I am an avid hiker and backpacker who has been exploring Point Reyes every couple of weeks. So it was nice to learn about this "hostel" during my last trip. I typically stay at the Best Western in Novato the day before and after backpacking because it's a long drive for me. But this would have been cool. Anyway, my "waterproof" boots were failing me and I was soaked while backpacking and still had one more day to go, so I thought I'd hike down to this hostel and check it out and maybe see if I could pay to use their dryer. I still had amazing energy as Point Reyes is just so magical to me, so I was smiling, happy, and curious. Wasn't gonna let soggy feet bring me down. I was even thinking about planning group trips up there. To my surprise, I was met by a lady who sharply asked what I was looking for. She literally caught me outside as I was walking onto the property so I almost thought I was at the wrong place. I asked if this was the hostel, and briefly explained my situation and that I'd like to see if I could pay to use their dryer. She said the dryers were for guests only. I said that I totally understood and was willing to pay for a night. She gave a loud sigh, as if completely annoyed and bothered by a prospective guest, then said "well the office is closed, and check-in isn't until 3pm." It was around noon at this time. My smile vanished. She didn't give me any information about rates or anything, and just said that she would try to help me sooner once she got some things done. Hey, I get wanting to get chores done, but isn't your business to bring in guests so that you can make money? This is literally your job, that you chose to do, in HOSPITALITY. I've never heard of a hotel closing their office during the day. So I had to decide if I wanted to wait that long JUST TO GET ANY INFORMATION. I asked if I could at least sit down at one of their picnic tables as she didn't allow me into the office. She was kind enough to allow me to sit outside but not under the shelter because of a broken window. She did let me know there's free wifi I can hop on. So I'm sitting there, soaked, and without shelter in the least. I wrung out my 2 pairs of socks I was wearing and made a quick lunch and looked up the place online to learn more. So I'm contemplating staying the night at this point if I'm gonna pay for it, figuring how long it would take before I could check-in and use the dryer then get back to camp, or if I just wanted to leave and pack the rest of my gear up and get to my car by nightfall as I was done with wet socks. I didn't want to take the chance of waiting and not knowing what I'm waiting for. And I was kind of thinking I didn't want to spend my money at that establishment because of her rude demeanor at this point. I put my wet socks back on, and as I was getting ready to leave. She finally said she could talk to me. I told her I think I'm just gonna leave, but I still asked about the place, as I was curious for future events. She gave very little information, it was like I had to pry anything out of her. She really could have sold me any overpriced dry clothing items they might have had in their gift shop. I don't even know if they had items for sale as she wasn't trying to show or sell anything. She even suggested I ask their handyman for a ride somewhere, anything but stay there. It seemed like she was really trying just anything to disuade me from becoming a guest which was really weird. So my mind was made up. I asked if I could use the restroom before I leave, and she refused because it was just cleaned lol. It seemed like she realized she was being rude, so to make up for it, she gave a sticker for free and then started talking about how she was going backpacking with her daughter soon. I waited there, listening to her, trying to be polite while holding my full bladder and standing in my soaking wet hiking boots and socks with my big backpack on ready to leave. I had just said I wanted to get back before dark to pack up. Why would you wait until then to try to build rapport?

This place is a real gem, the rooms and facilities are super clean and well equipped, the location is just marvelous if you look for nature, peace and quiet. This is all topped with the nicest, friendliest and funniest hosts you could have. Brenda and Kevin made our stay so enjoyable by creating a welcoming and open atmosphere, also providing great advice on day trips, hikes etc. We were travelling with kids and sleeping in the bunkhouse, we can definitely recommend this place and would love to come back one day.

The hostel and staff are wonderful, to say the least. We were made to feel at home immediately. The room was super clean with very comfy beds. The kitchen was FULLY stocked and comfy. Excellent bathrooms and showers as well. The surroundings are breathing with nature galore. An absolute gem of a place to be. Wi-Fi is available in the main lodge which was nice to catch up on a bit of work. We will 100% stay here again. A little touch of paradise. You'll love Point Reyes and the hostel!

You can’t go wrong with this place! Stunning views, wildflowers, very well-maintained grounds and rooms. Kevin and Brenda, just some of the outgoing staff, suggested some amazing places to visit. They obviously loved the place as much as I did. A must stay! A++

I stayed here a week ago. Everything was fine except for the host (Kevin?). This man SHOULD NOT be working in a customer service job. He was rude to multiple guests on multiple occasions. A "host" who literally fights with everyone. It was unbelievable. I am not sure that he understands the hospitality concept.

Took my mom there a few years ago as part of her California experience tour. She made friends right away with her female roomie. I pretty much had the guys room to myself. Desk personnel very friendly and helpful, never expected to find someone out here that knows how to play Euchre! Loved the cozy living room, spacious kitchen and outside grounds. Stayed an extra 2 days due to road flooding, but what a nice place to wait it out! Just a short drive to the beach.

Beautiful, peaceful hostel. Well kept and very classy for an off-the-grid stay. The staff was kind and super helpful, and it's very close to trails and other sites in the national seashore. Be warned though, the drive to the hostel is almost harrowing. Very curvy, steep roads. Prepare to use turn-outs to let ruffled locals blow past you. Not the hostel's fault, though, I had an incredibly beautiful stay.

Great hostel to get away from it all. No cell service, no wifi, no kidding. Comfy couches and big armchairs. Warm blankets and clean sheets. The coastal trail is a beautiful way to get to the beach (about 2 miles away). I was there on a rainy weekend so I didn't get to enjoy the outside much, but if you're there when it's sunny there are a lot of outdoor chairs and tables. The kitchen space in the main building (where the single sex dorms are) is a bit small to accommodate everyone. It didn't help that a group of 20 people had booked out the whole bunkhouse, which doesn't have its own kitchen, so we were all sharing. The building with the family dorms/private rooms does have a kitchen. Alcohol is allowed and stored by staff.

Wonderful visitor center outside Point Reyes National Seashore. Mimi helped us out with what there was to do in the park. Because of her we had a fantastic afternoon and evening there. Lots of nice hikes, wildlife and wildflowers. Go, it's well worth the 18 mile drive in.

Lovely visitor center and a great place to stop to/from Point Reyes. The sign could do with a repaint though :-) Center has various exhibits. There are great walks through the woods down to Santa Maria beach.

The main visitor center in the park gives information about the roads, trails, and history. Inside, you can see exhibits showing the different ecosystems and cultural heritage. With plenty of parking and nearby trails, it's a good spot to take a break, and I liked the quick walk to the replica of a native village.

Nice place to stop and use the facilities, get maps, talk to the rangers, and relax before continuing to the beaches or the lighthouse.

This is the main visitor center near the entrance of Point Reyes National Seashore. Nice exhibits with the gift store located here with access to the remainder of the park. The distances to the lighthouse and other areas of interest are fairly far so budget most of the day to really see the park. We went up to Mount Vision Overlook which was an easy walk. Unfortunately it was foggy on the day we went so couldn't see too far. Would like to go back and see the headlands and other parts of the park.

Stunning visitor center, they even have a gas fireplace for cold winter nights I did find it amusing that the park video is a recording from the Discovery Channel.

The volunteer staff at the visitor center were very helpful, especially identifying the areas where we could hike with our dogs. They also were happy to show a film in their auditorium about the park at our request. The exhibits about all kinds of wildlife and sea life in the area were really well done and helpful in terms of giving us a picture about what we might expect to see.

Such a beautiful area! The visitor's center in Bear Valley is great. The earthquake trail is a wonderful spot to learn California history and geology in one. The Woodpecker trail is lush along the creek with the heavy scent of bay leaves. The Kule Loklo trail leads to the recreated Miwok village, which has sadly not been kept up since the COVID pandemic. Still a cool spot to visit. Be on the lookout for wildlife- lots of black tailed deer and birds, but we also spotted a fox and bobcat on the hike! Early mornings are best for wildlife viewing.

Very well maintained Visitor centre. Staff is responsive and friendly. You can get stamps for your NPS passport here. Since you get little to no phone network around the area, I recommend you pick up Point Reyes Map from here as it comes quite handy to find your way around to the nearest attractions and reserve. EV owners take note, they have installed many destination chargers and it is open for use for the general public.

Well maintained. ADA accessible. Clean, running water and toilets. Small gift shop- books, snacks, maps, rain ponchos. EV chargers are FREE, but slow to charge and will soon cost $$ to use per the staff. Hiking trails nearby. Intermittent telephone service. Family friendly- kid stations, ranger games, and interactive learning stations.

There are a number of nice trails right by the visitor center. There are also 6 Level-2 EV chargers (J-1772) that charge at about 8kW that you can use for free! Having these chargers is such a great idea and helpful for getting some miles of charge while you hike for a couple hours. They installed them to promote EV usage… hopefully other National Parks will do this soon too!

Delightful interpretive center with the most intense Junior Ranger book I have ever completed. It took two adults two hours, but we sat outside at a picnic table and had a great time. The rangers were knowledgeable and welcoming, and the information presented at the center was detailed and intriguing.

It is good on the NPS side that the visitor center is right around US1. It is open till 5 pm. I entered at 4:56 and am still able to get the stamps on my nps passbook. Thanks to park ranger Ms Sierra, who suggested the better ways to explore the area and also recommended the further drive on the US Pacific Coastal Highway.

The rangers are extremely friendly and if you go make sure to talk to them to get the best plan for yourself. They made me a whole day planner and times. A lot of driving for a park and a surprising amount of cows

This is a well located and very large visitor center for Point Reyes. The gift shop has every collectible you'd be after and there's a pretty large exhibit section covering the flora and fauna of the park. There is a clean restroom just in front of the entrance door. Be sure to pickup a map here because you won't really have reception in the main areas of Point Reyes.

Great visitor center with a small walk around tour inside. It's free to visit and it's also where you can ask questions about your hiking/ backpacking permits. If you're backpacking, be sure to park in the gravel lot with a printed copy of your permit displayed on your dashboard. Happy exploring!

As stunning as it is in photos. It was even more beautiful in person. I recommend getting there before first light. But if you can’t make it, then the Sunset light is pretty spectacular as well

A sight to see. Someone definitely had an artistic thought in mind for these trees. It takes time for trees to grow and right time to trim and prune. It’s nice to wait just when the sun is up. Come a little later and then you’ll find yourself with plenty of visitors as well. I didn’t go any deeper through this tree tunnel because my main stop to visit is the lighthouse. Some cows around the area as well, be aware of your surroundings.

Out of the flat landscape in the distance came this row of cypress trees. What an amazing surprise in the middle of this flat land. It's well worth the stop if you're venturing on the peninsula of Pt. Reyes.

Very very cool place. Do visit if you can. Apart from the cypress trees you will also learn about Morse code and history of radio. Highly highly recommend ❤️❤️

Really loved the cool breeze under the trees. We enjoyed getting away from the heat in San Jose, CA today. This place was Beautiful, but creepy at the same time lol The Morse Code Museum at the end was closed so cars were not allowed to drive in, but the walk was nice.

Nice place to go. But can’t predict which day will be sunny. Even after checking the weather it turned into a gloomy day but still good to visit.

Calm and beautiful. Majestic trees in an elegant line. The trees and pedestrian only wide path are well maintained. The path leads to an art deco square building that seems to be empty (maybe for park maintenance). That would make a great visitor center or museum to help educate visitors about the area and provide a resting place. Anyway, great the way it is. The trees are amazing, each one a kind of giant flower bouquet of coordinated trunks creating a tunnel canopy above.

A spectacular site. Wife and I got there around 7:30 in the morning. Great time with very little tourist traffic. The morning son coming up, the moisture from the ocean in the air, and all the various birds chirping made for a fantastic experience.

Long drive to get here. Was closed when we arrived. 1 other car arrived before us and 3 more while we were here. Walked the tree tunnel to the locked up destination - telegraph site. Not much to see being late. Not worth the drive out of our way to miss going inside, which I'd expect to be more interesting.

It was one of the best places we stopped to take pictures! Just beautiful, and you got totally different kinds of photographs depending on whether you were entering or leaving. A completely unexpected stop that turned out to be one of the best!

At the end of the Cypress Tree Tunnel sits the last remaining remnants of the ship-to-shore Morse code radio stations. The KPH radio station was built in 1914 and was a key player during WWII. It was decommissioned from military service. The site has since been restored and each year during the July 12 commemorations of the last commercial transmission of Morse code KPH is back on air. There is not a lot of parking available right at the site. And when rainy it is very muddy. Parking across from the site isn’t recommended as the ground is deceptively soft- YOU WILL SINK IN. (Have seen several people needing to get pulled out near the site.) Walking to the radio station is fairly easy- it’s old asphalt and can be done in tennis shoes. Not necessarily ADA accessible, at least not until you can get around the gate first to set up the wheelchair.

The Cypress Tree Tunnel offered a mesmerizing experience with its rare and nature-made tunnel of trees. The view was enchanting, creating a unique and unforgettable atmosphere that showcased the beauty of nature’s design. Highly recommend for those seeking a magical and picturesque setting.

As of spring 2024, the historic radio tour is only on Saturdays, and only for a few hours (sorry, I don't recall the posted hours). Nonetheless, we enjoyed the walk and fresh air walking through the Cypress Tree Tunnel, and reading a bit about the history (which connected to earlier history we learned at the Bear Valley Visitor Center). Very interesting to understand the history between this location and Dec 7, 1941.

The cypress tunnel must be even more beautiful in sunny weather. Although I visited this place in the fog, I liked this natural creation. The majestic and atmospheric tunnel is definitely a must-see on the way to the lighthouse. This tunnel is a great place to take pictures.

We went here the last week of December. The beach was closed due to Elephant Seals returning to the beach to give birth. We saw a lot of seals some really huge and aggressive. There were forest rangers ensuring public doesn’t cross the rope and go near the seals as they can get aggressive and harm people. We also saw many baby seals. The seals also come into the parking lot.

This is a beautiful beach in the Point Reyes region. It’s very clean and usually less crowded. There is lot of parking. The beach itself was peaceful and serene. I saw dolphins close to the shore, seals swimming around, pelicans and of course sea gulls. On the beach itself, there is a collection of beautiful shells as well. I also saw a lot of crabs on the shore. It was windy though, so I will always recommend taking a jacket. The visit center is open only during weekends. There are also bus shuttles to the nearby light house which is a also nice. There are other beaches nearby like the North and South beach. I personally like the Sculptured rocks beach which is hikeable during the low tide especially known for is waterpools formed during the ride which is a beautiful view during sunset. I also like the Limentour beach which is a white sand beach and known for ours sunset views.

Elephant seals lounging around, high winds, and large waves make for an unforgettable pacific coast experience. Parking area is at the visitor center with restrooms and a seasonal restaurant. Very nice beach spot to walk and enjoy the salty , moist air.

Great place to sea elephant seals. Very large beach you can walk long distances on. The parking lot is also huge and can accommodate a lot of vehicles.

Beautiful beach. There were no seals while I visited so I didn’t stay long. Nice smooth sand.

So much history!❤️, loved how they had an area where they showed history about the beach.. beach was breathtaking definitely would go back

One of the more scenic rides to a beach I’ve been on with rolling green hills and pastures leading up to sandy cliffs overlooking a beach covered in elephant seals and giant banana slugs. Definitely worth the trip if you enjoy exploring and sight seeing!

One of the best beaches I've visited so far. We arrived at around 11 am on a Monday morning and there was no one else around. We had it to ourselves for a good 30 mins or so. The water was clean and refreshing on the feet. The look of this beach attracted me the most. Cliffs and clean golden wet sand. So it wasn't blowing all over the place. Quite photogenic. There is a small pond in front of the parking area with several ducks. Restrooms are kind of tucked inside the visitor center.

Male elephant seals have arrived. Females will be arriving in few weeks to give birth, then the beach will blooming be hundreds of them.

Great beach to watch the Pt Reyes National Seashore’s annual Sand Castle competition on the last Saturday of August (a week before the Labor Day weekend). Large parking lot a short distance to the beach. There’s a building with a small cafe/food store which opens some weekends for hot beverages and snacks. In the spring, please check Pt Reyes seashore National park website the beach is closed to the public during seals pupping season.

We visited during the sunset.We loved the sandy cliffs along the beach at the gorgeous geological site at the tip of Point Reyes.

Mesmerizing Beach. The sand is soft between the toes. There is enough beach front to be able to walk for miles. Sea lions dot the beaches and are watched/protected by the park rangers. They have been known to be aggressive and it’s recommended to steer clear. The rock face is loose - be careful to not get too close. As well, the tide can change very quickly giving little room to get out of the way. Collected drift wood and various colored sand dollars along the way.