Seasons in Point Reyes--from the official visitor guide of PRNS
A typical year on the Point Reyes Peninsula abounds with opportunities to enjoy an enormous variety of natural experiences. Each season has its own character and delights making a visit worthwhile at any time of year.
Spring--Greening of the landscape
Spring is the natural beginning of the year, when the first flowers emerge and migrants, both fluked and feathered, pass by Point Reyes heading north to nesting and feeding grounds in Canada and Alaska. The peninsula hosts nearly 100 resident bird species, and another 100 migrant species winter here. In spring and fall, many birds stop by to take advantage of the abundant food and water available here.
Just offshore, the gray whales that passed by in January and February on their way to birthing lagoons in Mexico swim past the lighthouse returning to the rich feeding in the cold waters off Alaska. Mothers traveling with their newborn calves can be seen approaching from the south, passing very near to the Point. From the lighthouse we see their barnacle encrusted backs as they blow a few times and then dive to round the Point.
On the opposite end of the Point Reyes headland, at Chimney Rock, wildflowers such as pussy ears, iris, poppies, blue-eyed grass, and larkspur--among dozens of other species--color the hillsides. Down on the pocket beaches below, elephant seal pups--born during the cool rainy winter, nursed for about a month, and then left on the beaches by their mothers--are seen throughout the spring. Joining them, after the adults leave, are the juveniles, returning to molt on the beaches where they were born.
Bolinas Lagoon and Drakes Estero provide havens for harbor seal pupping. In these protected waters the seals haul out on sandbars, rest and nurse their young. At low tide they are a common sight from Highway 1 turnouts. These areas are closed to kayakers in order to protect them during this vulnerable time.
Limantour Beach is a fine destination in any season, but spring walks along its shore reveal the results of winter and spring storms. Driftwood and kelp wash up on the beach and changing wind patterns strand thousands of Vellela Vellela, a colonial hydroid, coloring the beaches a bright blue.
Tule elk, a species reintroduced to Point Reyes in the 1970s, flourish on Tomales Point. In spring, they are calving and should always be observed from a safe distance. These majestic animals once numbered 500,000 in California, but following the Gold Rush, they were hunted nearly to extinction. In 1874, a Los Banos rancher discovered a few elk on his property and became the first to commit efforts toward protecting them. Today more than 3,200 Tule Elk range over several protected areas of California.
Summer--Fog over fields of gold
In summer, the hillsides made green by the abundant winter and early spring rains, turn a golden grown. Flowers still bloom along the coast and in cool, wet areas where water is still plentiful. In stark contrast to hot inland areas, thick fog blankets the headlands, making it necessary to bundle up in warm layers. To find the warmth of the sun, you need only return to the Bear Valley area where temperatures can be 20 degrees higher.
Abbotts Lagoon, a good wildflower destination in spring, bears fruit in the from of blackberries and salmonberries in summer. The dunes provide good nesting habitat for the Western snowy plover, a bird protected under the Endangered Species Act and monitored at Point Reyes since 1977. The critical nesting habitat among the low dune vegetation has been altered by the spread of non-native beach grasses, that predators use as screens to access birds and nests. Human activities, such as dog-walking, also impact the nesting success of the plovers. Exclosures around the nesting sites help protect the birds.
Over 130 bird species nest at Point Reyes. As the season progresses the young birds test their wings. This is an opportunity to see juvenile plumage and feeding behaviors, as young birds continue to beg for food from parents. Over 20 federally and state protected bird species, such as the Northern spotted owl and the Bank swallow, make their home on the peninsula. A natural stopover for migratory birds jutting ten miles out into the Pacific Point Reyes has abundant wetland areas for resting and feeding.
The Tule Elk enter into their mating rut in late summer. The bull's plaintive bugle resounds along this headland a few hundred feet above the crashing waves. The bulls challenge each other for control of large harems of females with which to mate.
Labor Day signals summer's end with the Drakes Beach Sand Sculpture Contest. Dozens of competitors arrive in the morning to carve their masterpieces, while spectators and judges provide encouragement.
Autumn--Sunny days and warm southerly breezes
Fog and wind subside on the coast, bringing forth the warm days that we longed for during the summer chill. The Lighthouse and Chimney Rock temperatures can climb to near 80 degrees during these warm spells. Stalks of dried hemlock and cow parsnip rise up from the drought-laden hillsides, reminders that it has been six long months since the last rain storm.
Acorns, the season's bounty, droop from live oaks and tanoaks in the Bear Valley area. In autumn, Coast Miwok Indians sent their sons into the trees to dislodge this coveted seed. Acorn woodpeckers store them in excavated niche for future eating. Insect larvae invade the cached acorns, providing the woodpeckers with protein to complement the fat.
The black-tailed deer enter their rut during this time. The Bear Valley area is full of this activity in autumn. Out on the coast, visitors might catch a glimpse of blue or humpback whales, as they make a brief, but unforgettable, appearance for the fortunate onlookers.
Migratory birds are winging over the peninsula again. This year's fledglings, inexperienced in long-distance travel, often end up in the Monterey cyprus trees near the ranches and the lighthouse.
Fall is a great time for hiking and backpacking. Without the fickle weather and high winds of spring, hikers can rely on more amenable conditions. The summer rush is over and camping permits are easier to obtain.
Winter--Blow, west winds, blow
Winter storms ravage the coastline, depositing wrack on the beaches and occasionally causing landslides. But between storms, some of Point Reyes' most beautiful days offer ideal weather for being outdoors. Come prepared for these capricious conditions.
Winter is far from a dormant season here. Visitors crowd the lighthouse observation deck to watch for the return of the Pacific gray whales, usually first seen in December. Making their annual 10,000 mile roundtrip journey between Alaska and Mexico, they are drawn to the protected, warmwater lagoons of Baja to bear their calves. By the 1930s, intensive whaling along the California coast caused the gray whale population to dwindle to a mere 1000 individuals. A ban on gray whale hunting adoption in 1937, and an international whaling ban signed in 1946, led to the recovery of this gentle species. The Pacific gray whale population is estimated at about 20,000 today.
Another conservation success story, the Northern elephant seal hauls out on pocket beaches surrounding the Point Reyes headland in early winter. Females are among the first to arrive, giving birth to pups conceived during the previous year's visit. By the end of the 19th century, Northern elephant seals had declined to as few as 20, victims of hunters taking advantage of the seals' vulnerability during breeding season. Elephant seal populations are now estimated at 150,000, thanks to Mexico's 1922 seal hunting ban, which helped save these charismatic giants from extinction.
In January and February, Coho salmon and steelhead trout swim up the creeks from their ocean home to spawn. Lagunitas and Olema Creeks flash with silver as the thrashing fish create depressions in the river gravels, called redds, and lay their eggs. The males fertilize the eggs and the fertilized eggs are covered by gravels when the female scrapes out another redd just upstream. The young spend 1-2 years in freshwater before tackling the open ocean, where they spend their adult lives before returning to spawn. Human activities, such as logging and dam construction, have impaired and destroyed fish habitat, leading to a drastic decline in the species numbers. Through habitat restoration efforts, stream conditions are improving and Coho salmon and Steelhead trout are returning to many of their historic spawning streams.
Hidden underground, networks of mycorrhizae facilitate the water and nutrient uptake of trees and plants. These structures are the result of the integration of fungi with specialized plant roots. In winter, this hidden process erupts to the surface when the fungal reproductive structures--what we call mushrooms--emerge. Hundreds of mushroom hunters also emerge, seeking delightful edibles--such as chanterelles and boletus--but also to simply enjoy the amazing diversity of these often overlooked beauties.
Every season at Point Reyes has a flavor and texture all its own, leading millions of visitors to return year after year, to walk the shoreline, hike the trails, explore the forests, and enjoy the great natural variety of plants, animals, and landscapes protected here.
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Beautiful getaway north of San Francisco, where you can find everything: lighthouse, wildflower, giant whale, and happy cows!
