Best time to go
- Spring: Brandt's cormorants may nest nearby.
- April: strong time for gray whales, when cows and calves travel close to the coastline on the northbound migration.
- Year-round: sea lions may be present and vocal.
Overview
About Sea Lion Overlook
Why stop
- Sea-lion calls carry up the cliff
- Wide headlands and ocean views
Heads up
- Sea lions can be hard to see without binoculars
- Steep 54-step stairway
A short walk from the road brings you to a cliff-edge viewpoint above rocky shoreline and outcroppings at the Point Reyes Headlands. California sea lions may be seen and heard year-round on the rocks below, and their calls carry up the cliff face. Benches and interpretive information make this an easy place to sit, scan the water, and listen.
Parkwolf’s verdictWhy stop hereMap
Where it is
Loading the Point Reyes map
Full mapPlan your stop
Before you go
Best time to go
Getting there
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 Sea Lion Overlook, 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
Point Reyes Lighthouse Headlands0:00 / 0:32
“You're approaching the Point Reyes Lighthouse headlands. The original French-made Fresnel lens weighs about six thousand pounds and once flashed every five seconds.”
Plays as you drive up to Sea Lion Overlook in the Parkwolf Point Reyes Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Where Elephant Seals Go
- Chimney Rock and Elephant Seal Overlook
- Look for the Whale’s Breath
- The Animals in the Cliffs
- 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 Sea Lion Overlook
What you see and hearFrom the railing you look straight down toward the surf and rocks.
From the railing you look straight down toward the surf and rocks. Sea lions are larger than harbor seals, can use their back flippers to move on land, and have external ear flaps, which helps with telling them apart. Wildlife is never guaranteed, so treat every sighting as a bonus.
Photography and viewing tipsThis is a scenic and photo-friendly stop, with wide coastal views from the platform.
This is a scenic and photo-friendly stop, with wide coastal views from the platform. Bring binoculars or a long lens. The animals are below you and often at a distance, so they can be hard to pick out with the naked eye. Scan the rocks slowly and follow the sound.
Parking and logisticsParallel parking is permitted along Sir Francis Drake Boulevard near the overlook where signed.
- Parallel parking is permitted along Sir Francis Drake Boulevard near the overlook where signed.
- The Lighthouse visitor parking lot to the west holds 38 vehicles.
- Parking in the headlands is very limited, especially on weekend afternoons.
- Oversized vehicles must use the boulevard east of the lot.
RulesNo bicycles or pets on the path to the overlook.
- No bicycles or pets on the path to the overlook.
- No drones anywhere in the national seashore.
- Stay behind the split-rail fencing, use authorized paths, and leave natural objects in place.
Honest drawbacksThe stairs are steep, and the pullout parking is tight.
The stairs are steep, and the pullout parking is tight. Wildlife may be distant or absent, and without binoculars you may hear more than you see. The setting is exposed and often breezy, so bring a layer. This is a viewpoint rather than beach access.
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.
