Sight · Point Reyes National Seashore
Collapsing wooden fishing boat settled into Tomales Bay mudflats
Overview
A weathered wooden fishing boat sits beached on the Tomales Bay shoreline in downtown Inverness, close enough to the road that it takes only a few minutes to see. It is an unusual waterfront photo subject and a quick, distinctive break on a longer Point Reyes day. It is not worth a dedicated trip on its own.
Parkwolf’s verdictWhy stopMap
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Point Reyes Tour Guide
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
Point Reyes Shipwreck“You're coming up on the Point Reyes Shipwreck behind Inverness Store.”
Plays as you drive up to Point Reyes Shipwreck in the Parkwolf Point Reyes Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“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
The boat was bought by an Inverness resident who meant to repair it and instead beached it here. A fire in February 2016 badly damaged the hull, and by 2023 the sides had largely collapsed. Expect a fragile, half-fallen shell rather than a photogenic intact boat. Older photos circulating online were taken before the fire and make it look far more complete than it is now.
Water level changes the scene more than anything else here. Lower tide exposes more of the sandbar and gives a closer, cleaner view, while higher water can leave the approach damp or partly submerged. The ground is often muddy depending on season and tide, so bring shoes you do not mind getting wet or dirty, and add a wind layer since the bay side is exposed and cool.
Wildlife
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.
Keep exploring
ChallengingBucklin–Muddy Hollow Road–Drakes View–Inverness Ridge Loop7.7 mi · 5 hr · 1.5 mi awayA strenuous ridge loop with wide Drakes Bay views.
ChallengingBucklin–Muddy Hollow Road–Bayview–Inverness Ridge Loop8.6 mi · 5 hr · 1.5 mi awayAn 8.6-mile strenuous loop from ridge views into pine forest.EasyPoint Reyes Hill Trail1 mi · 30 min · 1.5 mi awayA short ridge walk ends at a bench above Drakes Bay.
ModerateInverness Ridge Trail3.2 mi · 1.8 hr · 1.5 mi awayA quiet ridge crossing opens toward Drakes Estero and the Pacific.
ModerateBucklin Trail5.4 mi · 3.5 hr · 1.5 mi awayA ridge connector with ocean views from Limantour to Chimney Rock.
EasyTomales Bay Trail2.6 mi · 1.5 hr · 2.2 mi awayPasture paths open onto Tomales Bay and restored wetlands.
ModerateInverness Ridge–Drakes View–Bayview Loop4.9 mi · 2.8 hr · 2.7 mi awayA wooded five-mile loop with one steep, pine-soft descent.
ModerateSky–Z Ranch Loop4.1 mi · 2.5 hr · 3 mi awayA shaded forest circuit with a Pacific glimpse when fog lifts.
Sight · 1.4 mi awayMount VisionDrive-up peak with panoramic views over esteros, headlands and ocean
Food · 3.2 mi awayBovine BakeryMorning buns, almond croissants, and strong drip coffee
Lodging · 3.8 mi awayLimantour LodgePark's only roofed lodging, tucked in a valley near Limantour Beach
Campground · 4.2 mi awaySky CampgroundHike-in ridgetop tent sites with sweeping Drakes Bay and ocean views
Sight · 4.4 mi awayHistoric Life-Saving Service CemeteryFour surfmen's graves behind a white picket fence in eucalyptus
Sight · 4.4 mi awayKule LokloA replica Coast Miwok village with a round house and acorn granaries
Sight · 4.5 mi awayDrakes Estero Kayak LaunchPaddle into a hushed marine wilderness of seals, rays and birds
Visitor center · 4.8 mi awayBear Valley Visitor CenterBarn-style orientation hub where a life-size elephant seal greets youParkwolf’s Point Reyes ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
