Best Sunrise Spot in the Bay Area
In our opinion, Point Reyes National Seashore is the most beautiful place in the Bay Area. Its remoteness, as it’s “off the beaten path,” gives it a stillness, which also means its less touristy than other locations closer to San Francisco.
During sunrise its possible that you may even have the place all to yourself. We did. During our visit, it was colder than usual and the ocean gales were frigid and intense. However, the wind just added to the wonder of this rolling coastline. If you look closely, you may notice sand blowing across the bluffs in the distant. As the sun rose, its light began to beam through the sand.
We took Sir Francis Drake Boulevard all the way until in dead end near the lighthouse, and arrived at our favorite view of the beach at dawn. First light is even (not shadowy), so when photographing, it helps obtain more depth in the images. However, when the sun rose above the bluff, the light was just as beautiful—helping us create more dramatic, layered imagery. Which do you prefer?
Tip: It takes about 45mins to drive all the way to the lighthouse parking lot from Point Reyes Station on Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. At times it may seem like you’re driving on private land because of all the ranches you’ll go through; plus the road has a lot of pot holes, wash-outs due to spring flooding, and cattle crossings, so just be cautious. Take your time and enjoy the drive.
As you can see below, the sun is beginning to shine through the blowing sand, painting the hillside in golden hues.
Point Reyes National Seashore is the perfect spot for engagement photos or an elopement.
Whenever we travel, we scout locations for future sessions, and this time was no exception. We’ve shot engagement photos here a few years ago, but it was on a dark and rainy evening, so we we’ve been yearning to return during a clear sunrise. You can view that engagement session here (it also highlights Mount Tamalpais State Park). As you can see, even in the difference in the environment and weather, the Cypress Tree Tunnel is still just as enchanting on a moody day.
Point Reyes’ natural and rugged beauty, with its changing atmosphere and windy shoreline, is the perfect environment for stunning, dramatic imagery. Whether it’s for an intimate wedding or elopement, engagement photos or simply just portraits with the one you love, we are looking forward to returning here to make something special with you! (You can message us here to make that happen, or scroll down to the bottom of the post and fill out the form).
Eastlyn’s sister, Mackenzie, graciously took a few pictures of us together here.
A few images of Eastlyn and Mackenzie together…
And again, reiterating how the direct, harsh sunlight changes the dynamic of the scene, casts shadows and warms the tones.
California Cypress Tree Tunnel
After we finished our time above the beach, we drove back down the road and stopped at the historic maritime radio receiving station. The lane back to the station is through a canopy of old growth Cypress trees. Drive all the way down the lane and park there. You’ll want to take in the beauty of this magical place facing the direction of the sunrise. The cypresses cast shadows in the sun’s puddles of light—we ran into them like they were spotlights for dancing and for spinning!
The landscape of Point Reyes National Seashore also consists of rolling hills and meadows, historic ranches and even an elk refuge (we’ve been here three times and have seen bull elk on every visit). This, along with our favorite view of the beach and the cypress tree tunnel, is why we believe it's the best sunrise spot near the bay area and definitely our favorite day trip from San Francisco. If you’re planning a Northern California road trip, make sure you save a few hours on your itinerary for Point Reyes National Seashore.
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