Elephant seals disappeared from Point Reyes for 150 years, and the first pup to come back was born below this easy bluff trail

The best wildlife comeback story in the Bay Area doesn’t need a boat, a guide, or a long hike. It needs about 40 minutes, a pair of binoculars, and a windbreaker you’ll be glad you brought.

Northern elephant seals vanished from Point Reyes for more than 150 years. Then, in 1981, the first breeding pair and a pup turned up on the beach right below Chimney Rock, and the trail above that beach is still one of the easiest, most rewarding walks on the whole peninsula.

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How one pair of seals restarted a whole colony

By the early 1900s, hunting had pushed northern elephant seals to the edge of extinction, with only a few hundred to a few thousand left. Once they were protected, the species slowly bounced back, and in the early 1970s seals started hauling out on the Point Reyes Headlands again.

The real turning point came in 1981, when the Park Service found that first breeding pair and pup near Chimney Rock. From 1988 to 1993, the colony grew by about 32% a year on average, which is the kind of growth chart most startups would frame.

By the winter of 2004, weekly counts passed 1,000 seals for the first time. The seals have kept spreading out since then, and after 2019 they even started using Drakes Beach, right next to the visitor center.

The Chimney Rock Trail: short, easy, and very windy

Here’s the deal: the Chimney Rock Trail is 1.8 miles round trip on a narrow dirt path, with just one short climb of about 75 feet early on. Plan on 40 to 90 minutes, depending on how long you stand at the end staring at the ocean (spoiler: longer than you think).

The path runs out along a skinny ridge with Drakes Bay on one side and the open Pacific on the other. On a clear day, you can see all the way to San Francisco and Montara Mountain, and there are benches at the tip for soaking it all in.

It’s our favorite short hike in Point Reyes, and it’s not close. Just stay on the official trail, since erosion has made the bluff edges unstable, and leave the dog at home because pets aren’t allowed out here.

If you want to stack it with a few more trails while you’re out this way, our guide to the best hikes in Point Reyes has plenty of options.

Don’t skip the Elephant Seal Overlook

The Elephant Seal Overlook starts from the same parking lot and is only about half a mile round trip. You walk down the old paved driveway, bear left onto a mostly flat gravel path, and end up perched above the main colony on the beach below the bluffs.

Bring binoculars, because the seals are a long way down. From up here, a full-grown bull looks like a very grumpy potato, and that’s part of the charm.

While you’re down there, peek at the Point Reyes Historic Lifeboat Station tucked into the cove. The Coast Guard ran motorized lifeboats from it starting in 1927, and it’s the only surviving station on the Pacific Coast with an intact marine railway, which helped earn it National Historic Landmark status in 1990.

The building itself isn’t open to the public, but you can walk down to it by following the “Boathouse” signs (expect some steep bits). On weekends and holidays from late December through early April, docents may be there to answer questions and give tours.

Why late fall is the sweet spot

The Park Service says the coast often has its clearest days in late September, October, and early November. Summer tends to bring thick fog, winter brings the heaviest rain, and spring is often windy, so right now is your best shot at actually seeing the view you drove out for.

The seals aren’t totally gone in fall, either. Juveniles come back for a resting haul-out by mid-September, then the big males start arriving in December, and the largest crowds of seals show up from December through March for pupping and mating.

Winter has its own perks, like gray whales passing Chimney Rock from January through May. Just know that from December 15 to March 31, the beach between the lifeboat station and Chimney Rock closes to protect nursing pups, along with the road past the gate at the end of Chimney Rock Road.

The parking lot at the trailhead is small and fills up, so get there early. If you’re making a full day of it, our list of things to do in Point Reyes and our roundup of beaches in Point Reyes (Drakes Beach included) will fill out the rest of your afternoon.

So, are you team clear-skies-in-October, or are you holding out for the winter seal party? Tell us which one you’re planning for.

Trip tips: grab a rental car to get out here, lock in your hotel before the good rooms are gone, or skip both and book a camper van instead.

Rules and fees change, so always confirm current requirements before you go.

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