Hiking, surfing, crabbing, whale watching, and more in and around Dillon Beach.
A mile-long arc of sand at the mouth of Tomales Bay, open year-round.
Beach break with lefts and rights over sandy bottom — mellower than Salmon Creek, good for intermediates. Works best on west/northwest swell with offshore (east) winds. Waist-to-chest-high is the sweet spot; overhead swells close out. Watch for lateral currents near the Tomales Bay mouth.
Gentle slope and forgiving shore break. The south end near the parking area has the most manageable waves for beginners and families.
No lifeguards. Water is 50-56°F year-round — wetsuit strongly recommended. Rip currents form on bigger swell days and near the Tomales Bay channel. Never swim alone.
Low tide exposes shells, driftwood, and sea glass. Sand dollars wash up regularly after winter storms. White ones (empty tests) are fine to collect; leave dark purple-brown live ones. Best beachcombing: within an hour of low tide.
Fine, compact sand and a wide flat beach. Best time: an hour or two before high tide for damp sand and a natural moat.
Open fires on the public beach are not allowed. Campfires are permitted in designated rings at Lawson's Landing. Check current Marin County fire restrictions before your visit.
Dogs allowed off-leash between the high-tide line and ocean with reliable voice control. Leash in the parking lot and upper beach. Clean up after your pet.
Six standout trails within a 30-minute drive, spanning Point Reyes National Seashore and the Sonoma Coast.
One of the Bay Area's best hikes. An open ridge with panoramic views of Tomales Bay and the Pacific, through the Tule Elk Reserve. Elk are commonly spotted near Windy Gap (~1 mile in). On clear days you can see the Farallon Islands.
Best season: Spring for wildflowers; fall for clearest skies. Exposed trail with no shade — bring sun protection and water.
Duration: 4-5 hours full out-and-back. Short option: 2-mile round trip to Windy Gap (45 min) for elk and views.
Note: No dogs or bikes. 35 minutes from Bear Valley Visitor Center to trailhead.
Nearly flat walk through meadows to a quiet stretch of Point Reyes Beach. One of the best birding spots in the park — herons, egrets, grebes, and shorebirds. Very family-friendly. Spring wildflowers include lupine and California poppies.
Best season: Year-round. Spring for wildflowers, winter for migratory birds.
Short walk through a wildflower-lined creek valley to a secluded beach with steep cliffs and nesting peregrine falcons. One of the few Point Reyes trails that allows dogs (on leash). Connects north to McClures Beach and south to Abbotts Lagoon.
Best season: Late March through May for wildflowers.
Short trail to one of California's best land-based whale-watching and elephant seal viewing spots. Dec-March: elephant seal colony (males exceed 4,000 lbs). Dec-April: gray whales pass close to shore. The Elephant Seal Overlook spur provides a bird's-eye view of the colony.
Best season: December through April for seals and whales. Spring for wildflowers.
Coastal bluff loops about 20 minutes north of Dillon Beach. East loop (1.7 mi) overlooks Bodega Bay; west loop (1.2 mi) faces the open Pacific. Premier whale-watching location — trained volunteers staff the overlooks weekends from January through Mother's Day.
Best season: January through April for whales. Year-round for scenery.
Parking: Free. From Hwy 1, take East Shore Road to Bay Flat Road, 3.3 miles to trailheads.
Quieter than the popular Point Reyes routes. Rolling coastal grasslands above Drakes Estero. Shorter options: 2.2-mile round trip to Home Bay viewpoint, or 7.8 miles to Sunset Beach. Excellent birding; harbor seals, bat rays, and leopard sharks in the estero.
Best season: Fall and spring. Can be muddy after winter rains.
Note: Bikes allowed on portions. Trailhead on Home Ranch Road, ~20 min from Bear Valley Visitor Center.
Tomales Bay for calm paddling; the open Pacific for surf, fishing, and coastal exploration.
A 15-mile-long inlet created by the San Andreas Fault — calm, protected, and beginner-friendly. Glassy mornings, light afternoon wind.
Blue Waters Kayaking (11401 CA-1, Point Reyes Station; 415-669-2600; bluewaterskayaking.com) offers rentals, guided tours, and multi-day trips. Their 4-hour Tomales Point tour passes tule elk, harbor seals, and birds of prey. Summer bioluminescence night tours are a highlight.
Tomales Bay Expeditions also offers kayak and SUP rentals from the east shore.
Sheltered Tomales Bay water, rentals available through Blue Waters Kayaking and other outfitters. Best flat-water conditions before the afternoon wind.
Dungeness season opens the first Saturday of November through June 30. Lawson's Landing (707-878-2443; lawsonslanding.com) has a pier, boat rentals, and bait shop. CA sport fishing license required (16+). Males only, 5.75" minimum, limit 10/day.
Season runs February through October. Washington, littleneck, and horseneck clams at low tide along the Tomales Bay shore. Requires a sport fishing license and current biotoxin closure report from the CA Dept of Public Health.
Pier fishing at Lawson's Landing: surfperch, jacksmelt, halibut. Surf fishing: barred and redtail surfperch on incoming tides. Boat fishing in Tomales Bay: halibut, leopard shark, bat ray. Offshore from Bodega Bay: rockfish, lingcod, seasonal salmon. CA sport fishing license required.
One of the most biologically diverse coastal zones in North America.
About 20,000 gray whales make a 10,000-mile round trip between Alaska and Baja California each year. Southbound: December-January. Northbound (with calves close to shore): March-April. Best viewing from Chimney Rock, Bodega Head, or the Tomales Point Trail. Whales often pass within a few hundred yards of shore.
Tomales Bay has one of the largest harbor seal populations on the California coast. Pupping season March-May. Stay 100+ yards away — closer approach is illegal and can cause pup abandonment.
The Chimney Rock colony is one of California's most accessible. Males arrive December, females give birth in January, pups wean by late February. Males can exceed 16 feet and 4,000 lbs. The Elephant Seal Overlook provides close views without disturbing the animals.
Once reduced to a single pair in 1874, the Tomales Point herd now numbers over 100. Best seen from the Tomales Point Trail, grazing on coastal grasslands or near watering holes in the gulches.
Point Reyes has recorded 490+ bird species — nearly half of all North American species. Brown pelicans offshore, white-tailed kites over grasslands, peregrine falcons at Kehoe Beach. The Point Reyes Christmas Bird Count regularly ranks among the highest in the country.
Rocky outcrops at both ends of Dillon Beach. Look for ochre sea stars, giant green anemones, purple sea urchins, and hermit crabs. Best on minus tides (below 0.0 ft) — most common in late fall/winter daylight and spring/summer early mornings. Wear grip shoes; don't remove living organisms.
Everything below is within a 45-minute drive.
16 miles south, ~25 min
West Marin's hub. Galleries, bookshops, artisan cheese at Point Reyes Farmstead, picnic supplies at Palace Market. Bear Valley Visitor Center just outside town.
14 miles north, ~20 min
Working fishing village. Hike Bodega Head for whales, eat at Spud Point Crab Company, visit the The Birds schoolhouse in Bodega. Nearest town for groceries and gas.
12 miles south, ~20 min
Oyster country on Hwy 1 along Tomales Bay. Hog Island for tours and tastings, The Marshall Store for BBQ oysters over the water, Tomales Bay Oyster Company (est. 1909) for a bag to grill yourself.
6 miles east, ~10 min
Closest town to Dillon Beach. Route One Bakery & Kitchen for morning pastries, small farms along the road to Petaluma, and the turnoff for northern Point Reyes trailheads.
28 miles east, ~40 min
Victorian downtown, craft breweries (Lagunitas HQ), antique shopping on Kentucky Street, Saturday farmers market. Also your best stop for groceries and supplies.
11 miles north, ~15 min
Tiny farming hamlet with Rocker Oysterfeller's (creative comfort food, Dollar Oyster Mondays) and Estero Cafe (hearty breakfasts).
When weather keeps you off the beach, the region has plenty to offer.
Wine bars in Point Reyes Station and Petaluma offer tastings without appointments.
Point Reyes Station's Main Street: Point Reyes Books (excellent independent bookstore), Toby's Feed Barn weekend market, art galleries and specialty food shops. In Bodega Bay: Ren Brown Collection gallery and local-craft gift shops.
Light a fire, brew coffee, and read with the sound of waves and rain. The General Store has snacks and their much-loved soft-serve ice cream.
Bear Valley Visitor Center (Point Reyes): geology, ecology, Coast Miwok history. Point Reyes Lighthouse: 300 steps down the headland, original Fresnel lens (open most weekends). Fort Ross State Historic Park (north of Jenner): restored Russian settlement with living-history programs.
What to do in Dillon Beach throughout the year
December – February
March – May
June – August
September – November