NatParks-Kaitlyn++G.

media type="youtube" key="VAwZ1iYJbhk?rel=0" height="315" width="560" align="center"
 * Point Reyes National Seashore **

=//__**Park Profile:**__// = =**Location:** Marin County, California, USA = =**Park Size:** 71,028 acres = =**General Climate:** =  **Summer** : During the summer there is very little rain but often dense fog. The fog usually stops by mid-day causing the afternoon to be sunny and warm with a slight breeze. Temperatures should be between 62 and 64 degrees Fahrenheit. **Fall** : Clearest in late September to early November. Storms start occurring in late October, with clouds, wind and rain. Temperatures should be between 58 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit. **Winter** : Rainfall is heaviest in the winter and you should expect rain and drizzles to last for a few days but when it isn't raining it is usually sunny, calm and cool. Temperatures should be between 53 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit. **Spring** : Cooler temperature are to be expected in March, but, by late May and Early June the temperatures are warmer on the east side of Inverness Ridge. Temperature should be between 55 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit. =<span style="color: #189be2; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Region of the US:** <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Western Coast of the United States = =<span style="color: #189be2; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Visitors per year:** <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">2,067,271 (in 2010) = =<span style="color: #189be2; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Most popular sites in the park:** <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Lighthouse,beaches,trails,Alamere Falls =

= = = = = = == = = =<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #9832e2; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">__//**History:**//__ = <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #9832e2; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Point Reyes is often referred to as a National Park, but it really is a National Seashore. It became a National Seashore on September 13, 1962 by President John F. Kennedy. This only happened after Clem Miller wrote and introduced a bill that would later cause Point Reyes to become a National Seashore. This bill was written after a proposal was given for residential development to occur on the slopes above Drake's Bay. Clem Miller didn't agree with the idea and wanted to protect the beautiful peninsula which he ended up doing. Point Reyes is home to twelve historic cultural landscapes and all of which have been documented and if necessary, rehabilitated. Point Reyes is a Natural site because there are natural occurring features but at the same time there are features that are man made. The population of Point Reyes is 812 people with only a few ethnicities. White alone - 504 (84.7%), two or more races - 34 (5.7%), hispanic - 34 (5.7%), black alone - 23 (3.9%). <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">

media type="youtube" key="hvfNRdzeWE0?rel=0" height="315" width="560" align="right"

**//__<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Environmental Issues: __//**
The weather in Point Reyes is quite cool. It has warm, dry summers and cool rainy winters. Geologic activity in Point Reyes baffles scientist because there are rocks on Point Reyes that match rocks on Tehachapi Mountains which happens to be more than 310 miles to the south. Scientist say that this is because the Point Reyes Peninsula sets high in the eastern edge of the Pacific plate. This plate moves towards the northwest approximately two inches per year. The North American plate is slower and travels westward. These two plates grind together along the San Andreas Fault Zone which has many large and small faults running parallel and at odd angles to one another. Point Reyes has a Mediterranean ecosystem. This means that it is mostly evergreen or drought deciduous shrublands. When it comes to Point Reyes it is quite diverse with geology. It consists of Granite, Sand, Terrace Deposits, Millerton Formation, Franciscan Formation, Alluvium, Laird Sandstone, Point Reyes Conglomerate, Monterey Shale, Olema Creek Formation, Drakes Bay Formation, Merced Formation, and Water. The air quality here is better than the average of the United States. Here it is 23.6 AQl and the US average is 32.0 AQl. Throughout the years, the fire activity has gone down due to the decreasing of natural and human-generated fires. Point Reyes has become aware of the importance of managing wildfires and maintaining a healthy ecosystem so they have been reviewing how they manage fires. They now have ways to protect neighboring communities from fires but at the same time using the fires to help with natural resource management. After having a water quality restoration project to clean up after the cows which were once on the land it has become a lot cleaner and the water quality has improved. There are no hydrothermal feature here on Point Reyes. media type="youtube" key="JNw1UuCHzng?rel=0" height="315" width="560" align="right" The animals here at Point Reyes range from large marine mammals to some of the smallest endangered species. There are 80 types of mammals, 85 types of fish, 29 types of reptiles and amphibians, and thousands of aquatic and terrestrial invertebrate types and almost half of the birds of North America have been spotted here. There are over 900 types of plants here in Point Reyes and 292 of the are not native to this area. Natural land features that you will see here are beaches, sea cliffs, and intertidal zones cascading into the Pacific Ocean. Another natural feature here is the eastern San Andreas Fault but this is not one that can be seen. Some ways that we are trying to preserve the park is by adding dunes to protect our birds and we are also trying to get the population of Snowy Plovers to increase. media type="youtube" key="GPGVurD5B0E?rel=0" height="315" width="560"

**__//Recreational Activities://__**
There are many thing to do while you are here in Point Reyes National Seashore. You can visit Point Reyes Lighthouse. This lighthouse is one of many historical sites that you can visit on your trip with us. You could also go kayaking in one of the bays that we have here. Ranger-Led Programs, Creative Workshops, and even horseback riding are some of the programs that we offer. You could also go on a hike with your friends and family and while on it go site seeing. Finally you could go to one of our many Beaches. Point Reyes is home to 12 beaches and with each one you are offered a different view of the gorgeous scenery. To get to Abbotts Lagoon Beach you have to walk through costal scrub, across a bridge over a stream between two lagoons, and over sand dunes to get to the ocean beach. This walk comes to a total of 1.5 miles and it is every bit worth it. But between early June and mid September be careful because it is nesting season for some of the birds that you will see. Drakes Beach is a wide stretch of beach which has dramatic white sandstone cliffs. These make it a very popular site. 10 to 13 million years ago the beach was formed and since then erosion has occurred revealing striations in the cliff faces. Heart's Desire Beach is perfect for families with younger children and tends to be warmer. To visit Kehoe Beach you have to take a short .6 mile walk along side a marsh and over a sand dune. Once on the beach you can explore a stream thatleads into the Pacific Ocean. Kelham Beach requires a 4.8 mile walk from Bear Valley trailhead which brings hikers to a quiet overlook. Limantour Beach is more of a spot to look out into the ocean for animals. Harbor seals are often seen ofthe coast along with gray whales. Marshall Beach is south of Tomales Point and after parking you car it is a little over a mile walk to get to the beach. McClures Beach has a short but yet steep downhill hike to get to it but after that it is filled with excitement. It holds an exciting cove and intense surf. Palomarin Beach houses a difficult walk down the cliff and is good for tide pooling but only at low tide. It is located between Bolinas Point and Wildcat Beach. Sculptured Beach in two miles south of Limantour beach. It is a great place to go tide pooling and when inter rain falls it goes into two creeks which have streams across the sand and into the ocean. The Great Beach is also known by Point Reyes Beach. It is home to over 11 miles of ocean beach which happens to hold some of the heaviest surf in the area. Wildcat Beach can be accessed by two different ways. One is for campers staying at the Wildcat Campground, they will need to hike about 5.5 miles or guest may also ride there bikes along the 6.7 mile bike path. There are many reasons to visit Point Reyes National Seashore. It has many thing to offer visitors from the gorgeous beaches and the beautiful scenery to camping, horseback riding, and even hiking. There is so much for guests to do and there should never be a dull moment during you visit.



=<span style="color: #ff0081; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">__**Hyperlinks:**__ =

**[|lodging]**
**[|lodging]** **[|Camping while staying on Point Reyes]**

Work Cited:
> > >
 * . //Point Reyes National Seashore//. N.p., 31 Dec 2011. Web. 24 Feb 2012. <http://www.nps.gov/pore/index.htm>.
 * . "Point Reyes National Seashore." //Point Reyes National Seashore//. N.p., 01 Feb 2012. Web. 26 Feb 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_Reyes_National_Seashore>.
 * Malloy, Betsy. "Point Reyes National Seashore." //Point Reyes National Seashore//. Betsy Malloy, 2008. Web. 26 Feb 2012.
 * Bruce da Moose. //Alamere Falls, Upper Cascades (30 feet total), Point Reyes National Seashore, Marin County, California - March 2009// . 2009. Photograph. PanoramioWeb. 26 Feb 2012. <http://www.panoramio.com/photo/23926591>.
 * //pictures of beaches, animals, and more//. 2011. Photograph. Point ReyesWeb. 26 Feb 2012. <http://www.nps.gov/pore/index.htm>.
 * //Point Reyes videos//. 2010. Photograph. Youtube
 * //Alamere Falls Hike//. 2010. Slideshow. SlideWeb. 26 Feb 2012. <http://www.slide.com/r/V86g5BjE5D84dIsI3T10t8E5rrO8rnbL?previous_view=TICKER&previous_action=TICKER_ITEM_CLICK&ciid=288230376774370712>.