Point Reyes National Seashore

Only 30mi/48km north of San Francisco on the CA 1 you will find Point Reyes, declared a "National Seashore" in 1962 and now forming part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area which starts in San Francisco. The British landed on this peninsula 41 years before the Pilgrim Fathers at Plymouth. In 1579 Sir Francis Drake dropped anchor here and took possession of the land for the British Crown, but his homeland did not concern itself unduly with the west of the newly-discovered continent. 24 years later, on January 6th 1603, the Spanish seafarer Don Sebastian Vizcaino landed on the peninsula and - as it was the Feast of the Epiphany - named it La Punta de los Reyes (the Point of the Kings). "Earthquake Way"

Point Reyes lies at the end of the San Andreas Fault, which was responsible for the devastating earthquakes of 1906 and 1989 which have struck San Francisco. From the Bear Valley Visitor Center starts a so-called "Earthquake Way", about 1,100yd/1km in length, along which can be found seismographic evidence of earthquake movements, such as parts of a fence which formed one unit prior to the earthquake and which are now five meters apart.

Grey whales

In the months of December and January the Californian grey whale can be observed on its migration from the north to Baja California. As there is more fog in Point Reyes than at any other point along the Californian coast, a lighthouse was built in 1870. From here you get a splendid view of the whales as they swim past. They can be seen again in the months of April and May when they return to the Arctic.

Trails for walking and riding.

From the Bear Valley Visitor Center more than 75mi/120km of trails suitable for walking and riding lead into all parts of this coastal nature reserve. Information regarding the length and condition of these trails, as well as maps, can be obtained from the Visitor Center.

Nearby can be found a reproduction of a Miwok Indian village (the Miwoks were the original inhabitants of the region). The Visitor Center is open only Thur.-Mon.