My boyfriend and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary in Point Reyes so I’ve written a Point Reyes travel guide from our favorite spots we visited. Point Reyes is located in the Bay Area of California and has beautiful views of the oceanside. Here’s a guide to visiting Point Reyes:

Where to Go

McClures Beach

McClures beach was easily the most stunning beach we visited during our time in Point Reyes. The beach was about a 20 minute hike down from the parking lot. It’s very easy to hike down to, but the hike back up is a little more trying because it was uphill. However, it was so worth the trek! We saw some really cool tide pool creatures like giant starfish, mussels, crabs, and a jellyfish that washed up on the beach. There were very few people at McClures beach which made us feel really safe and able to roam freely without having to worry about covid. 

Tomales Point Trail

Tomales point trail is on the road to McClures beach. This hike is pretty flat for the most part and it’s a great place to see the beautiful coastline. Since we visited in October, the land was pretty brown. The best time to do this hike would be in the spring or summer when the land is green, but we still caught some pretty views. This hike is about 9.4 miles long. We did not make it out to the end of the trail, but we enjoyed the views we saw about 2 miles in. I saw a lot of pictures on google maps from people on this hike with great pictures of elk! We saw some elk driving back from this hike around sunset that were beautiful.

Cyprus Tree Grove

I found this location while searching through a book of the most Instagrammable places in the Bay area our Air BnB host left for us. This grove was so beautiful and picturesque! It is right on the side of the road so there’s no need to hike. We really loved taking pictures at this location and we ate some homemade sandwiches here. It was easy to stay away from others, but I would steer clear of visiting on the weekend.

Point Reyes Lighthouse

This is one location in Point Reyes that we were unfortunately unable to visit on this trip due to a fire. I have been to the Point Reyes lighthouse in the past with my parents and it was such a beautiful location! It is stunning to walk around there and you can even tour the building during normal times. I don’t have any pictures, but I would highly recommend visiting!

What to Eat

Hog Island Oyster Co.

One of my favorite activities of the trip was eating at Hog Island Oyster Co. Since I’ve grown up with a professional chef for a father, I’m a bit of a food snob. Eating oysters harvested fresh from the bay of Point Reyes is easily one of the best food experiences I’ve ever had. We bought a pound of oysters and shucked them ourselves off the side of the road on the bay. Hog Island Oyster Co. also sold an excellent vinegar sauce called “hogwash” and lemons for the fresh oysters that was amazing.

Cowgirl Creamery Cheese

Point Reyes is the host for several dairy farms and locally grown produce. Cowgirl Creamery cheese is made in Petaluma which is about a 20 minute drive from Point Reyes Station. We bought some Cowgirl Creamery cheese and crackers at Hog Island Oyster Co. and we enjoyed it with our oysters on our roadside picnic. It was fun to have food so fresh and locally grown. 

Where We Stayed

Cullen and I stayed in a beautiful studio apartment Air BnB located in San Anselmo. San Anselmo is located about 45 minutes away from several locations in Point Reyes. We decided to stay in San Anselmo because the Air BnBs were cheaper than in Point Reyes Station. This location ended up being a great place to stay because we were only a 30 minute drive from San Francisco. San Anselmo is in such a beautiful small California city with great places to eat and quiet places to roam around the neighborhoods. 

I hope you enjoyed my Point Reyes travel guide! Have you ever visited the Bay Area?