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Park guide

Point Reyeswhen to catch its peaks

When should I visit Point Reyes to catch its natural highlights?

At Point Reyes, southbound gray whales are best seen in mid-January, northbound whales in mid-March and mothers with calves in late April and early May; elephant seals are most numerous from December through March.

Checked Sep 29. Sources: National Park Service, Point Reyes National Seashore: Frequently Asked Questions ↗ (opens in a new tab), National Park Service, Point Reyes National Seashore: Whale Watching ↗ (opens in a new tab) National Park Service sources: no claim to original U.S. Government works.

The peaks through the year

In each source's words; never a forecast

On one calendar

Approximate months; the cards above give the timing
  • Gray whales heading southBest viewing: mid-January
  • Gray whales heading northBest viewing: mid-March
  • Mothers and calvesBest viewing: late April and early May
  • Elephant sealsMost numerous: December through March

Solid: a usual peak, the best viewing time or when animals are most numerous. Hatched: a broader season, never a peak.

Choose what you want to catch

Each has its own full guide

Where to see it

Best spots from every event page, and official visitor points
Map: approximate positions; state lines US Census; spot positions USGS; spot positions NPS; visitor points from agency records.

Before you go

Check the park's own pages for today's conditions
  • Entrance: No entrance pass is required to visit Point Reyes National Seashore. Official page ↗

Make more of the visit

From the Park Service's own listings
  • Walk the Elephant Seal Overlook TrailA short trail to a viewpoint where elephant seals are usually visible; allow 45 minutes' drive from Bear Valley.About 15–60 minutesOfficial page ↗
  • Hike the Chimney Rock TrailAn open coastal walk with wildflowers in spring; from January through May, look for migrating whales from the point.About 40–90 minutesOfficial page ↗
  • Point Reyes Lighthouse Visitor CenterExhibits on the lighthouse, marine life and maritime history; the stairs to the lighthouse open only with the center and winds under 40 mph.Official page ↗

Other peaks nearby and other seasons

Point Reyes in pictures

Illustrative photos, not current conditions
A long concrete staircase leads down to a white lighthouse with a red roof on cliffs above the ocean
Point Reyes Lighthouse and its long staircase on the cliffs above the ocean (date not given). Photo: NPS/A. Kopshever · public domain · resized
A black and white photo of a short, three-story-tall, white lighthouse on the edge of a cliff, with one man on the tower's balcony and another at the cliff edge
Historical photo: the Point Reyes Lighthouse shortly after it was built, 1870 or 1871 (Eadweard Muybridge). Photo: Public Domain / Eadweard Muybridge photograph · public domain · resized

Questions people ask

When is the best time to see gray whales?

Mid-January for the southbound migration and mid-March for the northbound one. Mothers and calves swim even closer to shore in late April and early May.Sources: National Park Service, Point Reyes National Seashore: Frequently Asked Questions ↗ (opens in a new tab), National Park Service, Point Reyes National Seashore: Whale Watching ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Where are whales easiest to see?

The park names the Lighthouse and Chimney Rock areas as the best places to watch gray whales.Source: National Park Service, Point Reyes National Seashore: Frequently Asked Questions ↗ (opens in a new tab)

When are elephant seals most numerous?

From December through March, during the pupping and mating season. They can be seen from the Elephant Seal Overlook near Chimney Rock all year.Source: National Park Service, Point Reyes National Seashore: Frequently Asked Questions ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Is there an entrance fee?

No: an entrance pass isn't required to visit Point Reyes National Seashore.Source: National Park Service, Point Reyes fees and passes ↗ (opens in a new tab)

How we know

Every timing above, from these pages
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