We spent the day exploring this extraordinary national park. I do have to say, it’s a bit hard to get to with long drives and long hikes to many of the beaches. We spied whales off the point and meandered our way through stunning wildflowers in the warm sunshine. Picturesque black and white spotted cows grazed along fresh green pastures with the surf crashing in the background. Happy cows really do come from California. We found some incredible things in the tide pools–purple urchins, striped anemones, a brilliant little sea slug, but the crowning jewel of our treasures was a tiny octopus. It swam along through the pools, changing colors instantaneously with the different backgrounds–coral pink, seaweed green, and sandy tan. Tiny tentacles reached expertly forward to pull the little creature along. In deeper water, it shot forward, legs flowing gracefully behind. We admired it for a while, amazed at our luck in finding it. 🐙
We spent the evening trying to find a place to spend the night. The campgrounds were all closed down and we had a hard time getting reception to find a place. Finally, we just pulled off on a random hillside and decided to give it a shot, hoping that nobody would bother us, as both of the previous nights our car window got knocked on. When the sun rose the next morning, it revealed the most stunning campspot yet.
Tip: Come to Point Reyes in March and look out for whales
Tip: We had great luck tidepooling at Agate Beach County park at the southernmost tip of the National Park.
Visiting Point Reyes with Kids
Tip: Its a large National Park, but the drives are beautiful. If your kids don’t mind long stretches in the car, this will be a great destination.
Tip: Most of the beaches require some hiking to get to.
Tip: The Lighthouse Visitor Center is a great spot to see whales, but teach your kids how to use binoculars first.
Walkabout 