Hiking Project Logo
Climb
MTB
Hike
Trailrun
Ski

Point Reyes Lighthouse Trail

Easy/Intermediate Easy/Intermediate
 4.7 (12)
  1. Areas
  2. CA
  3. …Bay Area
  4. …Marin County
  5. Point Reyes National Seashore
Explore in 3D
Use onX Backcountry to explore the terrain in 3D, view recent satellite imagery, and more. Now available in onX Backcountry Mobile apps! For more information see this post.
Previous Next

“Hike to the historic Point Reyes Lighthouse and take in all the views of the coastline. ”

John McKinney
Your Rating: Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating      Clear Rating
Your Difficulty:
Your Favorites: Add To-Do · Your List

0.7

Miles

1.1

KM

Point to Point

523' 159 m

High

384' 117 m

Low

60' 18 m

Up

142' 43 m

Down

6%

Avg Grade (3°)

19%

Max Grade (11°)

Dogs No Dogs

Features Views

Family Friendly The mostly flat, paved path to stunning views is great for kids and the whole family.

The Lighthouse Visitor Center and stairs are open Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday from 10-4:30. Closed Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.
The stairs to the Lighthouse close promptly at 4:30, so get here with ample time to go down and back up 313 steps.

Description

Hike along the rocky coastline of Point Reyes on a paved path for a little over 1/2 of a mile to reach the famous Point Reyes Lighthouse. Along the way you'll see a visitor center for the lighthouse. After you've learned all about the lighthouse and taken in all the views of the scenic coastline you can return back to the parking area the way you came.

Thanks to John McKinney, The Trailmaster, for sharing this trail description. To learn more about trails in California, check out his guides at The Trailmaster Store.

Contacts

Land Manager: National Park Service - Point Reyes National Seashore

Shared By:

John McKinney with improvements by Abby Shapiro and 1 other
Full Details

Trail Ratings

  4.7 from 12 votes

#1

in Point Reyes National Seashore

#590

Overall
  4.7 from 12 votes
5 Star
67%
4 Star
33%
3 Star
0%
2 Star
0%
1 Star
0%
Trail Rankings

#1

in Point Reyes National S…

#66

in California

#590

Overall
10 Views Last Month
2,032 Since Jul 21, 2017
Easy/Intermediate Easy/Intermediate
46%
31%
23%
0%
0%
0%
Add a Photo

Photos

Another view of Point Reyes Lighthouse
Sep 1, 2015 near Inverness, CA
Point Reyes Lighthouse Trail
Apr 8, 2025 near Inverness, CA
Point Reyes
Sep 1, 2015 near Inverness, CA
Armstrong Redwoods
Apr 9, 2025 near Inverness, CA
Point Reyes Lighthouse and the Fresnel lens
Sep 1, 2015 near Inverness, CA

0 Comments

Weather

Current Trail Conditions

Unknown
Add Your Check-In

Check-Ins

Apr 8, 2025
Stewart Carnes
Jun 25, 2022
Michael Pu
Mar 4, 2020
Dylan Payne
Feb 9, 2020
Lindsay Stone
Jan 19, 2020
Melissa Dalis
Aug 11, 2018
Eugene Wu
Aug 5, 2018
Private User
Jul 29, 2018
Jennifer Kim
Boasts a challenging 308 steps (each way), but it’s really not that bad and there are places along the way to take breaks. Try to go on a clear day. 0.8mi

Nearby Recommended Routes

Stewarded By

Supported by The TrailMaster
Welcome

Join the Community! It's FREE

Already have an account? Login to close this notice.

Get Started