In my book, Drake's Beach is one of the most special beaches in the world. On a personal level, I think this is the first beach I ever brought my daughter to. And, even after enduring the long three hour drive each way, she asked to come back many, many times. The first time we came here, it was to see the tidepools, which are about half a mile down the beach. To be real, these aren't the best tide pools in the area, but they are probably the least crowded. A few weeks later, I came back to hike alone. At sunset, as I was walking back to my car, I noticed that the beach was covered in huge black rocks that I hadn't noticed on my way out. I thought, "That's weird." Then, as I was walking right next to one of the rocks, it made a loud noise, and charged at me. That's how I found out what an elephant seal is. I must have come during mating season, because this was definitely a huge male alpha seal. I screamed, and ran away from the creature, having no idea (at the time) what it was. Fast forward to this week (after I've read an entire book on elephant seals), and there are no male seals on the beach. It turns out that they swim to Alaska twice a year, and only come back to this beach to mate and molt. Currently, as I write this in mid-May, the same area of beach is covered in pups which have been recently weaned by their mothers. They are molting and getting ready for their first big swim, where many of them will become food for great white sharks. The ones that are lucky enough to survive are likely to eventually return to this same beach to mate and molt. Aside from the tidepools and elephant seals, Drake's Beach is the best place that I know of to see the famous cliffs of Point Reyes from down below. (To see the cliffs and seals from above, take the Chimney Rock trail.) The cliffs are pretty much always crumbling. Every time I visit this beach, I see small rocks falling from the cliffs. This is a great place to teach children about erosion and the danger of hiking too close to the tops of cliffs. Swimming at Drake's Beach is not a good idea. In addition to the aforementioned great white sharks that live in the area, there are also occasional rip tides. People have been swept out to sea from this beach, so it's not a good idea to turn your back on the water. But if you walk carefully along the shoreline, you might observe live purple fuzzy sand dollars, bright blue velella velella, clear gobs of jellyfish, or all kinds of other things. In good weather, you can build sand castles, or even participate in the Annual Sand Sculpture Contest at Drake's Beach, which typically occurs in late summer. There is a visitor center and store at Drake's Beach (named after Ken C. Patrick, the first NPS Ranger ever killed in the line of duty), but they have very limited hours-- typically only a few hours on weekends. Since I tend to visit outside of peak hours, I've never been inside the store (yet). This beach is on the opposite side of the Point Reyes peninsula from North Beach and South Beach. Theoretically, on a clear day with good binoculars, you might be able to see Alamere Falls to the southeast. read more

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What a beautiful day to go to the beach and have our lunch there while looking at the ocean. It wasn't too busy with tourists, which was nice. They had plenty of parking. There tables with benches if you want to have a meal outside. There is also a visitor center and a store. They have very nice public restrooms there as well. The sun was out and it was nice and cool. The visitors center was very informative. The Point Reyes National Association Beach store had snacks and cold beverages, as well as some nice souvenirs. We each bought a hat and I got a cute little stuffy of an elk. They have a lot of wild elk in the area. We had a very nice relaxing time at the beach. read more

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We saw a huge and fat elephant seal here. It was amazing. Top 10 big fat creatures I've ever seen.

This was my first time there I'm a beginner photographer and I was able to get these photos there's a bunch of wildlife and the rangers are very friendly it was an awesome trip. read more

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Great spot to see elephant seals! They have bathrooms and a spot to get some drinks too.

Beautiful!! Not crowded at all. I love the sandy cliffs surrounding the beach. The visitors center was also nice. There are relatively spacious bathrooms. read more

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There are so many reasons to come to Drake's Beach. It's a beautiful geologic site on the end of Point Reyes. It's an amazing Beach with some ice cold ocean water. And it's a beautiful place to hike and walk. You'll find tons of sand dollars on the beach. Read up on the geology of Point Reyes. read more

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We happened to be routed to this beach because the road to the Lighthouse was closed. I'm glad we decided to press on! It was a beautiful beach. It's very windy beach! However, If you walk towards the sand dunes, the wind would be significantly less. read more

Drakes Beach - Beaches Near Me - Point Reyes Station, California

Interestingly enough this was my first time visiting Drake's Beach despite having been to Pt Reyes multiple times. We arrived to see the Elephant Seal takeover that happened whilst the Gubmint was shutdown and the rangers couldn't chase them off. It was really fun and exciting to see nature play out in front of our eyes. One of the young males was chased off by a bigger, older male into the parking lot while we were there and it created quite the hullabaloo. There's also quite a bit of elephant seal rape that goes on, so be prepared to explain to the kiddies that nature is a cruel, cruel mistress. There's also a second Pt Reyes visitor center and gift shop located here and nice clean restrooms. Highly recommend getting down here to see this amazing display of Mother Nature while you can. =) read more

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We visited this beach during the summer when we went on a social distancing road trip. It was super windy but we found some shelter within the dunes on the side. Pro tip: don't bring cheese you just brought from town or it will get a tad sandy. Yesterday however we visited again and there were elephant seals! It was such a cool experience seeing them up close (with the rangers safely monitoring them and us). They come in the winter months to breed and there were a ton on the beach. Overall, so cool. Parking lot was busy, but everyone social distanced on the beach. read more

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A very beautiful beach in the beautiful area of Point Reyes. There is a ton of information and historical facts that can be found in the area. I defiently recommend stopping in for some relax or exploring time read more

Drakes Beach - Drakes beach rocks - Beaches Near Me - Point Reyes Station, California

5-stars to this beach that shuts down the sandy beach area for the elephant seals March-June to allow these amazing creatures the space to thrive. Docents give talks at the viewing area to teach the public about the elephant seals. Please be quiet and respectful of the boundaries. Follow directions on the signs. It's wonderful that we can view these critters so close. If everyone respects the rules we can continue to be a part of this beautiful process. read more

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I was surprised with how close you could actually get up to an elephant seal here, even with cones backing you up. This beach is tremendous, and the cliff edges were impressive - adds to the grand scale of the area. The drive to the beach is also really cute with all the cows and elk you see. read more

Long, and bit of a tedious drive in to the actual beach when one is starting out from the Pt Reyes Station town side. Once one turns left off the main stretch, gonna be a bit of a winding drive to arrive at the not overly-populated beach. It's quiet here--the scene is muted and lovely....for us, blue and warm, everywhere. We walked off the oyster, brie/baguette, beer bloat and then settled onto the sand for a nap...until high tide lapped at us. It's serene...perfect for photography fans. Lovely protected cove area..restrooms are spacious, clean, and close-by. And heard from others the cafe there offers wonderful, tasty food options for a day out! About 10 mins from the lighthouse. read more

Please do not come here so it will not be crowded when I come. My favorite place...it's the end of the world. Ahhhhh......

Drakes Beach is really pretty. It's not where the Point Reyes lighthouse is, but you can hop on the shuttle bus here. Parking is plentiful, even though it usually appears packed from a distance. The road to here is absolutely beautiful. It winds through the hills with a few cows and views of the ocean. What a sight! There is also the option for a couple mini "hikes" - either left or right from the parking lot - which give you giant cliffs to sit on and take in the gorgeous scenery. As others have noted, cell service is limited (read: generally non-existent). Take advantage of that! Enjoy some good company in nature. read more

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Just a quick five star yelp for Drakes Beach. Allison, the new bartender at the new Zut! on Fourth Street, just landed in Berkeley from Baton Rouge. She wanted to know where all the beaches are in NorCal. Sorry Baby, this is not Malibu! But Drakes Beach is a slice of heaven! read more

Drakes Beach - Beaches Near Me - Point Reyes Station, California

This is such a beautiful beach! I came here recently when the weather finally started to warm up . Though the ride was longer than I thought it would take it is well worth it!!!!! I believe it took almost 2 hours with some traffic to get here from the East bay. At times I thought we were getting lost, but just in case I had printed a map out, in additional to directions, and the phone number to Drake Beach Visitor Center (now that I think about it my phone may not have had reception driving through the foresty part. So, when you are on Sir Francis Drake blvd after you exit into town pass the foresty part, go though windy mountain roads, keep going keep going, go through more mountain roads, pass some cows, pass the foggy area, pass more clouds, then on DRAKES blvd and you hit the beach! Plenty of parking, nice Visitor Center/ Museum, and Drakes Cafe which I still have to check out. Clean, well kept bathrooms, separate for men and women. The beach is gorgeous! The cliffs are lovely! The water is ok for swimming and surfing/body surfing. The tides are not that high. Love Drakes Beach!!!!! read more

Drakes Beach - Drakes Beach - Beaches Near Me - Point Reyes Station, California

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It's so refreshing to leave the armpit of CA, aka the Sacramento Valley, and head out to the coast for some cool, invigorating, seaside beauty. Drakes Beach is our go-to place, because it's beautiful. Love being able to just sit on the beach, feeling the cool sea breeze on my face and listen to the waves crashing on the rocks. And we even saw a juvenile male elephant seal last time we were there, who was being zealously guarded by the beach docents, which was great, because some folks are just so ignorant of nature just to take a stupid picture. Dude...that's why god invented telephoto lenses; invest in one! Anyway, loved Drakes Beach ever since we first came here many moons ago, and we will continue to come here every year to escape from the heat of Sacramento for a day or two :) read more

Drakes Beach - Lone male elephant seal basking in the sun :) - Beaches Near Me - Point Reyes Station, California

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It's a great little gem that offers spots to picnic, easy enough waves to play in, miles of sand to take walks on, or plenty of space to set up a volley ball game. There's camping space available here, too, just pack warm supplies. I've been coming here for years for picnics with my husband and walks with my friends. I've been even lucky to be here when rehabilitated seals were released by the local marine rescue center. It isn't as windy as Limatour, but it is often chilly enough to bring a light sweater just in case. The fog can add an extra allure to the cliffs and ocean as well as moisture to the air. There is often enough wind to fly kites, too. On the even colder-than-usual days, it's way too cold to surf. Besides the beach and a spacious parking area, there isn't much else. However, there's a decent sized building that houses bathrooms and a small museum. Part of the build recently had its cafe renovated into a quaint book shop that sells coffee and tea with the occasional sweet snack. This little structure offers a decent space to thaw from colder winds or inform oneself further on the history of this spot. It's worth a try, especially if escaping the heat on a hot summer day. read more

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We went to Drakes Beach at Pt Reyes during whale season which is Dec-Mid April to see Drakes Beach, Pt Reyes Lighthouse, & Chimney Rock. Awesome! The drive is long from the East Bay 2-2.5hrs each way. We stopped at the Bear Valley Visitor Center to make sure we'd have to do the mandatory shuttle - yes, and the weather was beautiful - clear, sunny, no wind! From Bear Valley VC it's 35 min to Drakes Beach. There's plenty of FREE parking at Drakes Beach. There's a nice visitor center: Ken Patrick Visitor Center. Mandatory shuttle is $5pp, $2.50 if you have the America the Beautiful Pass & the Senior Pass (62+) can bring 3 other ppl. Drakes Beach is a nice beach. Lots of tall cliffs, many people on a nice day. There's a Drakes Beach Cafe that serves local organic food - pricey though. Separate bathrooms - flush toilets, sinks available. Women bathroom had 4 stalls, 2 sinks, 1 hand dryer. Recommended. read more

Ok--drake's beach is off the beaten path. But it's a gem. I came here for the first time a couple of weeks ago on a Sunday mid afternoon. Parking lot is pretty large. Free parking and beach access. Easy flat walk to the beach. Womens restroom have flush toilets and were clean and well maintained. Hiking trails. Visitor center staffed by a ranger. Bookstore that sells souvenirs. There were history boards around the visitor center which I found to be pretty nifty. The beach was surrounded by beautiful white cliffs. read more

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Our favorite beach in the world. The appearance of and ability to hike or explore the beach can vary wildly depending on the time of year. Now before the winter storms, you have total access from the cafe to the estero mouth. In winter, storms remove sand and expose cliff bases and the beach is shortened in length until you basically will be unable to get past the water and waves breaking close to the cliff walls. Will try to post some pics to depict what I am attempting to relay. I jog this beach whenever I am here :) read more

Drakes Beach - View from estero sand bank towards the cafe. Photo taken Tuesday of this week. - Beaches Near Me - Point Reyes Station, California

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Views, views and scenery! An awesome sightseeing area of the majestic Pacific Ocean and Elephant Seals. A Nature Lovers must visit. read more

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Amazing Awesome place ,, less crowd and decent place had a blast here and it is pretty close to point reyes It is less known beach but we should let people know so dat they could have fun too Go hv fun read more

This is such a great beach at Point Reyes national seashore. There's a small museum and a bathroom. The wind isn't as strong on this side of the bay. read more

Drakes Beach - Beaches Near Me - Point Reyes Station, California

Drake's Beach has a very impressive origin story. Some historians believe that Sir Francis Drake once stopped here to make repairs to his ship. Imagine; when you walk on this beach you may actually be walking on the ground once tread by the legendary explorer, naval commander, pirate, and lover of Queen Elizabeth I! If you're not a legendary naval commander, this is still a really nice place to enjoy swimming, surfing, or a picnic. The ocean views here are truly amazing, especially if you come in October - probably the best month weather-wise in these parts :-) On Drake's Beach, the tide isn't as dangerous as it is at North Beach; you can walk along the ocean's edge. Decidedly off the beaten path, the drive to Drake's Beach will take you past some lovely sights, as well as a number of old, abandoned ranches; it's totally worth taking the time for both the drive and the visit :-) Tip: There's lots of parking at Drake's Beach; it doesn't get a lot of visitors, especially in Spring, Fall, or anytime of year mid-week. There are clean, well-maintained public restrooms here, as well as a visitor's center. read more

Beautiful views of cliffs by the ocean. Nice and small, somewhat private, good surf. Definitely recommended for families, dates, collecting drift wood. Bring a nice camera because the views are stunning. Oh, very important... Cell service is almost none existent here. Just a heads up. read more

Drakes Beach is what Sir Francis Drake dubbed Nova Albion (New England), and he was as far from New England as one could get. The Pt. Reyes Peninsula was called Nova Albion on maps until 1846. Drakes Beach has a spectacular, contemplative view. One can watch the waves, listen to the seagulls, the pounding of the Ocean. The sand feels good on one's bare feet. There are ancient rocks forming quasi-tide pools with sea anemones. The white cliffs are beautiful... for Drake, they reminded him of Dover's white cliffs. From the beach, one can see Inverness Ridge, and from the right perspective, Mt. St. Helena and Mt. Tam. Drakes Beach is a lovely place to get some fresh air. They have a good parking lot, great bathrooms, and a snack bar with offerings ranging from seaweed snacks from San Rafael, to raw chocolate almond butter pies for vegans, even instant oatmeal from Oregon. They have a good souvenir shop centered on oceanic themes. Drakes Beach is the crown jewel of the Pt. Reyes headlands. read more

As a place to go and hang out in the wet sand, splash around in the estuary or ocean water, and build sandcastles, Drake's Beach is a winner. Fun for kids. And the beach is clean. I didn't pick up broken glass or bottle caps like I've seen at other beaches in the area. They hold a strictly-amateur sandcastle contest every year (Sept. 2, 2007) -- nothing monstrous and ornate like the professionals build, but some really creative sculptures, including one of a 'global footprint' this year. Beware of the tide schedule, as the beach can get pretty small at high tide! If you want a place to lay out on your beach towel with a bottle of lotion and a good chick-book, you'd be better off at some other beaches in the area, perhaps just over the hill at Pt. Reyes Beach. The Kenneth C. Patrick Visitor center is right at the beach entrance, with 'real' bathrooms and portapotties -- beware of winds as you exit as the plastic doors can fly open -- and a small ocean-life exhibit room and a cafe. No dogs allowed. read more

I should give it 1 star......why so people wont find this treasure. The beach has never been crowded or busy (even on Labor Day). Sure it may be a bit windy or chilly, but we live by the Pacific Ocean -- thats to be expected. Always something new and cool to see there. Last year some Sea Lions decided to get some sun and warm up right there on the beach. When the tide pools are created there are always some neat little creatures that get caught. Bathrooms are clean and the cafe food is good. The Rangers in the visitor center are always nice. Our last visit there a ranger took time to spend with Ethan (the 3 year old) and talk to him about the baleen of a whale -- even had some demo's. My boy loved touching the baleen --- he said "cool" to the ranger. I guess the cool comment made the rangers day. Whatever you do -- never go to Drakes Beach. If you do, you will spoil one of the most private places in the Bay Area. Stay Away if you know whats good for you :) read more

If you are anywhere near the Point Reyes lighthouse area , then drop in here to have a cute little picnic in the afternoon time. The parking lot here is pretty huge and it is very easy to find a spot here. There's a rustic gift shop and cafeteria here where you can get a hot coffee and relax in the beach. Lots and lots of western gulls and other birdies hang out here. They are such a treat to watch. Even on a foggy day, this place can be a perfect hang out spot. I had been here with my hubby and his friend and we had such a lovely time here. read more

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This beach is different. There are pretty cliffs along the beach and the sand is darkly colored and beautiful. It is very windy and cold so I wouldn't recommend it for sunbathing unless it's a HOT day. Very good for sightseeing. There was a lot of trash and particles of plastic that seemed to have washed up on the shore though. So sad :( STOP POLLUTION!! read more

This was an amazing place to see the elephant seals. We went after the government shutdown, and all the seals had taken over the beach. It wasn't too crowded yet. The volunteers there were so nice and friendly! They were willing to talk about the seals and their job as a volunteer park ranger! You can't get too close to them, as it is illegal, but you can get pretty close. There's a little hill to the left of the parking lot you can hike up, and a few trails in the area around it. There are also plenty of the huge elk in the area, so make sure you have your camera ready (or be ready to pull over). At the beach, there's a small shop (like the smaller version of the one at the Bear Valley visitors center). There, they have food, windbreakers, and hot coffee. It may be cold, and the wind may be wicked, but it's definitely worth the drive. read more

We absolutely love going to Drakes Beach. We have been taking the relatively short two hour drive to Drakes for about seven years now. This is an amazing drive from San Francisco onto Sir Francis Drake road through Fairfax, then Olema to Drakes Beach. This beach has golden sea bluffs along approximately four miles of bare beach! Nice wide sandy beaches with a visitor center and huge nicely kept bathrooms. You can bring small Weber and grill on the beach as well. There is even a sometimes opened visitor center near the parking lot with a sometimes opened restaurant. Such a great beach to take long walks on. We have seen raccoons in the daytime so watch your picnic items! Ravens, seagulls, even a stranded baby seal onetime that we reported to a Ranger. All in all such a relaxing getaway. read more

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Drakes Beach is a great place to pull up a blanket and watch Mother Nature's beauty. The day we went, the beach wasn't super packed with people, but everyone there seemed to be enjoying all this place has to offer. Seals, baby birds, the amazing cliffs, the view of the ocean from atop the hill across from the gift shop, and clean restroom facilities! The drive to the beach was just as enjoyable. A great place to bring out of town guests. read more

Drakes Beach - Beaches Near Me - Point Reyes Station, California

Quiet, sublimely clean and people free...ahhh...it's the best beach I've been to in a looooooooong time! It's relatively warm even during the winter and it's got a beautiful view of cliffs and crap free sand! People, get away from my new find...go to Ocean beach...it's more tourist friendly anyway! I however will spend my sunny days running up and down the coastline chasing all the seagulls in my path. (think of Indy Jones' dad in Last Crusade with his flock of seagulls and you get the drift). Very nice cafe with organic foods and clean bathrooms. Weird that the restrooms don't have a washing hands area, but eh...there's always Purell. read more

Beautiful beach. Nice place to have a family picnic and build sand castles. Waves can be a bit rough at times. Ample parking and easy walk down to beach. Well maintained restrooms. read more

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The view is fabulous. Somehow it hard to find the right way back to the main street, so be careful when you are driving. Thanks read more

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Attended a dear friend's annual oysterfest at Drake Beach. What a kick-ass spot. The drive out was incredible, and the beach and facilities are wonderfully scenic and clean. The visitor center and cafe are very convenient, and the bathrooms are well-maintained. And the bathrooms do have sinks for washing your hands (dryers no paper towels, btw), so I'm not sure what the other reviewer meant. Towards the back of the lot, there are first-come BBQ areas (awesome for grilling kumamotos!), and you can get a permit to have a fire on the beach in the visitor center. Hint: all the mapping programs, including Google, will tell you to take 1 towards Stinson Beach if you're coming from the city, but it's much quicker to take 101 to Lucas Valley Road and go in that way. Both routes are scenic, but in totally different ways. read more