Drakes Beach(Drake Beach, Point Reyes National Seashore, Point Reyes State Marine Reserve)

Located in the city of Inverness, Drakes Beach is a very small, wide, and remote beach that is a part of Point Reyes National Seashore.  Drakes Beach is north of the historic lighthouse and museum Point Reyes Lighthouse – an incredible spot for photography. Drakes Beach is situated next to the Kenneth C. Patrick Visitor Center featuring many informative exhibits about the nearby area, especially Point Reyes. Please note that the lighthouse and visitor center are open from Friday to Monday only.   

Drakes Beach offers many amenities including restrooms, picnic tables, a bookstore, a lighthouse, a visitor center, and a small store with drinks and snacks. If you are looking for additional amenities, you can climb to Peter Behr Overlook located right behind the beach that provides a beautiful view of the beach and bay.

There are a couple of fun activities at Drakes Beach including birdwatching, beachcombing, and beach walking. Visitors can drive 15 minutes south to Chimney Rock that has hiking trails, a seal rookery, and is a great spot for paddleboarding.

Getting to Drakes Beach is easy – Drakes Beach’s free parking lot is situated at 1 Drakes Beach Road and is within walking distance to the beach.

If you are looking for attractions near Drakes Beach, you can drive 55 minutes to Sonoma County Fairgrounds that offer a horse-racing track, jockey club, carnival rides, and several open-air amphitheaters. It hosts many annual events including the Sonoma County Fair, The Harmony Festival, and The Sonoma Valley Harvest Fair – a wine festival with a grape stomping contest. The famous road course Sonoma Raceway plays host to many annual racing events including the NASCAR Cup Series, the IndyCar Series, the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, and the American Federation of Motorcyclists series. Scandia Family Fun Center is an awesome amusement park featuring many rides including a pirate ship swing, train ride, merry-go-round swings, horse carousel, go-karts, and bumper cars. Another great attraction near Drakes Beach is Saint Teresa of Avila Church that has been the setting for Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 film, The Birds.

If you get hungry, there are many restaurants within a 20-minute drive of Drakes Beach. The European restaurant Vladimir's Czech Restaurant features rye bread, chicken paprikash, duck, pork, ribs, a bar, and live music. Saltwater Oyster Depot is a nice oyster bar-restaurant that serves seafood, mollusks, and regional wines. Another good restaurant near Drakes Beach is Tap Room offering sushi, sandwiches, burgers, chips, burritos, fries, and beer in outdoor seating.

If you are looking for a hotel near Drakes Beach, you can drive 45 minutes to many nearby hotels. The upscale Mediterranean-style and pet-friendly 4-Star hotel Sonoma Coast Villa features a pool, spa, restaurant, miniature golf course, and hiking tours. Bodega Coast Inn & Suites is a 3-Star seaside hotel that welcomes pets and offers canoeing, diving, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, snorkeling, and windsurfing tours. If you are looking for a budget-friendly hotel near Drakes Beach, the 2-Star Good Nite Inn Rohnert Park Sonoma County has a nice pool.