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This past weekend, I went backpacking with boys scout and we came here for a visit and a bathroom break. My first time here and I love all the displays and real like creatures inside the visitor center. I especially like the variety of butterfly display. I would come back and bring my own family next time and explore some more!
The Bear Valley Visitors Center off of Bear Valley Road is a must visit when in the Point Reyes area to learn about the area. There are a number of wildlife nature exhibits, a small theater where you can watch a short movie (need to ask the ranger to turn the movie on) to learn about the area, gift shop and restrooms. The rangers were very nice at the info desk where you can ask questions about the area or directions to nearby sites or hiking trails nearby. They have a decent sized parking lot with a few free level 2 charging stations. Check it out the next time you are in the area, just turn onto the access road at the Big Red Barn.
Nice visitors center with helpful staff to answer any questions about the national seashore area. They have natural displays that are both interesting and informative. The small bookstore and souvenir store is nicely stocked with everything from T-shirts to keychains, water bottles, magnets, and various other items of possible interest for visitors. There's free WiFi access for visitors here. I recommend checking weather reports and any other information here as you likely won't have access to a signal once you get to the trails and beaches. This is a beautiful area and well worth visiting again and again.
When you hear the words "visitor center" one might conjure up thoughts of a stark dressed down bare minimum room with a wall of paper brochures and person sitting behind a plexiglass in a booth. Boring. Well the Bear Valley Visitor Center for Point Reyes National Park is a a far cry from that. This is a must stop especially for first time visitors to the Park. The cell reception within the park is spotty so a good ole paper map will definitely come in handy. The park rangers are very informative. Plus so darn down to earth and really engaging. They have maps of the entire park marked with trailheads, beaches, and access type roads. Not all the beaches have paved roads, some are non-paved or accessible only by hiking in. Besides the information booth, they have a gift shop, public restrooms, and a museum. Right when you walk into the place, they have a life size walrus model. They use to have a life size model of an orca hanging from the rafters but that was removed recently for repairs. The museum showcases history of the maritime activities, Native Americans; earthquakes, and wildlife habitat of marine life and land animals. They have a full size diorama of wetlands complete with foliage, trees, birds, and land critters. Also since this is a federal public building, right now face masks are required for entry.
This Visitor Center was a nice place to stop in and get information about the Park. They have various exhibits on display providing information about the park and it's ecology and there are volunteers at the desk more than happy to answer any questions you might have. There is also a short film, about 15 minutes long, you can watch about the park in the auditorium which they will start any time on request. Finally, there seemed to be ample free parking available.
For coming to Point Reyes National Seashore, I'd suggest stopping by here first thing in the morning...at the Bear Valley Visitor Center. And I only say this because I actually found Point Reyes to be a little tricky. Tricky in terms of...there's a lot of area and ground to cover. So...if you just sort of "wing it" without a prepared itinerary, you could repeat yourself and drive past spots where you previously had explored while trying to cover most of the seashore. That's where this Bear Valley VC was so useful. For me, I had already researched the places, hikes and overlooks I knew I wanted to see. But I found getting the chance to speak with a park ranger to confirm that I was going to the best spots and trails within the most logical way possible was the way to go! Inside the VC, there's a really small gift shop. It has the basics...stuff like keychains, magnets, postcards, hats, shirts, etc., and an area to have your Parks Passport stamped. It's good enough for those folks who like picking up little mementos from their journeys. Then there is an information station with a Park Ranger standing behind the counter. When I was here at 9am on a Saturday back over the summertime, it was really quiet inside. I approached the ranger and started reviewing and confirming all the worthwhile sections I had in mind...just to make sure I was making the most out of my experience. The Park Ranger was a pleasure to speak with. She was extremely detailed when talking with me and confirmed all the places I was interested in seeing. She didn't rush me and since there was no one standing behind me in line...I gladly took my time. One thing I'd like to point out... For my visit, it was extremely overcast, foggy and cloudy outside and the ranger mentioned to me I should temporarily skip certain sections because they're not scenic until the fog dissipates. That was certainly helpful. And in fact, a lot of Point Reyes isn't accessible in terms of sightseeing when the vintage California fogginess is in the area. And that's usually in morning times. It's only until late mornings/early afternoons when the blue skies appear. Overall, the Park Ranger was one of the most friendly, helpful guides I have confronted along all my explorations around the USA! I am grateful to have spoken with her and adjusted my plans slightly because of the weather. In conclusion, it made for the best, most efficient itinerary for navigating around Point Reyes. So yes, I just wanted to mention this Bear Valley VC and how so very important it is to stop here first before making your drive around Point Reyes...especially if you arrive at the park spontaneously and without premeditated plans. Lastly, here are some recommended highlights at Point Reyes during my weekend time here... Day 1... - Chimney Rock Trail - Elephant Seal Overlook - Point Reyes Lighthouse - South Beach - Tomales Point Trail Day 2... - Estero Trail - Lighthouse again (without the fog this time, lol) - Cypress Tree Tunnel - McClures Beach
I absolutely loved this visitor center at Point Reyes National Seashore. It is, so far, the best national park visitor center I have been to. We stopped here before and after a backpacking trip, and the staff were so kind. Our car battery died, and the park ranger helped us get the help we needed. The visitor center has clean restrooms and very nice museum-like displays with lots of information. There is a small gift shop.
Staff is super friendly and you can ask them all kinds of questions and they are more than happy to educate. I learned a lot about the monk seals. They have a 3D map on the wall which is nice to look at what hikes/trails are available. Bikes cannot go on every trail so beware and some trails are super narrow.
The displays here were awesome and the staff was very friendly and helpful. My only concern is that they should emphasize the importance of checking the tides more for visitors. Personally I think it would be easy to make " https://www.usharbors.com/harbor/California/Point-Reyes-ca/tides " into a QR code and put it on the door or on a sign while people leave saying "make sure to check the tides!" This is because most of these remote places do NOT have service so once you're there you physically cannot check the tides. I'm really glad I went with my gut; I parked at the Kenneth visitor center and started my two mile round trip trek to see the seals. A half mile in I started to get a bit uncomfortable, looking at how high the water could get vs what it was now, and I had no signal to check the tide tables. Luckily I turned back. I checked later and found that it would've been high tide right around when I would've reached the seal location the ranger mentioned. I would've been stuck alone with elephant seals, which can get aggressive. Other than that and maybe the lack of toilet covers and hand dryers, this place is pretty sweet! I really loved the taxidermy displays and educational plaques. When I was browsing a child got sworn in as a junior ranger, so if you have small children who may be interested, look into that. Feel free to ask the rangers for advice on what you want to see while visiting! Sadly I didn't see any whales and otters when I went to Chimney Rock, but I heard they can be there! Definitely give this place a visit and CHECK THE TIDES! This may be the only place in the park that has a reliable signal
This is such a beautiful place to go for a hike. The trails are all shaded and it's just a luscious paradise out there! Unfortunately you can't bring dogs out (which annoyed us that there is horse dung everywhere... at least dog owners pick up poop!) There is a nice picnic area out front though that people bring their dogs and grill stuff. They also have EV charging stations in the parking lot.
This was a good starting point for our first visit to Point Reyes. There was plenty of parking, and quiet a few charging stations for electric cars. Ironically the stand alone bathroom structure on the second parking lot was much cleaner than the one connected to the visitor center building. The ranger inside got my son set up for the Jr Ranger program and pointed us to the nearby Earthquake Trail and a beach to head to afterwards. Unfortunately we did not have time for the lighthouse - so we'll just have to go back! We brought lunch and picnicked at one of the many picnic tables by the second parking lot. There are no cafes or restaurants, so pack lunch, water and snacks. We did the Earthquake Trail that starts near the picnic tables afterwards. It's a very easy and flat trail, perfect for those with kids. There are even signs made for kids to teach them about earthquakes. Seeing where the fence moved from the 1906 Earthquake was pretty neat - simple but it's very easy to see the impact they one big earthquake had on the land.
Since the weather forecast was cold + rainy, I opted to check out the BVVC and do some light hiking of less than 10 miles. When my kids were young (before Yelp), I visited the BVVC, but that was a long time ago so on today's visit everything was new to me: the displays, the Earthquake Loop, the trail leading to Arch Rock. Being a nature freak, I enjoyed the displays of the flora and fauna in the area, especially the example of stinging nettle. While picking blackberries, I was stung by the nettle so now I know how to identify it and avoid it. However, I've eaten nettle at a local restaurant as a side dish, but I'm too cowardly to harvest and cook it myself. When I mentioned to my mother-in-law how delicious the nettle was, she recalled her mother harvesting nettle with leather gloves and cooking it. For future reference, I asked the informative and friendly ranger where I could launch my kayak, he suggested Tomales Bay, Chicken Ranch, and Drakes Estero (after June 30 to protect Harbor Seals and their pups). If nothing else, I highly recommend the short interpretive Earthquake Loop and the hike to Arch Rock for those who like a moderate 10 mile hike out and back.
We were under time constraints as we considered taking a detour to visit Point Reyes on our way from Bodega Bay to the airport in San Jose. I decided to make a short visit with the intention of possibly returning some day for an extend visit. We started off at this visitor center where we enjoyed the various exhibits. A congenial ranger provided a brochure and directions to our desired destination, the Elephant Seal Overlook. Unfortunately, we did not have time to hike any of the trails, but I now have placed doing so on my To Do list.
4.5 stars Bear Valley visitor's center is a really nice and well-maintained visitor's center. Inside, there's a little museum explaining the wildlife found in the area. There's a gift shop area with books for all ages and small selection of souvenirs. The restrooms are also pretty clean. There's free parking on site and additional parking and restrooms across from the visitor's center. There's also plenty of space for picnics. Idk what the rules are, but I did see horses and horse riders, so I think there's a horse trail nearby?? Would recommend the stop for maps, souvenirs, restroom breaks, and/or picnics. read more
My husband and I visited the free Bear Valley Visitor Center in Inverness, CA, the primary (of 3) visitor center (VC) for the Point Reyes National Seashore in early August, 2024. We were driving between San Rafael and Bodega Bay and debating whether it was worth our time to drive the 21 miles (42 minutes), each way, to the Point Reyes Lighthouse -- especially as we had been experiencing a lot of fog over the previous few days. What we hadn't anticipated was how interesting the stop would be at the Visitor Center itself! The Visitor Center had very friendly NPS staff and volunteers who provided maps and information about the roads, trails, and human and cultural history of the Olema Valley and the Point Reyes National Seashore. They recommended that we start by watching the orientation film in the auditorium (we did!), check out the indoor exhibits that provide a glimpse of the diverse ecosystems and cultural heritage of the park, and recommended some hikes that begin near the VC. They also told us of what we might see on the road to the lighthouse (including beaches and overviews where we might see wildlife, such otters and elephant seals) and at the lighthouse itself. Importantly, they showed us a live stream from the lighthouse that showed that the lighthouse area was currently shrouded in fog. We also stopped by the small gift shop and picked up a few souvenirs. At the suggestion of the park ranger, we next walked the Earthquake Trail, which is an easy and short (0.6 miles) paved loop trail that only takes about 15 minutes to walk. Signage on the interpretative trail allows walkers to discover the geology of the San Andres Fault Zone. The highlight was seeing a fence that jumped 16 feet in the 1906 earthquake. We ultimately decided to drive down to the Point Reyes lighthouse, and were pleased that the fig had lifted by the time we reached. I will review the lighthouse in its separate entry in Yelp. The VC is handicap accessible. There are 2 parking lots -- at the VC and trailheads area. Restrooms are available in the VC during operating hours and in the trailhead parking lot from 6 am-midnight. There's a picnic area with BBQ grills. read more
This past weekend, I went backpacking with boys scout and we came here for a visit and a bathroom break. My first time here and I love all the displays and real like creatures inside the visitor center. I especially like the variety of butterfly display. I would come back and bring my own family next time and explore some more! read more
2 years ago
The Bear Valley Visitors Center off of Bear Valley Road is a must visit when in the Point Reyes area to learn about the area. There are a number of wildlife nature exhibits, a small theater where you can watch a short movie (need to ask the ranger to turn the movie on) to learn about the area, gift shop and restrooms. The rangers were very nice at the info desk where you can ask questions about the area or directions to nearby sites or hiking trails nearby. They have a decent sized parking lot with a few free level 2 charging stations. Check it out the next time you are in the area, just turn onto the access road at the Big Red Barn. read more
3 years ago
Nice visitors center with helpful staff to answer any questions about the national seashore area. They have natural displays that are both interesting and informative. The small bookstore and souvenir store is nicely stocked with everything from T-shirts to keychains, water bottles, magnets, and various other items of possible interest for visitors. There's free WiFi access for visitors here. I recommend checking weather reports and any other information here as you likely won't have access to a signal once you get to the trails and beaches. This is a beautiful area and well worth visiting again and again. read more
4 years ago
When you hear the words "visitor center" one might conjure up thoughts of a stark dressed down bare minimum room with a wall of paper brochures and person sitting behind a plexiglass in a booth. Boring. Well the Bear Valley Visitor Center for Point Reyes National Park is a a far cry from that. This is a must stop especially for first time visitors to the Park. The cell reception within the park is spotty so a good ole paper map will definitely come in handy. The park rangers are very informative. Plus so darn down to earth and really engaging. They have maps of the entire park marked with trailheads, beaches, and access type roads. Not all the beaches have paved roads, some are non-paved or accessible only by hiking in. Besides the information booth, they have a gift shop, public restrooms, and a museum. Right when you walk into the place, they have a life size walrus model. They use to have a life size model of an orca hanging from the rafters but that was removed recently for repairs. The museum showcases history of the maritime activities, Native Americans; earthquakes, and wildlife habitat of marine life and land animals. They have a full size diorama of wetlands complete with foliage, trees, birds, and land critters. Also since this is a federal public building, right now face masks are required for entry. read more
This Visitor Center was a nice place to stop in and get information about the Park. They have various exhibits on display providing information about the park and it's ecology and there are volunteers at the desk more than happy to answer any questions you might have. There is also a short film, about 15 minutes long, you can watch about the park in the auditorium which they will start any time on request. Finally, there seemed to be ample free parking available. read more
For coming to Point Reyes National Seashore, I'd suggest stopping by here first thing in the morning...at the Bear Valley Visitor Center. And I only say this because I actually found Point Reyes to be a little tricky. Tricky in terms of...there's a lot of area and ground to cover. So...if you just sort of "wing it" without a prepared itinerary, you could repeat yourself and drive past spots where you previously had explored while trying to cover most of the seashore. That's where this Bear Valley VC was so useful. For me, I had already researched the places, hikes and overlooks I knew I wanted to see. But I found getting the chance to speak with a park ranger to confirm that I was going to the best spots and trails within the most logical way possible was the way to go! Inside the VC, there's a really small gift shop. It has the basics...stuff like keychains, magnets, postcards, hats, shirts, etc., and an area to have your Parks Passport stamped. It's good enough for those folks who like picking up little mementos from their journeys. Then there is an information station with a Park Ranger standing behind the counter. When I was here at 9am on a Saturday back over the summertime, it was really quiet inside. I approached the ranger and started reviewing and confirming all the worthwhile sections I had in mind...just to make sure I was making the most out of my experience. The Park Ranger was a pleasure to speak with. She was extremely detailed when talking with me and confirmed all the places I was interested in seeing. She didn't rush me and since there was no one standing behind me in line...I gladly took my time. One thing I'd like to point out... For my visit, it was extremely overcast, foggy and cloudy outside and the ranger mentioned to me I should temporarily skip certain sections because they're not scenic until the fog dissipates. That was certainly helpful. And in fact, a lot of Point Reyes isn't accessible in terms of sightseeing when the vintage California fogginess is in the area. And that's usually in morning times. It's only until late mornings/early afternoons when the blue skies appear. Overall, the Park Ranger was one of the most friendly, helpful guides I have confronted along all my explorations around the USA! I am grateful to have spoken with her and adjusted my plans slightly because of the weather. In conclusion, it made for the best, most efficient itinerary for navigating around Point Reyes. So yes, I just wanted to mention this Bear Valley VC and how so very important it is to stop here first before making your drive around Point Reyes...especially if you arrive at the park spontaneously and without premeditated plans. Lastly, here are some recommended highlights at Point Reyes during my weekend time here... Day 1... - Chimney Rock Trail - Elephant Seal Overlook - Point Reyes Lighthouse - South Beach - Tomales Point Trail Day 2... - Estero Trail - Lighthouse again (without the fog this time, lol) - Cypress Tree Tunnel - McClures Beach read more
I absolutely loved this visitor center at Point Reyes National Seashore. It is, so far, the best national park visitor center I have been to. We stopped here before and after a backpacking trip, and the staff were so kind. Our car battery died, and the park ranger helped us get the help we needed. The visitor center has clean restrooms and very nice museum-like displays with lots of information. There is a small gift shop. read more
3 years ago
Staff is super friendly and you can ask them all kinds of questions and they are more than happy to educate. I learned a lot about the monk seals. They have a 3D map on the wall which is nice to look at what hikes/trails are available. Bikes cannot go on every trail so beware and some trails are super narrow. read more
The displays here were awesome and the staff was very friendly and helpful. My only concern is that they should emphasize the importance of checking the tides more for visitors. Personally I think it would be easy to make " https://www.usharbors.com/harbor/California/Point-Reyes-ca/tides " into a QR code and put it on the door or on a sign while people leave saying "make sure to check the tides!" This is because most of these remote places do NOT have service so once you're there you physically cannot check the tides. I'm really glad I went with my gut; I parked at the Kenneth visitor center and started my two mile round trip trek to see the seals. A half mile in I started to get a bit uncomfortable, looking at how high the water could get vs what it was now, and I had no signal to check the tide tables. Luckily I turned back. I checked later and found that it would've been high tide right around when I would've reached the seal location the ranger mentioned. I would've been stuck alone with elephant seals, which can get aggressive. Other than that and maybe the lack of toilet covers and hand dryers, this place is pretty sweet! I really loved the taxidermy displays and educational plaques. When I was browsing a child got sworn in as a junior ranger, so if you have small children who may be interested, look into that. Feel free to ask the rangers for advice on what you want to see while visiting! Sadly I didn't see any whales and otters when I went to Chimney Rock, but I heard they can be there! Definitely give this place a visit and CHECK THE TIDES! This may be the only place in the park that has a reliable signal read more
This is such a beautiful place to go for a hike. The trails are all shaded and it's just a luscious paradise out there! Unfortunately you can't bring dogs out (which annoyed us that there is horse dung everywhere... at least dog owners pick up poop!) There is a nice picnic area out front though that people bring their dogs and grill stuff. They also have EV charging stations in the parking lot. read more
This was a good starting point for our first visit to Point Reyes. There was plenty of parking, and quiet a few charging stations for electric cars. Ironically the stand alone bathroom structure on the second parking lot was much cleaner than the one connected to the visitor center building. The ranger inside got my son set up for the Jr Ranger program and pointed us to the nearby Earthquake Trail and a beach to head to afterwards. Unfortunately we did not have time for the lighthouse - so we'll just have to go back! We brought lunch and picnicked at one of the many picnic tables by the second parking lot. There are no cafes or restaurants, so pack lunch, water and snacks. We did the Earthquake Trail that starts near the picnic tables afterwards. It's a very easy and flat trail, perfect for those with kids. There are even signs made for kids to teach them about earthquakes. Seeing where the fence moved from the 1906 Earthquake was pretty neat - simple but it's very easy to see the impact they one big earthquake had on the land. read more
Since the weather forecast was cold + rainy, I opted to check out the BVVC and do some light hiking of less than 10 miles. When my kids were young (before Yelp), I visited the BVVC, but that was a long time ago so on today's visit everything was new to me: the displays, the Earthquake Loop, the trail leading to Arch Rock. Being a nature freak, I enjoyed the displays of the flora and fauna in the area, especially the example of stinging nettle. While picking blackberries, I was stung by the nettle so now I know how to identify it and avoid it. However, I've eaten nettle at a local restaurant as a side dish, but I'm too cowardly to harvest and cook it myself. When I mentioned to my mother-in-law how delicious the nettle was, she recalled her mother harvesting nettle with leather gloves and cooking it. For future reference, I asked the informative and friendly ranger where I could launch my kayak, he suggested Tomales Bay, Chicken Ranch, and Drakes Estero (after June 30 to protect Harbor Seals and their pups). If nothing else, I highly recommend the short interpretive Earthquake Loop and the hike to Arch Rock for those who like a moderate 10 mile hike out and back. read more
3 years ago
We were under time constraints as we considered taking a detour to visit Point Reyes on our way from Bodega Bay to the airport in San Jose. I decided to make a short visit with the intention of possibly returning some day for an extend visit. We started off at this visitor center where we enjoyed the various exhibits. A congenial ranger provided a brochure and directions to our desired destination, the Elephant Seal Overlook. Unfortunately, we did not have time to hike any of the trails, but I now have placed doing so on my To Do list. read more
THANKS RANGERS! :) BOY DID I MISJUDGE 10 MILES. 1. Start Bear Valley Visitor Center 2. Walk 0.2 miles down and head to the start of Mt. Wittenberg Trail - Uphill climb, not too bad, but be prepared - There is some shade and the trail is well paved - Nice green scenery 3. Keep walking for 1.8 miles 4. As you head up, the incline declines and you are on what it seems like part marsh and part desert AKA Sky Trail. 5. Keep walking for 4.4 miles 6. You will be at the last pit stop where you will decide whether to stop for food or keep going down to Kelham Beach (I omitted this step because I didn't know how far it was and due to time constraints) 7. We decided to do a round trail and took the Bear Valley trail - The beginning was a slight incline - The rest was pretty much flat land 8. Keep walking for 4.5 miles until you reach back to your original desitination All that, with a 20 minute break for food, took us 5 hours. Not too shabby eh? The views throughout the trail was pretty cool as it was a mixture of different lands. There are lots of trails near this visitor center that you can do which range from an hour on. This definitely was a nice change of pace and with ample parking available. read more
8 years ago
The Bear Valley Visitor Center is probably the first place one should stop at when one is visiting Point Reyes National Seashore. It's the nerve center of the park, containing a ranger station, gift shop, bathrooms and a little natural museum exhibit. We happened to arrive late in the day in the winter, so it was pretty quiet. They have a ton of info here for further explorations into the park, from whale watching schedules to maps, along with knowledgeable people that can tell you what to check out. I have to say that this has one of the best varieties of merch I've seen in a National Park. A lot of shirts are kinda eh, and a bit kitschy and boring. This one had some great designs, which made for great gifts for people at home. There's a lot of useful stuff as well, like bird and wildlife identification guides. It's also in generally good repair, which was really nice. Definitely one of the better NPS visitor centers. It's also wired for internet, which is about the only place around here you're going to get a signal. read more
Nice exhibits inside that tell the story of what animals live around the area. Volunteers are polite and helpful. Unfortunately they are unable to or don't have access to the most simple of first aid kit supplies. Our daughter scraped her hand up pretty nicely while on a small hike; I requested some antibacterial ointment and an adhesive bandage. While apologetic, the volunteer told us that he wasn't allowed to give out much but could notify the EMTs if we liked. Unfortunately I wasn't able to cleanse her wound because the bathrooms don't have paper towels, and because we are from out of town we didn't bring a first aid kit with us. Besides that, this place is gorgeous and we definitely make it a must see every time we come to the area. read more
Lots of things to learn! Like many other National Parks, Point Reyes National Seashore has its visitor center and it is a nice one. If you are an outdoorsy person visiting the Bay Area, you should pay Bear Valley a visit. Stop at the visitor center, get some information about the park and its history, maybe watch the short video and then take an easy hike along the Earthquake Trail. You will get as close to San Andreas Fault as you'll ever get! On a nice day the picnic is a very pleasant place to relax and have a little picnic. There is a lot to do and I can go on telling you about them, but then that is why the visitor center is there for! read more
5 years ago
The Bear Valley Visitor Center is your gateway to many of the trails in Point Reyes National Seashore. Although there are other visitor centers at the lighthouse and near Drake's Beach, the Bear Valley Visitor Center is the park headquarters and is easily accessible from Highway 1 and/or Sir Francis Drake Boulevard - the turnoff is basically at Olema. Hours of operation vary according to season, but in spring, summer, and autumn, the visitor center is open from 10AM to 5PM on weekdays and 9AM to 4:30PM on weekends. The parking lot can get busy during the day, but there are ample spaces if you're willing to walk a little bit further. If you come at the right time, the meadows surrounding the Visitor Center will be dotted with orange poppies. The visitor center is housed in a relatively new, barn-like building that has all the amenities you would expect. There are relatively clean bathrooms (with running water!), a small gift shop, information desks staffed by park rangers, an auditorium, and exhibits about the wildlife you can encounter in the park. (There's also a giant plaster / plastic sea lion [?] in the lobby which is perfect for wacky photo ops.) Although I didn't need to consult with park rangers, it seemed like other patrons were getting useful information about trails and campsites. You can obtain permits for backcountry camping and beach fire permits here as well. If you're planning to hike any of the trails, I would highly recommend either bringing one of the free maps available at the visitor center (limited to one per group, but not really enforced) or taking a picture of the map at the trailhead on your phone. While the popular Bear Valley trail is semi-paved and relatively flat, many of the connecting trails are hilly and overgrown with brush. (Be advised that as of March 2015 the Arch Rock Trail is closed until further notice due to a fatality / cliff falling into the ocean.) Right now there is an abundance of stinging nettle, so keep an eye out for that plant if you're hiking on one of the overgrown trails (portions of the Coast Trail, the Sky Trail, the Baldy Trail, the Woodward Valley trail, and probably more). If it's not too warm, I would definitely recommend wearing pants since your legs will get beat up by thistles, weeds, and other plants. And, be prepared to encounter horses on the trails on weekdays; this isn't a major inconvenience, but it might mean stepping to the side of an already narrow pathway to allow the rider to pass. Overall, I though the Bear Valley Visitor Center was the perfect place to embark on a hike through parts of Point Reyes. Definitely stop by if you need any information, permits, or access to great trails! read more
10 years ago
When visting Point Reyes, Bear Valley is a must stop (especially if you're new to the park.) Coming in on Sir Francis Drake from Fairfax, it's about 20 miles of winding scenic road. Turn right on Highway 1 and then left on Bear Valley Road. You can't miss the visitor center and the ample parking available there. Great jumping off point for hikes originating on the Bear Valley Trail or even as a pit stop before heading deeper in to the park. The rangers there will give you a hiking map and outline featured trails that meet your fitness needs and how much time you want to spend out there. They'll also direct you to other attractions in the park. Yesterday, we embarked on the Bear Valley Trail (easy to follow signage at the north end of the lot.) That particular trail is flat and wide and can take you all the way to the coast. However, we opted to veer right after .2 miles on to the Mt. Wittenberg trail. This ascends 1800 feet in about 1.8 miles through forested trails. It doesn't feature any wide views, but you can peek through the trees at some points once you're higher up on the ridge. After a while you reach junctions for the Sky Trail and Meadow Trail. Taking a short bit of Sky to Meadow, takes you back to Bear Valley Trail and makes for a moderate 4.8 mile loop. In addition to the typical visitor center facilities, there is also a gift shop and a small nature center. Take a few minutes to read about the wildlife and ecology of the area. It features dioramas, taxidermied animal displays and information panels-very nicely done considering the entire park is FREE to visit. Great way to kick off or end the perfect day in Point Reyes. read more
8 years ago
The people here were so friendly! They were interested in where we were from and wanted to help us see what we came for (the elephant seals). There's a good amount of souvenirs to buy here (sweaters, pins, patches, ornaments), and a penny press machine on the outside. Yes, they have bathrooms. There's also a model statue of an elephant seal, and a tv showing the weather and updates on the construction of the lighthouse. read more
Want a pretty moderate hike around the beautiful shores of Point Reyes? Bear Valley is where it all begins. At the visitor center, you have several options up your sleeve in terms of trails to check out. We decided to follow recommendations from everytrail and check out the well known Woodward Valley/Bear Valley Loops. The journey would be approximately 15 miles and apparently many websites consider the hike "extremely difficult," BUT HAVE NO FEAR; this hike is a cinch! Start at the visitor center and head south west down Bear Valley Trail if you want to check out Mt. Wittenberg. It's about 2 miles away, and this portion of the hike is probably the hardest- you are making some elevations gains and so you'll feel your calves burning. But after that point, it's all downhill... literally. The view at Mt. Wittenberg is pretty underwhelming, but that's a given from a summit with 1.4k elevation. However, you do get some views of the coast and it's a nice break before you keep going. If you struggle to find some clearing where the map clearly leads you to the summit, don't worry; the summit is exactly where the sign says it is. Don't bother going deep into the woods because you won't find anything. After taking a break at Mt. Wittenberg, you start your descent south onto Woodward trail. You know you are headed to the right place when you eventually run into hard winds, coastal views of the amazing Point Reyes shores, and a fun downhill run. At the bottom you will see a fork that says Sky Trail and Woodward Trail. Turn left if you want to head to the beaches. The cool thing about this leg of the hike is that you see amazing views of the Pacific coast. There are plenty of detours to take as well. Whether you want to check out Sculpture beach or keep on your adventure, the options are there for you. When we stopped by each beach, there weren't that many people and so it provided a peaceful break for lunch. Most people suggested that the best thing to see on this hike is Arch Rock, and I was slightly skeptical because last year, several people were injured (and dead) from the rock's collapse; will the rock even be there? If you are reading this review, the rock ain't there anymore! And so don't come out here just to see Arch Rock. You can still bypass the "do not enter" sign like we did and see the remains of the rock, but now you'll just enter into a clearing, which you can descend and check out the tides. After Arch Rock, you pretty much walk 4 miles up Bear Trail until you're back home. Essentially, this hike is just a very long stroll with many detours. In terms of difficulty, if you are a seasoned hiker, this one isn't for you. It's mostly about the gorgeous coastal scenery as well as the would be Arch Rock. I didn't break a sweat but did have fun running downhill towards the beach. You can finish this in 6 hours or less. Have fun and prosper, read more
Fantastic National Park Visitor Center. Great little Museum area and also a terrific gift shop. This is a must-see stop if you are entering the Point Reyes National Seashore. Easy convenient parking, friendly Park Rangers, and plenty to see and do. This is also the starting point for the very easy to walk earthquake Trail. read more
11 years ago
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More info about Bear Valley Visitor Center
Ask the Community - Bear Valley Visitor Center
Are the national park passport books sold here?
I'm not 100% (maybe 99.86537%) but I would assume so since there's a stamp to collect from this location.
