Point Reyes Nature reveals the vibrant natural world of the Point Reyes peninsula in West Marin California by sharing hikes, classes, seasonal highlights, volunteer opportunities, and events. 

Point Reyes is an elongated triangle-shaped peninsula located along the northern California coast of Marin County. It juts into the Pacific Ocean, our most expansive ocean that makes up one third of our planet covering 64,000 square miles. The peninsula is an outlier, residing on the Pacific tectonic plate, an oceanic plate which is moving slowly northwest 3 to 4 inches a year. The rest of Marin County is on the North American Plate.

Point Reyes National Seashore is one of ten seashores in the United States managed by the National Park Service. According to NPS, the elevation at the park varies from sea level to 1,407 feet at Mount Wittenberg along Inverness Ridge, and is home to a variety of landscapes, consisting of low-lying coastal areas, gently rolling grassy hills, forested mountains, and steep coastal bluffs. The park encompasses approximately 86,000 acres in the Coast Range physiographic province. The terrains include wetland, grassland, forest, scrub, and dunes.

A popular site with bird lovers, Point Reyes hosts the greatest avian diversity of any national park unit in the United States and nearly half of the bird species of North America, with around 490 species recorded from approximately 60 bird families. This diversity can be explained by the park’s latitude, its diverse habitats, and its location along the Pacific Flyway.

About me

It was love at first sight. My first glimpse of Tomales Bay, looking out from Inverness Ridge is burned in my memory. I immerse myself deeply in the things I love. Point Reyes is my happy place. My dream is to hike all the trails of Point Reyes and to experience everything about this cool, misty place.

In spring 2016, I participated in the California Naturalist program in Point Reyes as a way to get involved in citizen science and to meet others who love West Marin. The series was taught by Dr. Chris Pincetich who has worked extensively with organizations in the area and has a background in Marine Biology and Environmental Toxicology. I highly recommend taking the California Naturalist series with Chris!

On a blazing hot day in July 2019, I finally completed my last segment of trail in Point Reyes!

I'm eager to learn from the naturalists, ranchers, artists, neighbors, and visitors who bring their unique perspective and experiences to this small piece of the world. 

See you on the trails! 

Lena Zentall

Photos credits

All photos were taken by me unless otherwise indicated. You may use any of my photos from this website for non-commercial purposes as long as you credit me.