Rules to Know
Glass is prohibited. Do not collect shells, rocks, fossils, flowers, or artifacts. Keep your distance from wildlife. No drones and no metal detectors. Fishing is permitted. There is no camping and no overnight parking at the trailhead.
Overview
About Kehoe Beach
Why stop
- Long, wide beach with dramatic surf and fault-line geology
- Often quieter than busier Point Reyes beaches
Heads up
- Very windy and fully exposed
- Limited roadside pullout parking
Map
Where it is
Loading the Point Reyes map
Full mapPlan your stop
Before you go
Rules to Know
4 active Point Reyes alerts
- ClosureOld Tocaloma/Platform Bridge closed to vehiclesDo not drive across the Old Tocaloma/Platform Bridge; it is closed to all vehicular traffic until further notice.Official details
- ClosurePalomarin Beach Trail closedPalomarin Beach Trail is closed to all visitors, employees, and residents until further notice; do not use the trail. - The trail is closed because unstable and failing sections have made it unsafe.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Point Reyes Tour Guide
Your drive to Kehoe Beach, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Point Reyes National Seashore. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this place
Kehoe Beach0:00 / 0:32
“You're nearing Kehoe Beach Trailhead, where a short path beside the marsh crosses a dune to a wide Pacific beach. The walk is about one point two miles round trip, with loose sand at the end.”
Plays as you drive up to Kehoe Beach in the Parkwolf Point Reyes Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Beach Nursery You Might Miss
- Why the Dunes Need to Move
- Pierce Point Ranch and Tomales Point
- Abbotts Lagoon
- 61 audio storiesacross Point Reyes’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Northern Elephant Seal, Grey Whale, Humpback Whale, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 65 trails, 41 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
More about Kehoe Beach
The Walk InA 0.
A 0.6-mile (about 881 m) earth trail runs beside Kehoe marsh and over a sand dune before opening onto the beach at the northern end of Point Reyes Beach. The recorded trail condition is good, and the walk is short, though carrying gear or moving with young children can make it feel longer.
Two Directions on the SandTurn right to see smooth Laird sandstone change abruptly to granite, the surface trace of a…
Turn right to see smooth Laird sandstone change abruptly to granite, the surface trace of a reverse fault. Turn left to follow the strand toward a stream entering the Pacific. In either direction the beach is long and wide, well suited to extended walks, photography, and late-day light.
Surf and Water SafetyThe surf here is frequently large and water temperatures can sit near 50 F / 10 C.
The surf here is frequently large and water temperatures can sit near 50 F / 10 C. Sneaker waves, rip currents, and hypothermia are real hazards, and swimming and playing at the water's edge are unsafe. Keep well back from the wave zone and watch the water at all times.
DogsDogs are welcome on the trail and the north beach year-round on a leash no longer than 6 feet.
Dogs are welcome on the trail and the north beach year-round on a leash no longer than 6 feet. The south side is closed to pets from March 1 through September 30 to protect habitat for the threatened western snowy plover.
Facilities and ParkingAccess is a roadside dirt pullout rather than a formal lot, and space is limited.
Access is a roadside dirt pullout rather than a formal lot, and space is limited. The trailhead has a vault toilet and garbage cans. There are no facilities at the beach itself, so bring water and any supplies you will need.
Conditions to ExpectThis stretch is very windy and fully exposed, with no shade and rough surf.
This stretch is very windy and fully exposed, with no shade and rough surf. It can feel quieter than busier beaches on the peninsula, though that varies with the day and season. Dress in wind-resistant layers even when inland weather looks mild.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Point Reyes
2,552 sightingsNorthern Elephant SealMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
127 sightingsGrey WhaleMost seen around noonSighting map
109 sightingsHumpback WhaleMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
29 sightingsSteller Sea LionMost seen around noonSighting map
203 sightingsCalifornia Sea LionMost seen around noonSighting map
352 sightingsHarbor SealMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Point Reyes. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
