is prohibited in the lighthouse area, including the visitor center, observation deck, pathways, stairs, and lighthouse. Vaping and use of e-cigarettes and electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) are prohibited in all public buildings, including the visitor center, restrooms, lighthouse, and equipment building, and within 25 feet of building entrances and windows.
- Pets: Dogs and other pets may be walked in the parking lot and along Sir Francis Drake Boulevard east of the parking lot; otherwise, dogs and pets are prohibited. Please be aware that most visitors to the lighthouse are away from their vehicle for an hour or longer. Please do not leave your dog unattended in your vehicle; leave your dog at home instead. This prohibition does not apply to working service dogs, which are allowed on trails and in public buildings. If you have a service dog, please inquire at the Bear Valley Visitor Center for information before heading out to the Lighthouse area. Visit our Pets page for more information about visiting Point Reyes National Seashore with your dog.
- Drones: Launching, landing, or operating a remotely operated aircraft (aka "remotely piloted aircraft," "unmanned aircraft," or "drone") from or on lands and waters administered by the National Park Service within the boundaries of Point Reyes National Seashore is prohibited.
If you observe drone use in Point Reyes National Seashore, please call park dispatch at 415-464-5170 or contact staff at the nearest Visitor Center as soon as possible. If you observe drone use in other National Park Service areas or if you find photographs or videos online or elsewhere that were illegally taken within National Park Service areas from drones, you can report the violation to the National Park Service tip line at 888-653-0009 or by email.
The Drive
The Point Reyes Lighthouse is located at the western-most end of the Point Reyes Headlands and Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Sir Francis Drake Boulevard is windy and slow-going, so allow forty-five minutes to drive the ~20 miles (~32 km) from the Bear Valley/Olema/Point Reyes Station area to the lighthouse parking lot (one hour and thirty minutes round-trip), not including any time you will spend in the vicinity of the lighthouse. Allow one hour and forty-five minutes for the drive (three hours and thirty minutes round-trip) from the Santa Rosa area, northwest San Francisco, or the northern East Bay. Many visitors spend at least an hour or two in the lighthouse area.
Directions to the Point Reyes Lighthouse from the Bear Valley Visitor Center.
Parking
The Point Reyes Lighthouse's visitors' parking lot can only accommodate 38 vehicles. As a result, parking space availability is very limited, particularly in the afternoon. If you arrive and find that there are no available spots in the parking lot, you may park parallel to the road east of the parking lot. Please observe all "No Parking" signs and red curbs, and ensure that no part of your parked vehicle is within eight feet (2.4 m) of the center of the road in order to allow other vehicles to use the road without having to cross the center line.
Parking Lot
Point Reyes Lighthouse Visitors' Parking Lot
- 38 total spaces
- 0 oversized spaces
- 37.997739719, -123.011789929
A paved parking lot with space for 38 vehicles at the west end of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. The Lighthouse Visitor Center is 0.5 miles to the west via a foot path, which departs from the west end of the roundabout at the northwest end of the lot. A vault toilet building and litter and recycling receptacles are located along the east side of the lot. The Point Reyes Lighthouse Visitors' Parking Lot is approximately 45 minutes by car from the Bear Valley Visitor Center via Sir Francis Drake Boulevard.
Image Gallery
RVs and Trailers
Recreational vehicles (RVs) and vehicles pulling trailers are prohibited from parking in the Lighthouse visitors' parking lot and must park along the road. While there may appear to be sufficient space early in the morning, as was the case when the RV in the picture to the right (or above if viewing this on a small screen) arrived, the parking lot can quickly fill. On a number of occasions, RV drivers have parked in the lot and by the time the driver returned, the parking lot was full and there wasn't sufficient room to maneuver the RV out of the parking lot without damaging other vehicles. Not until much later, after the parking spots adjacent to and in front of the RV across the inbound lane were cleared, was the driver of the RV driver able to safely get the RV out of the parking space and out of the lot. Some visitors who arrived during this time and were told by the driver of the RV (and later by park staff) that they had to park along the road, even though there were parking spaces apparently available in the lot, weren't too happy.
If you are traveling with a trailer or are driving an RV towing a passenger vehicle, consider unhitching at the bus/RV/trailer-only parking lot at Bear Valley and taking only the passenger vehicle for the drive out to the Lighthouse area.
Overnight parking/camping in RVs and trailers is prohibited throughout Point Reyes National Seashore.
The Walk
To get from the parking lot to the lighthouse itself, one must walk—mostly uphill—0.45 mi (0.7 km) to the Lighthouse Visitor Center, and then descend 313 steps. Please take your time walking from the parking lot to the Visitor Center and climbing the stairs. When wind speeds exceed 40 mph, the stairs leading down to the lighthouse are closed for visitors' safety. If the stairs are closed, a brown sign at the trailhead will indicate that the stairs are closed due to high winds.
Wind Forecast
Stay on designated trails
Stay on the paved pedestrian path/service road between the parking lot and the Lighthouse Visitor Center and Lighthouse. Hiking along the bluff tops is prohibited. All off-trail areas west of the Lighthouse visitors' parking lot are closed to entry. This closure includes areas accessed by going over or beyond the railings on the lighthouse stairs and platforms. Stay away from cliff edges. Loose soil and/or rock can give way suddenly and you may fall. Do not climb cliffs.
Visitors walking off of official trails and paths trample vegetation, which may lead to the death of the trampled plants. Over time, as more and more visitors use a route, it starts to look more and more like an official trail, and more and more visitors use it, resulting in a feedback loop that makes the "trail" look "official." However, these "social paths" tend to exacerbate erosion and harm threatened and endangered species. These paths also can lead to locations where visitors may be more at risk to injury, endangering themselves and any potential rescuers.
The only official maintained trails/routes/paths in the Point Reyes Lighthouse area are the paved service road and pathway from the parking lot to the Lighthouse, the South Beach Overlook Trail (a dirt trail leading northto the South Beach Overlook from the roundabout at the west end of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard), and the path/stairs leading to the Sea Lion Overlook, located 1,100 feet (335 m) east of the Lighthouse parking lot.
Accessibility
The lighthouse area's accessible parking lot is located 0.4 miles (0.6 km) beyond (to the west of) the main visitor parking lot. A gate composed of a heavy metal chain hung between two bollards is located at the west end of the roundabout at the west end of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Individuals with a Disabled Person parking placard or plate may open the gate in order to drive to the accessible parking lot. Unclip the chain from either bollard and clip it to the other bollard, and move the chain out of the way so that your vehicle's tires will not drive over the chain. Please be aware that the chain is heavy and the clips require a fair bit of force to open. Be sure to close the gate after you've passed through.
Please drive slowly and carefully since this section of the sixteen-foot-wide service road doubles as the pedestrian path from the main parking lot to the lighthouse. The accessible parking lot is on the right/north side of the road just beyond the cypress trees. If you start to drive up a steep hill via an eight-foot wide driveway to the garages, you are going too far.
The ~400-foot (~120 m) long path from the accessible parking lot to the Lighthouse Visitor Center and the observation deck at the top of the stairs is wheelchair-accessible. The visitor center and observation deck are also accessible. Accessible restrooms are located at the east end of the green garages that are located approximately 100 yards (~90 meters) to the east of the Lighthouse Visitor Center. To get to them, follow the accessible path from the accessible parking lot toward the Lighthouse Visitor Center for about 290 feet (~90 meters) and make a very sharp left to follow the accessible path leading to the garage.
The Lighthouse Visitor Center, observation deck, and restrooms are all fully accessible, but the lighthouse itself is not.
Visit our Accessibility page for additional information about other locations within Point Reyes National Seashore. Feel free to call 415-669-1534 or 415-464-5100 x2 x5 if you have any questions.
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Parking Lot
Point Reyes Lighthouse Accessible (ADA) Parking Lot.
- 4 total spaces
- 0 oversized spaces
- 37.996969014, -123.019063825
The lighthouse area's accessible parking lot is located 0.4 miles beyond (to the west of) the main visitors' parking lot, which is located at the west end of Sir Francis Drake Blvd. Open, then close, the chain gate at the west end of the roundabout and drive along the service road, which doubles as a pedestrian path. The accessible parking lot is on the right side of the road just beyond the cypress trees. Please visit https://www.nps.gov/pore/planyourvisit/lighthouse.htm#accessibility for more details.
Image Gallery
The Lighthouse Visitor Center
The Lighthouse Visitor Center offers exhibits on the historic Point Reyes Lighthouse, as well as on whales. The Fresnel lens from the San Francisco Lightship is also on display. A small bookstore offers books, maps, and other educational products. Visit our Visitor Centers page to learn when the visitor center is open.
The Ocean Exploration Center
Attached to the Lighthouse Visitor Center is the Ocean Exploration Center. A collaboration between the National Park Service and NOAA's Cordell Bank and Greater Farallones national marine sanctuaries, the Ocean Exploration Center highlights the spectacularly rich and globally significant ocean environment of North-central California. The coastal and marine ecosystem off North-central California is one of the biologically richest ocean zones on the planet, but the sea life is largely hidden beneath the water's surface. The center increases visitors' opportunities to view and learn about this remarkable area, protected by two national marine sanctuaries and a national seashore. The Ocean Exploration Center features 3-D models of a California sea lion, a Dall's porpoise, a sooty shearwater, and a white shark suspended from the ceiling, murals depicting life below the surface painted on the walls, and informative panels describing ocean wildlife and habitats off our coast. A large picture window offers visitors a stunning view of the Point Reyes Beach and the Pacific Ocean, while protecting them from the legendary winds of Point Reyes.
The Observation Deck
The Observation Deck is located at the top of the 313 steps leading down to the lighthouse. It offers a great location for whale watching and watching birds and is the first location from which visitors can see the lighthouse—which is located ~240 feet (~70 meters) below the Observation Deck. From the northwest corner of the deck, one can observe a common murre nesting colony, which can contain approximately 20,000 birds during the spring. Sea lions frequently haul out on a pyramidal-shaped rock northwest of the murre colony.
Looking north from the Observation Deck, if it isn't too foggy, one can see the Point Reyes Beach and Tomales Point. And if it is extremely clear, Bodega Head, the Sonoma Coastline, and Mount Saint Helena can be seen. If they are not shrouded in fog, one may see the Farallon Islands twenty miles to the south. And to the southeast, Mount Tamalpais, the hills of the Marin Headlands, western San Francisco, and Montara Mountain rise above eastern waters of the Gulf of the Farallones.
The Observation Deck is open until ~11:45 pm every day, so even if the stairs leading down to the Lighthouse are closed, visitors are welcome to watch for whales and birds and enjoy the sunset from the Observation Deck. The entire Lighthouse area west of the gate adjacent to the roundabout at the visitors' parking lot is closed from 12 midnight to 6 am.
The Stairs
The Point Reyes Lighthouse itself is another 900 feet (275 meters) beyond the Visitor Center at the base of 313 steps—the equivalent of ~20 stories.
Allow 5 to 10 minutes for the descent and 10 to 20 minutes for the ascent, plus whatever amount of time you wish to spend at the base of the stairs, i.e., checking out the lighthouse, talking with a ranger, or watching for whales or birds.
When wind speeds exceed 40 mph (64 km/hr), the steps to the lighthouse are closed for visitors' safety.
Wind Forecast
Here are some tips to make your trip down and up the stairs safe and enjoyable:
- Do not "hop" the fence to get a "better" photo or for any other reason. The fence is there for your safety. Individuals who are found on the wrong side of the fence will be cited for entering a closed area.
- Get here early to avoid the crowds. There are many more visitors climbing up and down the stairs between 2 pm and 3:30 pm than between 10 am and 2 pm.
- Know your abilities and limitations.
- Make sure you have been eating/hydrating and continue to do so during physical activity.
- Take it slow. There are several landings for sitting and resting along the way.
- The viewing platform above the lighthouse offers equally stunning views and wildlife viewing opportunities without the trip down the stairs.
- The stairs leading down to the Lighthouse close promptly at 4 pm. If you start down the stairs shortly before 4 pm, you will not have too much time to spend at the Lighthouse level. If you start down the stairs at or after 4 pm, you will be turned around before reaching the Lighthouse.
The Equipment Building
The equipment building (the long single-story building adjacent to the lighthouse) is usually open if the Lighthouse Visitor Center and the stairs leading down to the lighthouse are open, as staffing and weather conditions permit. The equipment building has an exhibit about the changes in fog signal technology at Point Reyes over the years and contains the two 1947 super typhon foghorns, the air compressors, and a backup power generator that were used at Point Reyes before the current lighthouse/fog signal building was constructed in 1975. Visit our Visitor Centers page to learn when the Lighthouse Visitor Center and the stairs leading down to the lighthouse are open.
The Point Reyes Lighthouse
The lighthouse's clockwork room (the second-level chamber) houses the original clockworks and provides visitors with a close look at the first-order Fresnel lens above. The clockwork room is is open as staffing and weather conditions permit. Visit our Calendar page and look for the "A Look into the Lens" talk to find out when the clockwork room may be open.
Please help us better preserve this historic artifact.
Do not touch any part of the clockwork mechanism or Fresnel lens.
The clockwork mechanism's case and the frame for the Fresnel lens are composed of brass and cast iron, which more quickly tarnish and corrode, respectively, due to oils left behind when visitors touch these metals with their hands.No baby/child carriers, backpacks, or large bags.
The space within the clockwork room is very limited and there is usually insufficient space to safely maneuver while wearing a baby/child carrier or backpack on one's back. Please remove such carriers and backpacks before entering the tower. Children, of course, are welcome to enter the clockwork room, but please keep children under control and make sure they don't touch or damage the clockwork mechanism's case in the center of the room.Notes to photographers:
- The space within the clockwork room is very limited and the clockwork mechanism's case is partly composed of glass windows. Please leave tripods, monopods, selfie-sticks, and other such equipment outside of the tower, or at least collapse and store such equipment in a manner that they have a minimal to no chance of scratching or impacting the glass.
- No flash photography. Repeated flash photography can damage historic objects and artifacts.
- When taking photographs of the clockwork mechanism through the windows, do not allow your camera or hands or any body part to come in contact with the glass or any other part of the mechanism's case.
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Photos and Multimedia
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- Duration:
- 1 minute, 56 seconds
A condensed virtual visit to the Point Reyes Lighthouse. Climb down the 313 stairs to the Point Reyes Lighthouse. Get an up-close look of the first order Fresnel lens and clockwork.
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Transcript
[Alexander Nakarada plays "The Great Battle"]
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- Duration:
- 1 minute, 58 seconds
A two-minute-long time lapse video of the reconstruction of the Point Reyes Lighthouse's Fresnel lens, which occurred from July 8 through July 13, 2019.
2018–2019 Restoration Project
From August 6, 2018, to November 7, 2019, Point Reyes National Seashore conducted a large restoration project on the historic Point Reyes Lighthouse. This was the first major restoration project for the lighthouse since its construction in 1870. Over the subsequent 148 years, the tower's cast iron had significantly rusted and weakened. The Plexiglas windows that were installed in the 1970s had also become frosted and were no longer transparent. The Fresnel lens and clockwork mechanism were temporarily removed and refurbished before the roof and lantern (the windowed, uppermost level) of the tower were deconstructed. After the tower's lantern and roof were rebuilt with new material and transparent glass windows, the lens and clockwork mechanism were reconstructed. The shingles on the equipment building's roof were replaced, the building was repainted. The Lighthouse Visitor Center was gutted and new cabinetry was installed. And improvements were made to increase accessibility for people with disabilities. Visit our 2018–2019 Lighthouse Restoration blog to learn more and to view a photo gallery of the work that was completed.
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