tule elk preserve

TammyLou

The views of the ocean and bay are amazing on the Tomales Point Hike to see the elks. We had to walk quite a way to see the elk and they were not very close to the trail.

Chemabb

The walk is a little long, but you can go at your own pace and it's a rather easy walk. If you walk up the little hills where you see rocks, you can usually see elk relaxing and can take closeup pictures. I had a fantastic day and I'm not athletic at all so anyone can make the walk with no difficulty.

linnde

Absolutely beautiful, each time we turned to look at the beach we were wowed, it actually got more beautiful. Mostly scrub bush along trail but green velvety rolling hills and spectacular ocean coastline. Saw two large herds of elk, not real close but still. Not as many birds as I had thought. Long stretches of quiet with just the sound of waves and footsteps. Perfect temperature (t-shirt) clear and only very slight wind but that can be December weather, December 23rd to be exact. Probably fogged in during summer. Very easy walk. The drive back to the park is on all paved roads and nice scenery as well.

wildlifeship

The Elk were easier to spot but mostly in the hills, did see a small heard near the old farm that seem to be relaxed around people. The scenery is nice with the beach nearby.

poormickey

It was a long walk, but a beautiful one as well. There was a whole lot of elkin' going on and there was a friendly docent giving out interesting information.

steveng375

We timed our Point Reyes outing at the right time to listen to the bugling of bull elk. The preserve is in a remote part of the park and well worth the car trip and hike.

Stojy

Only go here if you are into hiking. . . Drove all the way there, only to find out that a long hike was required to maybe see the elk.

922amberh

Beautiful part of point reyes. You feel like you're in the middle of the ocean.Iris and Lupine and Elk. Pretty cool

BTDavey

This was a terrific (windy and foggy) hike along the ride out through Tule Elk Preserve. Easy walking trail that would also be great for a run. Easy to access and walk along with a smooth surface and very wide.

mcmousee

First, the drive is lovely. Parked at the lot and then started hiking. After about a third of the way we could see the Bay on one side and the Pacific crashing against the rocks and cliffs on the other side--breathtaking! Then, a bit further on, there are the elk, beautiful animals, grazing along the hillside and valley. We were lucky enough to spot a predator, probably a bobcat/mountain lion stalking the elk in the tall grasses. The sentry elk noticed him and chased him off! It was quite thrilling to watch.Then I also got to see a hawk first hover in the air then dive to the ground and wrestled something for quite a long time. The air is filled with the most beautiful fragrances.

skeetl

The drive to the Tule Elk Preserve in Point Reyes National Park is a beautiful but somewhat bumpy ride through the coastal hills of Northern California. Most of the drive is through a series of dairy farms and cattle ranches (with park markers like "Historic Ranch G founded 1857"). A asked a ranger about the alphabet names and he said that when a pair of lawyers bought the land, they subdivided it into plots to be leased to tenant farmers--they simply designated the plots A, B, C, ect. The Tule elk preserve is at the end of the road and is separated from the cattle farms by a high fence and a cattle gate (the kind you drive over). The gate and fence keeps the Elk in and the cattle out of the preserve. The ranger said there were about 400 elk in the preserve. We saw a good many right beside the road. There is a trail down to the beach at the end of the road. I took the hike to the beach and enjoyed the wildflowers and view. It is not a hard hike, but a little it of a climb headed back.

ldf123

way cool to see these elk so close up...right off the road...just a beautiful place...the museum at the Welcome Center if very good also...blessings

456kristine

The Tule Elk Preserve is a hikers delight. This is located at the northern most point along the west side of Tomales Bay. It is at the very end of Pierce Point Road at the historic ranch the bares the same name. You can spot the Tule Elk on the way in. The road are rough and twisty. It is about a 30-40 minute drive from Pt. Reyes Station. It is well worth the drive. Hike in on the trail for at least 45 minutes and you will find the end of the trail with lots of elk along the way. It is a gorgeous spot. Please come prepared with water, snack, appropriate walking shoes (not flip flops!), and layered clothing as appropriate for the weather. Fuel up your car and yourself before driving out. The historic ranch is also a spot to check out and is an easy walk to explore. I would say this is for young families with children but they need to be walking on their own. You would not be able to take a stroller on these hikes. The views are amazing.

sls58

The road was narrow and windy. The road cut through open range ranches so watch for cattle on road. We went at sunrise and enjoyed watching the elk which were next to road. There were also elk in Point Reyes National Seashore so it is not necessary to drive to the preserve but we did enjoy the drive.

anotherdayPotsdam_NY

This preserve is located in a "wild & wooly" section of Pt Reyes National Park. Think Scotland or western Brittany province in France: dramatic vistas, winding switchbacks and plenty of wildlife. Definitely worth the drive.