Point Reyes NorCal & surroundings

What will be the ideal time to photograph Point Reyes and its surroundings? If I prefer to have the sun shines from South West should I wait until winter time?

Yes, sun from southwest of winter, as in my opinion the best area to shoot is the southern section, lighthouse ect, seal beach to the east of that ,, ect.

peter k. said:

Yes, sun from southwest of winter, as in my opinion the best area to shoot is the southern section, lighthouse ect, seal beach to the east of that ,, ect.

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Any chance to shoot without any visitors during the day at all?

MFstooges said:

Any chance to shoot without any visitors during the day at all?

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Point Reyes is sufficiently remote that you can usually avoid people in shots. Even the dang Cypress Tree tunnel would be empty if you go on an off day or wait until after five or six. Lots of wilderness to explore.

Richard Man said:

Point Reyes is sufficiently remote that you can usually avoid people in shots. Even the dang Cypress Tree tunnel would be empty if you go on an off day or wait until after five or six. Lots of wilderness to explore.

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So true, but liked the early morning light for the shots we took of high tide ocean waves and shore line

I was there yesterday. The weather and lighting varies quite a bit even within the same day, depending on what the fog is doing. It can be magical. The fog dissipates in Sept and Oct. Clear direct lighting is more typical of Nov thru Jan, which is also when there's the most bird and wildlife variety, for those who seek out that kind of subject matter. Dripping wet cloud forests occur much of the year up atop the ridges. Late April through early June have the most wildflowers along the coast - I'd classify this year's version of the wildflower display as "mid-spectacular"; it's winding down now.

If you don't want people in your shots, just don't go to the same routine places as most. Or else go off season during weekdays. Pt Reyes contains a lot of variety, and solitude is possible any time of year. Unfortunately, the Visitor Center is herding people toward locations which were formerly quiet, simply to relieve pressure on their own immediate vicinity and the popular Bear Creek Trail. But even around there you can find quiet trails, especially on a rainy day.

But don't expect me to give specific hints. The web is lethal to special places.

Richard Man said:

Point Reyes is sufficiently remote that you can usually avoid people in shots. Even the dang Cypress Tree tunnel would be empty if you go on an off day or wait until after five or six. Lots of wilderness to explore.

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Yes I am leaning to weekdays if I can get time off.

DREW WILEY said:

I was there yesterday. The weather and lighting varies quite a bit even within the same day, depending on what the fog is doing. It can be magical. The fog dissipates in Sept and Oct. Clear direct lighting is more typical of Nov thru Jan, which is also when there's the most bird and wildlife variety, for those who seek out that kind of subject matter. Dripping wet cloud forests occur much of the year up atop the ridges. Late April through early June have the most wildflowers along the coast - I'd classify this year's version of the wildflower display as "mid-spectacular"; it's winding down now.

If you don't want people in your shots, just don't go to the same routine places as most. Or else go off season during weekdays. Pt Reyes contains a lot of variety, and solitude is possible any time of year. Unfortunately, the Visitor Center is herding people toward locations which were formerly quiet, simply to relieve pressure on their own immediate vicinity and the popular Bear Creek Trail. But even around there you can find quiet trails, especially on a rainy day.

But don't expect me to give specific hints. The web is lethal to special places.

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Unfortunately the plan is to shoot at the popular spot. I need western light so most likely visit in the afternoon which also unfortunately may have more tourists.

What do you mean by "the popular spot"? There are quite a few of those. Afternoon light itself varies. In summer, the fog often pulls away around noon, but comes back in later in the afternoon. Today the beaches are probably socked in with fog all day long, just like yesterday. Partial fog often moves around magically, like a portable softbox. You just have to try your luck and dance with it. If you want direct sunset-style sunlight, you have better odds in Autumn or Winter.

Tourists are pretty much a constant in summer, including a lot of international visitors. The rest of the year, only weekends get a lot of people. Yesterday it wasn't crowded at all anywhere, except the little town of Pt Reyes Station.

I dunno. I've been shooting at Pt Reyes and vicinity for the past 50 yrs, and have never had a problem with people getting in the scene. Once in awhile, a few of them will encounter me shooting on the trail, but they're so polite that they won't pass in front of the camera without asking first. It's not like Yosemite Valley or Pt Lobos, or even Rodeo Beach in the GGNRA, in that respect.

For some reason the Coast Guard Station tree tunnel has suddenly caught on in recent years; but that's just a matter of patience; the cars come and go - there were three cars when I passed by there yesterday. If I had been interested in that spot again, I'm sure the opportunity would have opened up, but not necessarily the ideal lighting at the same time. The light at Pt Reyes is a cat and mouse game that rewards opportunists.

The lighthouse

Well, the Lighthouse is statistically the second foggiest place in the US. And on days when it's open, the tiny little parking lot fills up quickly, with people walking down to it. You need a bit of luck, and Winter gives you the best odds, especially in the morning. There are also more elephants seals and sea lions around in Winter, below the cliffs. When the sky is clear, you can also spot migrating Gray Whales rounding the Point.

But if a particular try doesn't work out at the Lighthouse itself, there are still lots of interesting things to photograph nearby on the left-hand fork of that same road.

DREW WILEY said:

Well, the Lighthouse is statistically the second foggiest place in the US. And on days when it's open, the tiny little parking lot fills up quickly, with people walking down to it. You need a bit of luck, and Winter gives you the best odds, especially in the morning. There are also more elephants seals and sea lions around in Winter, below the cliffs. When the sky is clear, you can also spot migrating Gray Whales rounding the Point.

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Thanks Drew, appreciate this info. Winter it is then

Late fall, winter, wonderful times at Point Reyes. We vacation near there every year and always spend some time in the park. During the week we will often be the only car in the light house parking area during those seasons. The fog is very unpredictable which often makes for dramatic scenes. Marty Knapp is a local landscape photographer, last time I was there he still had his gallery on Hwy 1 in the town of Point Reyes Station. Check out his work for some idea of what you might encounter. Enjoy!

One of the windiest time I had was at the lighthouse. I have been there half a dozen times, and most of the times it's whatever, but one time the wind is so strong that I could not use my 4x5!

I won't give away my favorite location out there, which is now too dangerous to get to, and officially off limits now anyway, after a series of slides. I've taken my 8x10 there many times in previous decades. It's generally a lot calmer lower down than right on the edges of cliffs.

In the Spring, when it can be particularly windy, I sometimes carry a Ries wooden tripod and the P67 along with 200mm and 300mm teles, which resist the wind better than view camera "kites". And if it does need to be a 4x5, \ I'm more likely to choose the Sinar Norma than one of my folders.

Two days ago, I was shooting 4X5 around the Estero, with no wind at all. No people either, until a single kayaker finally showed up.

Don't give it away Drew. Tourons are everywhere ruining everything.
By any chance do you know if campground spot is hard to get and if they open during winter?

Point Reyes has be on the "tourist radar" forever, and I don't notice too much difference between the late 90s when I first went there to now in terms of traffic. I think despite its beauty, it's not quite Instagrammable, so I wouldn't worry disclosing any secret locations.

Casual roadside camping is not allowed anywhere in Marin County. There are private campgrounds in the vicinity of the Visitor Center requiring reservations - hardly my idea of camping, but some people enjoy it. Within Pt Reyes Natl Seashore itself there are only a few backpacking campgrounds, requiring reservation. But not far away in Samuel Taylor State Park, there are numerous first-come campsites in a lovely redwoods setting - crowded and BBQ smoky in summer, but quiet during off-season weekdays - about 15 min drive from the Pt Reyes Visitor Center, plus the drive to the Lighthouse. As a plus, the fall color of the maples there tends to run from mid-Nov clear into mid Jan.

Camping along Tomales Bay at Marshall Beach is a per-reservation kayaking opportunity, but not accessible by car.

Further to the north off of Hwy 1 there is privately owned camping at Dillon Beach, but that's half an hour further away and apt to be packed with RV's - so at least a full hour from the Lighthouse itself.

“privately owned camping at Dillon Beach, but that's half an hour further away and apt to be packed with RV's - so at least a full hour from the Lighthouse itself.”

Well, yea, the lighthouse is a good distance from Hwy 1 anyway, maybe a good 1/2 hour. However, for me pretty much any driving I do over in west Marin yields wonderful photo opportunities. When you go be sure to visit the areas surrounding the park like Inverness, Marshal, Tomales. I just love the landscape up there. The food’s (farm to table) pretty damn good too!

We made a run out to Point Reyes Station to day to drop a piece of at Gallery Route One for the upcoming Box Show. No time to go out to the Point,, unfortunately. Nicasio reservoir was looking good, though.

Richard - if I were disclosing GPS locations on the web, it would be on some narrow trail overgrown with poison oak, nettles, and with abundant ticks! One day I decided to do my customary loop hike up Mt Tam from Hwy 1,
not realizing it was the day for the Dispea race. I was lugging a 90lb pack uphill for training purposes, while a number of people racing downhill were cheating by cutting off the switchbacks and running right through the brush instead - in shorts and T-shirts, of course. They were appropriately penalized! - the nettle stings come quickly, but it's poison oak which is "the gift which keeps on giving".

Ah ticks.... There aren't a whole lot of ticks in the CA trails that I go to, not more than one or two anyway, so I basically forgot about THAT problem.

Then about 7 years ago, I visited friends in Nebraska and went to a "reserve" next to the U of Nebraska. It was a nice 2-hours loop. I was doing Tai Chi, taking in the warm sun. About 200 yards back to the entrance, I felt really itchy around my stomach area. At first I thought it's just sweat, then I flipped the shirt up and looked...

I swear, the thought of just giving up and died RIGHT there occurred to me for 1/4 of a second. Then I rushed out to the parking lot, stripped off my shirt and shoes and socks, and flicked off probably over 100+ ticks. I still have photos of my shirts covered with them.

Some were trying to scurrying up my head. I even took off my pants and got them off. After I got back, I asked my friends to pass a plastic bag to hold my clothes, and rushed off to the shower and washed my hair three times.

Later when I was falling asleep, I found one crawling on my face. That was the last of it though.

Remarkably, I did not get bit. Caught them just in the nick of time.

Are you guys referring to deer tick?

Coastal CA in general, including Pt Reyes, has both small deer ticks as well as larger brown "cattle" ticks or elk ticks, or dog ticks, whatever you want to call them. It's the harder to detect deer ticks which carry most of the Lyme's disease (with the big ugly cattle ticks, there's only about a 2% incidence in this area of carrying Lymes - but still enough to cause cases; with deer ticks, it's up to 50%). Both kinds can be present on meadow ferns, tall grasses, and chaparral (especially chamise) in May through midsummer, as well as in Oct. I always check for them if brushing up against vegetation on a narrow trail. I can bushwhack through just about any kind of vegetation; but during tick season I stick to wider trails. And of course, people should always check their dogs too after a letting them loose in such areas.

A lot depends on the weather patterns. Due to the unusually heavy rains these past two years, I haven't seen a single tick. Maybe they drowned. Some years, they're abundant.