Exploring California: Point Reyes, Cypress Trees, Stinson Beach

Our road trip
We drove to Point Reyes National Seashore, then to Cypress Trees from San Francisco. The drive to Point Reyes National Seashore/Cypress and back had amazing views. There were a lot of cows and horses on the way. The hills were endless and beautiful. On the way home, we stopped by Stinson Beach to watch the sunset. The road trip round trip was around 3.5 hours.

What is Point Reyes National Seashore?
Coastline in Northern California’s Marin County. Several beaches and hikes available. We went to the view point near the 1870 Point Reyes Lighthouse. The lighthouse was under construction, but beside it are two beautiful view points. My favorite one was of the seashore. I love being able to see the line where the sky meets the sea.

What is Cypress Tree Tunnel?
A tunnel of cypress trees not too far from Point Reyes National Seashore. The tree tunnel can be walked through or driven through and it’s next to a radio museum. There is a generous bunch of tourists in this area, but there are definitely down times; we saw a few photoshoots. There is no restroom here! The closest is one is in North Beach, which is less than a 10 minute drive away.

What is Stinson Beach?
On the way back to San Francisco from Point Reyes National Seashore and Cypress Trees, we stopped by Stinson Beach, which is close to Mt. Tam. It’s a long beach (not as long as Ocean Beach), but perfect to watch the sunset. Also, tons of seagulls running around. There’s parking and restrooms available. It’s a great place to relax and enjoy the sun and water.

Our trip route

How do you get there?
We got a Maven car, which is 8 USD/hour. The drive is less than two hours to Point Reyes National Seashore, which is the furthest point of our trip. We made it a day trip. Some of the roads were a bit curvy, but roads were quite empty in general.

What should you bring?
Layers since the weather can change depending on which part of the road trip you are at. Food and snacks is a must as there isn’t too much around at some portions of the road trip. Food is available in some areas, but it might be easier to enjoy your trip by packing a lunch so you don’t have to worry about being hungry.

Recommend?
I think all 3 of the sights together is very worth it as everything is on the way. If you choose to Point Reyes National Seashore or Cypress Tree Tunnel, you should make sure to do the other as they aren’t too far away from each other. The Cypress Tree Tunnel alone won’t take too long to see. I wouldn’t suggest making the drive for just one sight though.