Elephant Seal Overlook Trail

Elephant Seal Overlook Trail is an easy 0.5-mile out-and-back from the Chimney Rock parking lot to a bluff-top view over Drakes Bay and Drakes Beach. The 15–20 minutes of walking leave time for seals; stay longer if you want to watch. This is a separate, much shorter outing than Chimney Rock Trail.

Walk down the driveway on foot and bear left at the Y. After about 400 feet, leave the asphalt for a mostly level, roughly four-foot-wide crushed-rock path above the shore. It ends at the overlook, with the beach and bay opening beside it. Keep a stretch of bay and shoreline in a wide photo; binoculars work better than a phone zoom for the animals. Northern elephant seals returned to Point Reyes in the early 1970s after more than 150 years away; the first breeding pair near Chimney Rock was found in 1981. Numbers peak December through March and again in spring, though some may be present any day.

The approach drops about 50 feet over roughly 500 feet; the old asphalt is uneven and can be potholed, so the return is the uphill part. Coastal bluffs can crumble, especially when wet: stay on the path and behind barriers. Pets are prohibited. The small paved lot has 20 spaces and a vault toilet, and it is often tight on weekend afternoons. There is no food service west of Inverness, so plan that stop before driving out.