Magical McClures

McClures Beach in Point Reyes

07.15.2020
McClures Beach Point Reyes National Seashore

McClures Beach is a seductive little spot: small, beautiful, and quiet. It’s easy to while away an afternoon-turned-sunset at this pocket cove in Point Reyes. Near the northern tip of the park, McClures Beach is bookended by huge rocks, making a magical and exciting little beach that’s reached by a short and somewhat steep 0.4-mile downhill hike.

Person surveying the beach at McClures Beach in Point Reyes National Seashore

Hiker sitting and looking out to the waves at McClures Beach in Point Reyes National Seashore

Person standing at McClures Beach in Point Reyes National Seashore

Point Reyes has over 80 miles of protected shoreline, and this is one of its most remote. On your drive in to the McClures Beach parking lot you might see the mighty tule elk—this northern part of the park is a tule elk reserve. Relaxing at McClures Beach after a hike out to Tomales Point makes for a fantastic day in the park. Bring your picnic supplies and chill out, watching the massive waves crashing on shore. Mmmm … McClures.

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST: In the episode "Exclamation Point!" Weekend Sherpa co-founders discuss their explorations of Point Reyes and being at McClures Beach for sunset.

The parking lot for the trailhead to McClures Beach is at the northern end of Pierce Point Rd. No dogs at the beach.

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Camp at Goose Lake in the Lakes Basin

    Duck, Duck, Goose!

    Try to get a first-come, first-served campsite at one of the Lakes Basin’s lakeside campgrounds. We love Goose Lake Campground, where there are just 13 sites and no motorized boats.

    View

  2. This Is Paradise

    Granite mountain-scape, superb sunset views, crystal lakes, and shoreline campsites … the trip to Paradise Lake in Tahoe National Forest lives up to its idyllic name.

    View

  3. Aloha from California

    Say Aloha without leaving California with a 7-mile out-and-back hiking adventure to Lake Aloha in El Dorado National Forest. You can also camp here, a premier place for stargazing.

    View

  4. Sequoia Re-opens Crystal Cave

    Step inside Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park's hidden world by visiting the newly re-opened Crystal Cave—the only cave in the parks open to the public. Closed for four years, this rare marble karst cavern is welcoming visitors once again, but only through the summer season!

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories

  1. Can't Top This

    San Francisco’s Presidio was already a fantastic place to hang out for the afternoon, a beautiful site within the largest urban national park in the United States (the Golden Gate National Recreation Area). And Presidio Tunnel Tops is like a cherry on top. Make that two cherries on top, with the newly opened (July 2025) Outpost Meadow, a 1.5-acre green space located at Old Mason Street across from the Crissy Field Marsh in the Presidio.

    View

  2. Underground Garden

    Looking to escape the summer heat? Head to Fresno and discover its cool secret: the Forestiere Underground Gardens–an enchanting garden and architecture oasis like no other.

    View

  3. Oh Ryan

    Sure, it’s those whimsical trees that give Joshua Tree National Park its marquee billing; but this beautiful landscape also has surrounding mountains and its night sky—one of the darkest in Southern California and designated an International Dark Sky Park. Joshua Tree has four allowable stargazing parking lots, and a newly opened haven for spending the night nearby...

    View

  4. Easiest Best Hike in the World

    Choose the easiest and most view-rewarding hike in Yosemite. Okay, we’ll go first: the combination of hiking to Sentinel Dome and Taft Point. Both of these lookouts are within a couple miles of each other on Glacier Point Road

    View