The Natural Beauty of the Point Reyes National Seashore

Some of the most beautiful rugged coastlines are within striking distance of San Francisco. I embarked on a private tour of Point Reyes with Eric’s VIP Tours to have an encounter with the rugged and unspoiled Pacific coastline. 

Instead of taking the highways, I selected the scenic, coastal route that was filled with compelling scenery along the way. At the beginning of this journey, I saw the Pacific Ocean swells crashing against the rocks and the sheer beauty of Stinson and Muir Beaches. I travelled on winding paths lined with towering canopies of giant redwood trees. 

As a private guide, Eric provides day tours and multi-day tours to various destinations that are accessible from San Francisco. He’s an expert who guided me around sites that I wouldn’t typically see on my own. He has a wealth of experience, so he knows where and when to go, as well as how to get the most out of the experience.  

Upon reaching Point Reyes, I came across some unusual characteristics of the natural surroundings, such as native cypress trees bending sideways to adapt to the ocean and wind conditions.

California writer, John Hart, describes the Point Reyes National Seashore as an “Island in Time.” It isn’t hard to see why. It’s a peninsula with a commanding position on the sea and an unusual composition of open pastures, farmland, and wilderness. 

A fascinating feature of Point Reyes is its weather, which is known as the foggiest place on the West Coast. At certain times, the weather is fickle, changing from sunny to fog in less than a few minutes. On the day of my tour, I was fortunate to have fair weather.

I hiked along the San Andreas Fault, which is the site of the 1906 earthquake that struck San Francisco and Point Reyes.

In Inverness, I discovered an old shipwreck with its original S.S. Point Reyes nameplate, beached on the shore. I wondered whether this old fishing vessel was pummeled due to stormy waters. I had a picnic lunch next to an oyster depot and waited for the fishermen to bring in their daily catch of fresh Pacific oysters from Tomales Bay. 

In another part of the seashore, an unusual grove of trees forms an amazing archway that’s known as the Cypress Tree-Tunnel. At the end of this maze, I discovered the old KPH Maritime Radio Receiving Station that was built and operated as an overseas wireless transmission station to send telegraph communications across the Pacific. 

Leaving Inverness, I traveled through cow pastures and the rugged countryside to view the sheer beauty of Point Reyes Beach and the Pacific Ocean enroute to the Point Reyes Lighthouse. There, I found magnificent views of this lighthouse perched on the steep cliffs above the turbulent waters. 

I ascended 313 steps to reach the observation decks on the rocky cliffs. The experience was breathtaking, especially in gazing out on the ocean and observing the spouting sprays from the blowholes of migrating humpback whales passing in the distance.

I was spellbound by the view of these marvelous creatures from the observation platform. This experience was so exciting that I didn’t mind climbing up and down the vertical cliff. It was a real workout, but well worth the effort to view such an extraordinary wildlife spectacle. Looking out at the expanse of the Pacific Ocean, this historical landmark was strikingly beautiful and is one of the most memorable places in California.

At the lighthouse, the park ranger described how the lens and mechanism were actually constructed in France prior to its installation at Point Reyes in 1870. This lighthouse operated for over a century until it was retired in 1975, when the U.S. Coast Guard installed an automated light.

You can also see elephant seals lying on the beach, roaming elk, and cow herds moving through the pastures. 

Upon my return to San Francisco, I stopped by the Hog Island Oyster Co. and had some delicious, fresh Sweetwater oysters with a glass of chilled Napa Valley Chardonnay. This capped off such a wonderful day.

Eric reminded me that memorable experiences are what truly matters. Whether it’s whale watching, seeing crashing ocean breakers against rocky headlands, or visiting sandy beaches and open grasslands, Point Reyes is spectacular regardless of the time of year. 

Note: the author received a complimentary tour from Eric’s VIP Tours, but as always, we are dedicated to providing unbiased accounts of our experiences.