Updated October 2026
Best Time to Visit Point Reyes National Seashore
National SeashoreCalifornia
Best month to visit
May
72°F / 51°F avg high / low
Our recommendation
Visit Point Reyes in May
May offers pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season). 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
Point Reyes National Seashore weather by month →
| Month | Crowd level | Best-time score | Avg high / low | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Quiet | 56 Fair | 57°F / 43°F | 9.6 h |
| February | Average | 56 Fair | 61°F / 44°F | 10.6 h |
| March | Quiet | 71 Good | 65°F / 46°F | 11.7 h |
| April | Average | 69 Good | 68°F / 48°F | 13.0 h |
| Mayour pick | Average | 79 Excellent | 72°F / 51°F | 14.1 h |
| June | Busy | 68 Good | 78°F / 54°F | 14.6 h |
| July | Busy | 57 Fair | 81°F / 55°F | 14.4 h |
| August | Busy | 62 Good | 81°F / 56°F | 13.5 h |
| September | Average | 72 Good | 81°F / 54°F | 12.2 h |
| October | Average | 70 Good | 75°F / 51°F | 11.0 h |
| November | Average | 59 Fair | 65°F / 46°F | 9.9 h |
| December | Average | 50 Fair | 57°F / 42°F | 9.4 h |
Climate normals (1991–2020) from the nearest NOAA station (USC00047880, ~19.1 mi away).
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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. Weather swings from an average high-season warmth near 68°F in August down to about 50°F in December, with the wettest stretch in December. About 10 months a year see comfortable average temperatures in the 50–80°F range, which is part of why crowd timing and weather timing don't always line up. The sweet spot is May: pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season). Visit then and you trade a little peak-season certainty for noticeably shorter lines and easier parking than the July rush. 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, paired with 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals, 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. May is our pick for the best balance of light crowds and good weather. Full lodging guide: when to book, gateway vs in-park, and the crowd calendar that drives room rates.
Top-rated places to stay near Point Reyes
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
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Getting there — nearest airports
Updated October 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.
What takes a reservation at Point Reyes
From National Park Service records read on October 11, 2026. Timed-entry and permit rules change from season to season; the official Point Reyes page has this year's.
Campgrounds with reservable sites
- Tomales Bay Boat-in Camping: 20 reservable sites
- Coast Campground: 14 reservable sites
- Glen Campground: 12 reservable sites
- Sky Campground: 12 reservable sites
- Wildcat Campground: 8 reservable sites
Activities the park marks as needing a reservation
Frequently Asked Questions
May offers pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season) 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%).
Based on 1991–2020 climate normals, the warmest month at Point Reyes National Seashore averages about 68°F (August). See the month-by-month table above for the full picture.
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), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020. Crowd index = a month's visits ÷ the park's average month.