Upward view of a large first-order Fresnel lens inside the lighthouse, with red ribbed glass panels, brass metal supports, and prismatic glass rings catching the light. The circular frame and bright sky beyond emphasize the lens’s tall, layered structure.

Point Reyes Lighthouse

Point Reyes Station, CA

Built in 1870, Point Reyes Lighthouse sits at the windiest and foggiest point on the Pacific Coast, 300 steps down from the cliff top. The lighthouse was decommissioned in 1975 and is now a museum and whale watching station. During winter, gray whales migrate close to shore, and the surrounding cliffs host colonies of common murres.

Photography Guide

Best Time: afternoon
Crowds: Moderate
Shot Types: widelandscapedetail
Best Seasons: winterspring

Practical Tips

The lighthouse steps are closed during extreme winds. During whale season (January-March), a shuttle bus replaces private vehicle access on weekends. Bring warm windproof layers year-round.

Is it a good day to go?

7-day outlook

Mild, dry days with light winds are the most comfortable for a visit.

Forecast by Open-Meteo. Verdicts weigh the forecast against the conditions that suit this spot.

Gallery

Nearby Places

Golden morning light washes over steep tan cliffs and a narrow coastal headland above a small sandy cove. Waves roll in from the open Pacific beside patches of green bluff vegetation in the foreground.

Parks & Wilderness

Point Reyes Station, CA

Chimney Rock Trail

A 1.8-mile trail along a narrow headland at the southeastern tip of Point Reyes, passing through coastal wildflower meadows that explode with color in spring. The trail offers views of Drakes Bay to the north and the open Pacific to the south. Elephant seals can be observed from the overlook at the trail's midpoint during breeding season.

morningspring · winter

A wide panoramic view of Drakes Estero shows a broad sandbar in the foreground, calm blue-gray water in the middle, and low green-brown ridgelines stretching across the horizon. Bright morning light and clear skies create crisp reflections and a spacious, quiet coastal feel.

Waterfronts

Point Reyes Station, CA

Drakes Estero

A large tidal estuary within Point Reyes National Seashore, Drakes Estero is one of the most pristine estuaries on the California coast. The estuary's fingerlike inlets extend into the surrounding pastoral hills. Harbor seals haul out on the sandbars, and the calm waters create mirror-like reflections of the surrounding ridgelines.

morningspring · summer

A calm blue lagoon fills the center of the frame, bordered by sandy dunes and tufted coastal grasses, with a lone heron standing near the left bank. Green hills and a few small buildings stretch across the horizon under clear golden-hour light.

Parks & Wilderness

Point Reyes Station, CA

Abbotts Lagoon

A pair of coastal lagoons connected by a narrow channel, separated from the Pacific by a thin strip of sand dunes. The 3.2-mile round-trip trail crosses open grasslands before reaching the lagoons and continuing to the beach. The lagoons support large populations of shorebirds, waterfowl, and raptors throughout the year.

golden hourwinter · spring