Duck Beach(Point Reyes National Seashore)

Located near the northern tip of the Tomales Bay shoreline, Duck Beach is a beach with light brown sand. The beach is a part of a national park called the Point Reyes National Seashore. Duck Beach is surrounded by forests. 

Duck Beach does not have lifeguards or any other amenities, so plan your trip accordingly. 

Duck Beach offers many activities including camping, sunbathing, wildlife watching, fishing, picnicking, kayaking, and boating. The water near this beach is highly unsafe for aquatic recreational activities like swimming and paddleboarding due to its extremely unruly and turbulent nature. The water near the beach is home to seals (which live in Tomales Bay) and you can also see many kinds of seabirds on the beach and the area around it. If you like fishing, you can catch many kinds of fish in the water near Duck Beach depending on the time of the year including surfperch and halibut. However, if you are planning to fish in the water here, please make sure that you follow the local fishing regulations. Duck Beach is also a great spot for a memorable oceanfront tent camping experience. However, if you are planning to camp in Duck beach, it is important to note that you need a permit from the National Park Service for doing so. It is also important to note that Duck Beach, like the other camping beaches along this part of the Tomales Bay shoreline, does not have any amenities including trash cans, showers, and restrooms and you need to dispose of all the waste generated during your camping yourself to preserve the beach’s pristine natural state.

Getting to Duck Beach is very hard as this beach is accessible via kayak and boat only. There are many nearby kayak and boat launching spots that you can use to travel to Duck Beach including Lawson’s Landing which is in the nearby community of Dillon Beach that also offers boats on rent. Another great kayak and boat launching spot are Miller Boat Launch which is managed by Marin County and also has overnight paid parking facilities. In addition, you can also find boat launching facilities in the nearby town of Inverness. However, it is important to note that unlike some other beaches along the Tomales Bay shoreline, Duck Beach has extremely strong currents and waves which often make traveling here via boat or kayak difficult.

There are many attractions near Duck Beach. Kule Loklo – which means "Bear Valley" – is a recreated Native American Coast Miwok village that offers an interesting insight into the pre-Columbian history of North California. Guided tours of this historical site are available from the nearby Bear Valley Visitor Center every Sunday from Memorial Day to Labour Day. You can call the Bear Valley Visitor Center on (415) 464-5100 for more information regarding these tours. This site also hosts the annual Big Time Festival in July which sees Native American cultural performances and exhibitions displaying unique Native American art and handicrafts being organized in its premises. Jack Mason Museum of West Marin History has interesting exhibits on the rich history of Marin County and northern California. If you are looking for another attraction near Duck Beach, Pierce Point Ranch is a historic site that was a popular dairy ranch in the late 19th century and the early 20th century. The ranch offers a unique insight into the interesting history of Northern California. The site includes the main house, a blacksmith shop, barns, a dairy house, and a schoolhouse. Pierce Point Ranch is a part of the United States National Register of Historic Places and is one of the oldest surviving ranch houses in the Point Reyes Peninsula.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Duck Beach.  Saltwater Oyster Depot is an upscale local restaurant that is famous for its oysters and oyster-based dishes. The restaurant also serves many other kinds of excellent seafood dishes including clam chowder, fish-and-chips, and seafood risotto. In addition, the restaurant has also been praised by the prestigious MICHELIN Guide. Nick’s Cove Restaurant and Oyster Bar has a rustic ambiance and offers excellent seafood and sandwiches. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Duck Beach, Bovine Bakery offers excellent pizzas, quiche, calzone, and soups. In addition, the restaurant is famous for offering delicious baked desserts including muffins, scones, pastries, and cookies.

If you are looking for a hotel near Duck Beach, there are many great nearby options. Osprey Peak is a Zen-themed bed-and-breakfast that offers many amenities including a mini-fridge for guest use, complimentary breakfast, and afternoon wine-and-cheese sessions. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Nick’s Cove that offers excellent views of Tomales Bay and also has a restaurant. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Duck Beach, the Abalone Inn offers many amenities including a garden patio, a hot tub, a lounge with a fireplace, complimentary breakfast, and massage treatments (for a fee).