Our recommendation
Visit Point Reyes in March
March offers best overall balance of crowds, weather and daylight. For comparison, July is the most crowded month (~1.4× the average month) and March is the quietest.
Annual visits
2.4M
2025
Busiest month
Jul
1.4× avg
Quietest month
Mar
0.8× avg
10-yr trend
steady
+2.8%
How crowded is Point Reyes by month?
Relative crowd level by month (1.0 = the park's average month), from NPS visitation records 1979–2025.
Month-by-month crowd, weather & daylight
| Month | Crowd level | Best-time score | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Quiet | 76 Excellent | 9.6 h |
| February | Average | 70 Good | 10.6 h |
| March★ best | Quiet | 85 Excellent | 11.7 h |
| April | Average | 69 Good | 13.0 h |
| May | Average | 77 Excellent | 14.1 h |
| June | Busy | 47 Fair | 14.6 h |
| July | Busy | 22 Poor | 14.4 h |
| August | Busy | 32 Poor | 13.5 h |
| September | Average | 50 Fair | 12.2 h |
| October | Average | 59 Fair | 11.0 h |
| November | Average | 60 Good | 9.9 h |
| December | Average | 67 Good | 9.4 h |
Email me when Point Reyes's crowd forecast updates
Get an email when new NPS visitation data changes the best time to visit Point Reyes or its month-by-month crowd levels. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
About visiting Point Reyes
Point Reyes National Seashore is a National Seashore in CA and one of the busier parks in the system, drawing about 2.4 million recreation visits in 2025. Visitation has held fairly steady over the past decade. Crowds concentrate sharply by season: July is the busiest month at about 1.4× the park's average month, while March is the calmest at roughly 0.8× — a 2-to-1 swing between high and low season. Roughly 32% of the year's visitors arrive in the three summer months of June, July and August alone, so timing a trip outside that window is the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels. If avoiding people matters most, March offers the thinnest crowds of the year, though you'll trade some warmth and daylight for the solitude. Daylight ranges from about 9.4 hours in midwinter to 14.6 hours near the summer solstice, which shapes how much ground you can cover in a day. These crowd figures are drawn from 1979–2025 of National Park Service visitor-use records, and are updated as new monthly data is released.
Park overview
From its thunderous ocean breakers crashing against rocky headlands and expansive sand beaches to its open grasslands, brushy hillsides, and forested ridges, Point Reyes offers visitors over 1500 species of plants and animals to discover. Home to several cultures over thousands of years, the Seashore preserves a tapestry of stories and interactions of people. Point Reyes awaits your exploration.
Weather & conditions
The moderating influence of the Pacific Ocean creates a climate with no great extremes of heat or cold. Any season can bring interesting weather during your visit to Point Reyes National Seashore. Come prepared!
Park overview text courtesy of the National Park Service — official park site.
Where to stay near Point Reyes
Hotels, cabins, lodges and vacation rentals near Point Reyes National Seashore — live availability and prices to plan your trip. March is our pick for the best balance of light crowds and good weather.
Top-rated places to stay near Point Reyes
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a trip to Point Reyes?
Get the best time to visit Point Reyes plus lodging deals near the park by email. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Getting there — nearest airports
Updated July 2026The closest airport to Point Reyes National Seashore is Sonoma County Airport (STS), about 51 mi (1 hr 23 min drive) away.
| Airport | Distance | Drive time | Airlines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sonoma County Airport (STS)Best for flights | 51 mi | 1 hr 23 min | Alaska Airlines, Delta |
| San Francisco International Airport (SFO) | 58 mi | 1 hr 39 min | Aeromexico, Air Canada, Air China, Air France, Air India, Air New Zealand |
| Metropolitan Oakland International Airport (OAK) | 58 mi | 1 hr 41 min | Alaska Airlines, Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Delta, Hawaiian Airlines, Silk Avia |
| Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC) | 88 mi | 2 hr 15 min | Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Copa Airlines, Delta, Hawaiian Airlines, Silk Avia |
| Sacramento International Airport (SMF) | 107 mi | 2 hr 33 min | Aeromexico, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Copa Airlines, Delta, Frontier Airlines |
Which airport should you choose?
- Shortest drive: Sonoma County Airport (STS) — about 1 hr 23 min from the park.
Frequently Asked Questions
March offers best overall balance of crowds, weather and daylight at Point Reyes National Seashore. The park is busiest in July (about 1.4× the average month) and quietest in March.
July is the busiest month at Point Reyes National Seashore, running roughly 1.4 times the park's average monthly visitation.
March is the quietest month at Point Reyes National Seashore, at about 0.8× the average month — a good choice if you want to avoid crowds.
Point Reyes National Seashore recorded about 2,429,601 recreation visits in 2025. Visitation has been steady over the past decade (+2.8%).
Sonoma County Airport (STS) is the closest airport to Point Reyes National Seashore, about 51 mi (1 hr 23 min drive) away.
There is no airport inside Point Reyes National Seashore. Fly into Sonoma County Airport (STS) and drive the rest of the way — about 1 hr 23 min.
Nearby parks to visit
Keep exploring
Beach water quality near Point Reyes
Beaches within a 40-mile drive, graded on multi-year bacteria sampling from EPA BEACON — worth checking before you plan a swim day.
- Millerton Point - Millerton Point water qualityGrade A · 4 mi · CA
- Shell Beach - Shell Beach water qualityGrade A · 4 mi · CA
- Drakes Estero - Drakes Estero water qualityGrade A · 4 mi · CA
- Heart's Desire - Hearts Desire water qualityGrade A · 5 mi · CA
- Drake's Beach - Drakes Beach water qualityGrade A · 5 mi · CA
Sources: National Park Service Visitor Use Statistics (1979–2025). Crowd index = a month's visits ÷ the park's average month.