8 miles northwest of the town of Pt Reyes Station lies a totally unknown day-use beach area (with…read moreclean bathroom) for picnics and fun in the sun. This park appears to be part of the Tomales Bay State Park. Located within minutes of leaving Tomales Bay Oyster company on the 1, heading south, on the right, heading away from Marshall and toward Pt Reyes Station is a " blink once and miss" private beach. One can walk for a long while here...soak up sun, or enjoy fresh raw oysters and great wine n food---as we did! Saw people launching kayaks, dipping in, and enjoying the bay's serene views. Such a cool find...wonder how many people know about it? Yelpified it has been now!

Lovely views, but super crowded! Beach had an outhouse which was locked, had to park waaay down the…read moreroad as lot was full. Saw a lot of TP along the trail, then I cut my foot on broken glass in the sand!! This used to be a nice beach, not any more. Somebody should say something to the county about it.

Parking is limited, so head over early or be prepared to park in the neighborhood and walk over. As…read morewith many hidden gems, this beach is more crowded than it used to be prior to 2020. Visited last week and there was one group of people playing football on half the beach, so there were few other places we could settle into. We did see some bones, which looked like a deer to me, but we didn't find the skull which would have confirmed the find for me. If you continue hiking, there is another beach that you can reach, but be prepared to wade through some water to get over to the other beach. If you're in the mood to continue hiking, there is more to see beyond the second beach, which will get you more privacy since many people stop at the first beach. FYI it can get cold here, even if it's sunny. I always bring a blanket along with a beach mat. The mat for sitting on, and the blanket for keeping warm. Nice place to unwind at the end of the day since the crowd dissipates as the sun goes down and the temperature cools.

Beautiful little beach with two 1/2 mile hikes leading to other beach fronts. Restrooms sufficient…read moreto the amount of parking. Kayak rentals available at reasonable rates.

A true hidden gem. A must visit if you're in the area or close to the area. All of these photos…read morewere taken either on the beach area, or on the small small hike. My bride was able to hike it in her heels so it's not a hard hike at all! :)

Absolutely love the beautiful hiking trail from Heart's Desire Beach (part of Tomales Bay State…read morePark) to this beach. One can only access Indian Beach via hiking (only a mile) or by boat. I've also kayaked here before. A gem of a spot for sure with very few (if any) people there.

Did a moderate 3 mile hike here in early fall. I've been around this body of water many times but…read moremostly as drives around and maybe an occasional picnic on one of it's corners. You can probably drive around the whole bay from Inverness to Marshall in about 30 minutes. My hike because I went with the gps due to my first time, started in the northern corner of the bay just outside of Inverness, so the road is on top of the hills and you can wind on down to water level. Over by Marshall you will already be at water level. This corner also has a popular beach destination where people can swim, kayak, picnic etc called Heart's Desire Beach. From the highway one up top it'll take about 10 minutes on a windy road to reach the beach. My hike started up on top and worked its way down to the water, mostly on single track trail through heavily brushed forest in the hills. No crazy great views until you get nearer the water when you start to see deep blue hues. Once down at the water I took a break on another, but much smaller beach called Pebble Beach. Just sat on a log and absorbed the peacefulness while I rehydrated. There were no one on this beach but I could see decent activity from Heart's Desire Beach about a quarter mile away. Now that I know the general terrain here, next time I'm going to park at Heart's Desire parking lot and climb up, then descend on the way back. On this trip I went down first then had to climb 700 hundred feet or so, so all the sweating was on the tail end. I prefer the former, and that way when done I can just relax and have a picnic on the beach. Lesson learned. Still a solid 4* outing.

After a bit of a drive we found this SP to be disappointing. We were looking for hiking trails over…read morebeach access. Unfortunately, we couldn't even find the overgrown trails. Left after getting out of the car in two different areas trying to find a starting point. Save yourself the drive. No attendant to ask for assistance.

The drive for this beach for me is a bit long with traffic, but it's one of my favorite hidden…read moregems. Half of the beach dogs are allowed, the other half they are not due to protection of the wildlife/plant life. It's about a 1 mile walk each way down a slim trail to/from the beach, but it's so worth it. Most times I visit here it's never busy or crowded. Recently when i visited, it was as if i had my own private beach.

Kehoe Beach is one of my favorite beaches in the Bay Area. Other local beaches get a lot of hype,…read morebut with that hype comes crowds and traffic-- two things I prefer to avoid when I'm trying to relax. Kehoe allows dogs, which is why I found myself out here a few weeks ago. Dogs are only permitted on-leash- this is clearly stated on the NPS website and by a sign at the beginning of the trail. But as is so often the case in Marin, in my experience, we encountered many (if not most) other dogs off-leash. For that reason, if you have a reactive or fearful dog, I wouldn't recommend bringing them out here, as none of the off-leash dogs we saw were under voice control. Pets are not permitted south of the trail from March 1st - September 30th because the area is a protected habitat for snowy plovers. When you get to the beach, there's some interesting geology to check out. You can see a reverse fault and rocks that are millions of years old. You can also see a variety of wildlife. I wouldn't wade or swim out here, as the tide can be unpredictable and harsh, rip currents are a real hazard, the water is very cold, and it's within the Red Triangle (the 31.7 miles between Kehoe Beach and the Farallon Islands just isn't enough for me.) The peace, quiet, and beautiful views are worth the drive-- just don't tell the folks over at Stinson. ;)

The perfect definition of a secluded beach. It's tranquil, it's peaceful, and best of all; it's…read morepretty much void of the general populations that frequent the park. This is because you'll have to hike at least 5 miles one way just to reach this beautiful beach. One of the most rewarding elements of making it here is being able to see the hidden waterfall right as you reach the bottom of the steps leading down the beach. There are probably a few different connector trails that you can take to get here. The quickest and less aggressive way would be to take the Bear Valley Trail to the Coastal Trail. This route is mostly flat and measures about 5 miles one way. It's also the popular trail within the park. If you're looking for more of an adventure and killer workout, take the Mount Wittenberg Trail to the Sky Trail which will also lead you to the Coastal Trail and down to the beach. Not only is this trail filled with tons of great inclines and ridges, but it's also insanely gorgeous! You'll be walking amongst the most beautiful trees and have stunning views of the coastline on your way there. This is the trail that I took to get there. It's about 7 miles one way, but you can also take the Bear Valley Trail back to make it a 12 mile loop instead of 14. Once you make it there, you'll be rewarded with calming waves and beautiful white water right beneath your feet. The sand is soft and there's plenty of flat driftwood to sit on. Use it to relax and have lunch while you take in the sights and sounds of Kelham. I think I saw about 2, maybe 3 people while I was there. I stayed at the beach for a little over an hour or so. Basically had it to myself for the majority of the time. If you're looking for a secluded beach to relax at during your trip to Point Reyes, this is the one. The trek may be long, but the sights and solidarity make it totally worth it.

Kelham Beach was the destination for my boyfriend and I's Point Reyes hike. It is about 5 miles…read moreone way from the Bear Valley Visitor Center to get to this beach. Once you see the sign for the Kelham Beach Trail, go down the several steep steps to the beach. Once you reach the beach, you will be treated to a nice sandy beach with not too many people. When we were there, there might have been only a few other groups there. It feels very remote and secluded. It is defiantly a nice place for a romantic picnic. The beach also a small waterfall which was a nice surprise. If you have never been to Point Reyes before, hiking to Kelham Beach is a good starting point. The terrain wasn't too challenging and the beach was easy to find. I would defiantly recommend checking it out if you are able to.

Abbots Lagoon is a great option for a short and sweet hike that will show you lots of what Point…read moreReyes has to offer. The hike is about one mile each way. It starts in a small, clearly labeled parking lot, and ends between a lagoon and sand dunes, a few hundred yards from the ocean. Continuing to the ocean is allowed, but the trail is not maintained after the lagoon, which means you have to hike over some small sand dunes. Bikes are not allowed on the sand dunes, but there is a bike rack at the end of the trail where they can be locked up. I noticed people fishing at the lagoon, which is apparently allowed (according to Google) if you follow all of the state and park rules. There must be a lot of fish in the lagoon, because there were plenty of egrets and herons there to hunt them. Professional-looking photographers were also abundantly present. Out of all the trails I hiked in Point Reyes over the past few weeks (which was almost all of them), I saw the most California Golden Poppies on this trail. There were also lots of other wildflowers, although I wouldn't be able to name every single one. On my way back to my car, I encountered a couple who told me that they had just seen an otter scooting down the trail. While I didn't personally witness this, it sounded pretty cool. This trail is short, lush, and relatively flat. I wouldn't call it the best trail in Point Reyes, but for one mile each way, you get a lot of bang for your buck.

This is a nice quiet walk about 2 miles out and back to the bride and a half mile longer if going…read morepast on an unmarked trail through sand dunes to the ocean. Out here it's very quiet and calm with lots of birds and wild rabbits. This seems to be a known place for birders and wildlife photography and I saw a handful of people with long camera lenses. It's a pretty easy hike and not strenuous at all which is good to take kids or older people but for me if I'm going to drive all the way out here I prefer something longer and more strenuous. The Tule Elk Preserve is down the road and I'd recommend doing that in addition.

"Where is the best place to get 360 degree views of the ocean?" Someone asked me this question last…read moreweek while I was hiking out at Tomales Point, and I've decided that the answer is Chimney Rock. (I mean, technically, the answer is actually 'from a boat in the middle of the ocean,' but I'm pretty sure they meant like, 300 degree views.) Chimney Rock is a thin straight of land that peeps out into the ocean. Or, in more technical terms, according to the NPS website, it is "the Eastern spur of the Point Reyes headlands." If you think of Point Reyes as being shaped like a double-headed wrench, the lighthouse and Chimney Rock are on the same side of the wrench, but they are the tips that oppose each other. Each one juts out into the ocean on its own. Of course, you could also get great, nearly all-around views at the lighthouse, but this requires hiking down 313 stairs. As opposed to the lighthouse, Chimney Rock is a much easier hike. In fact, this hike would have been a breeze, if not for the actual breeze, which was blowing at about 45mph. (Point Reyes is the second windiest point on the West Coast. If you are not able to maintain a very strong stance against the wind, then consider a different hike.) The hike was less than a mile each way. There were not very many wildflowers, but in some ways, this is actually an advantage over Tomales Point, because it allows for better unobstructed views. There are a lot of social trails at Chimney Rock. NPS has posted signs in front of these trails that say, "Unauthorized trail, hazardous cliffs. Please stay on authorized trails." I stayed on the authorized trails, not just because I'm a goody-two-shoes as a hiker, but because, as a California native, I understand cliff geology, and the very real risks associated with it. You may be thinking, "This cliff isn't really going to crumble and drop me into the ocean," but actually, this can and does happen all the time. (In fact, this actually happened to a member of my cohort at UC Santa Barbara.) A side hike can take you down to the Historic Life Saving Station. There is not a sign that says "this way to the life saving station," but you will know which trail it is because it is *not* marked with an unauthorized trail sign. (I have not yet taken that side hike, but it looks interesting.)

Yelp has the wrong map location for this spot. A nice hike and we were close and personal with a…read morecoyote during our hike. We just kept still and it walked on by. Pretty cool! The easy walk itself is fairly short out and back with a mandatory turnaround at the end of the trail. Make sure you venture to the right toward the beginning to get that awesome sheer cliff ocean view. And be careful because that little 20 foot desire comes with some wind. Many folks miss this feature of the hike. Lots of flowers during springtime.

Wow is Cypress Tree Tunnel beautiful. We were on the way to Drakes beach and decided to stop along…read morethe road so we could walk down the path. It's not a very long walk and the trees make such a unique shape! There was an old radio station at the end of the pathway that is no longer operational and therefore closed to the public. The walk along the path was worth it though regardless. It was definitely crowded, but with how long the walk is and the width of the path, it still felt like everyone had their own space. We took some Polaroids of our group and just enjoyed the peace of it. It's not a crazy-must-see-in-your-lifetime experience, but I recommend stopping if you're in the area and driving past.

Instagram picture place that's a free thing to do on the way to the lighthouse. You have to park…read morealong the road and there are no facilities in the area.