• Bear Valley Visitor Center - Welcome to Point Reyes National Seashore! This National Park offers miles of breathtaking beach views, fascinating tales of past inhabitants, and the renowned Point Reyes Lighthouse at its farthest point. Let’s begin the adventure!

Note: The tour spans over 21 miles, includes more than 53 audio stories, and takes approximately 2-3 hours to complete.

Purchase once, enjoy for a year! Perfect for extended stays and return visits over the next 12 months.

• Tomales Point - Up ahead, there’s an option to detour to the remote, windswept beaches of Tomales Point, a favorite spot on the peninsula. The detour is a 45-minute round trip. Allocate some time for walking around and capturing photos.

• Drakes Estero - Drakes Estero is approaching soon. If you’re curious about what an Estero is – don’t worry. It’s simply a fancy term for a marshy inlet. If you’d like to explore a 2.5-mile round-trip trail through the estero, there’s a trailhead just ahead. It will be pointed out shortly. Soon, you’ll traverse coastal grasslands and enjoy a scenic footbridge over the bay.

• Drakes Estero Trailhead - To hike the Drakes Estero Trail, turn left. Otherwise, continue driving.

• Cypress Tree Tunnel - Look at all those cypress trees ahead! That’s our next stop. The trees form a tunnel. Where does it lead? To the historic KPH Radio station! Quite random, right? In the early 1900s, Morse code radio stations were established along the United States coast. The Radio Corporation of America, or RCA, determined the optimal locations for these stations to effectively communicate with ships at sea. One of the chosen spots was right here at Point Reyes! In 1929, they constructed the station and wanted to honor the beautiful surrounding landscape. So, they planted rows of cypress trees leading to the new station.

• Point Reyes Beach - Approaching soon is Point Reyes Beach, featuring 11 miles of sand and stunning ocean views. To enhance the experience, gray whale sightings are often reported from this beach in the winter and spring!

• Drakes Beach - Drakes Beach is coming up soon. It’s a popular spot among visitors because it faces Drakes Bay. This means the winds are gentler and the waves less intense than on the ocean-facing side. The beach also features white sandstone cliffs as a backdrop.

• Chimney Rock Trail Head - For a quick detour to the lifesaving station, an overlook for elephant seals, and a hike to Chimney Rock for ocean views, turn left at the fork.

• Historic Point Reyes Lifeboat Station - The first life-saving station in Point Reyes was located on a ranch near the point at the end of this peninsula. It began operations in 1878. The station leader was known as the “keeper”; the staff were called “surfmen.” They patrolled the beaches, searching for wrecks and listening for voices through the fog. The system was effective! That first station saved people from 14 major shipwrecks over its 37 years of operation.

• Elephant Seal Overlook - Hundreds of thousands of northern elephant seals once inhabited the Pacific Ocean. However, European settlers discovered they could use seal blubber for oil. By 1892, only about 75 individual seals remained along the entire North American coast. From hundreds of thousands! Mexico and the US Government federally protected them in the 1920s, and thankfully, the elephant seal population gradually rebounded! In 1981, the first breeding pair returned to Point Reyes. Now, there are approximately 200,000 northern elephant seals along the Pacific Coast of the US and Mexico.

• Sea Lion Overlook - Coming up shortly is Sea Lion Overlook. Here, 54 steps lead down to a coastal view you won’t soon forget… because it’s usually teeming with sea lions! But how can we distinguish between seals and sea lions? To identify one, look for ear flaps and folded-in back flippers. Sea lions use these back flippers to shuffle upright when moving on land. Males are about 8 feet long, and females about 6 feet. Breeding season for sea lions is between May and August. During this time, the sea lions remain on the beach as long as possible, defending their territory. This requires them to fast and rely on their accumulated blubber for sustenance over months. They compete for females through calls, barks, and territorial fights with other males. For the rest of the year, sea lions roam the ocean, feeding. Females have a 12-month gestation period, typically giving birth in June or July.

• South Beach Overlook - Approaching the parking lot for the South Beach Overlook and the Point Reyes Lighthouse. This is the only parking lot for the lighthouse, so parking is recommended upon arrival. Street parking is also available if the lot is full, but it can become congested, especially on weekends.

• Leaning Tree - Soon, a small tunnel of cypress trees will appear, similar to the cypress tunnel by the radio station seen earlier. They’re easy to spot because, as you may have noticed, there are very few trees here! If you pass under the tunnel of trees that leans toward the hillside, just beyond, you’ll find what is known as the Leaning Tree. It’s a cypress that leans over the path but never seems to fall.

• Easy-to-use app: download Action’s Tour Guide App onto your phone
• Great value: purchase per car, not per person. More affordable than bus or guided tours!
• Engaging storytelling: Uncover unique tales and thrilling history for a memorable journey!
• Perfect narrator: nothing can beat listening to a great voice. Proven with tons of rave reviews!
• Offline maps: no signal, no problem! Works perfectly without cellular or wifi.
• Comprehensive route and stops: See it all, miss nothing, leave no stone unturned!
• Go at your own pace: Start anytime, pause anywhere, enjoy breaks for snacks and photos freely!
• Hands-free: audio stories play on their own based on your location. Easy to use!

• Park Passes

Embark on a captivating journey through northern California with a self-guided driving tour of Point Reyes National Seashore. Explore the intriguing maritime history at the Point Reyes Lighthouse and the Point Reyes Lifesaving Station. Travel back in time with stories of the legendary privateer Sir Francis Drake, who arrived on these shores centuries ago! Additionally, take a side trip to Tomales Point for more stunning ocean vistas!

After booking, check your email or text messages to download the separate Audio Tour Guide App by Action while connected to WiFi or mobile data. Enter the password, download the tour, and enjoy it offline. Follow the audio instructions and route from the specified starting point.

Purchase once and use it for a whole year! Perfect for extended stays and return visits over the next 12 months.

• How To Access: After booking, you’ll get an email and text with setup instructions and password (search “audio tour” in emails and texts). • Download the separate tour app by Action • Enter the password sent by email and text. • MUST download the tour while in strong wifi/cellular. • Works offline after download.
• How to start touring: Open Action’s separate audio tour guide app once onsite. • If there is just one tour, launch it. • If multiple tour versions exist, launch the one with your planned starting point and direction.
• Go to the starting point No one will meet you at the start. This tour is self-guided Enter the first story’s point and the audio will begin automatically Follow the audio cues to the next story, which will also play automatically. Enjoy hands-free exploring. If you face audio issues, contact support. Stick to the tour route & speed limit for the best experience.
• Travel worry-free: Use the tour app anytime, on any day, and over multiple days. Start and pause the tour whenever you like, taking breaks and exploring side excursions at your own pace. Skip anything you don’t care about or explore bonus content for everything that interests you
• Savings tips: Driving tours: purchase just one tour for everyone in the car
• Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.
• Audio Setup: Connect your phone to your car’s stereo system using Bluetooth, USB, or AUX. For the best experience, consider using headphones for walking tours. Audio playback is compatible with Apple CarPlay, with navigation features coming soon. Support for Android Auto is also on the way.
• For the best experience, please use an iPhone running iOS 15 or later, an Android device running version 9 or later, or an iPad/tablet with GPS and cellular connectivity, as these are recommended for navigation.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.