Point Reyes If you love the sight of long stretches of deserted beaches, rugged cliffs and head- lands punctuated by wind-bent trees and a stately old lighthouse, basking elephant seals, and circling seabirds—you’re an ideal candidate for a visit to California’s Point Reyes National Seashore (PRNS). This 100-square-mile sanctuary, occu- pying a dramatic peninsula alongside Highway 1 in Marin County, preserves a
Gulf Islands Largest of the country’s national sea- shores, Gulf Islands National Seashore (GINS) extends across a 150-mile-long string of barrier islands in Florida and Mississippi, protecting 137,458 acres of beach, maritime forest, and wetlands. Snowy-white beaches at Santa Rosa Day Area and Perdido Key rank among the finest in the state and provide a real contrast to some of the park’s other fea-
Historic 1870 Point Reyes Lighthouse is a top attraction, as is a nearby 1927 life- boat station. Information: 415-464-5100 www.nps.gov/pore. Padre Island One of a pair of national seashores fronting the Gulf of Mexico, Padre Island National Seashore (PINS) is located 43 miles southeast of Corpus Christi, Texas,
Left to Right: Point Reyes’ shoreline is home to breeding northern elephant seas. The Point Reyes Lighthouse is also known as Point Reyes Light or the Point Reyes Light Station. Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles nest at Padre Island National Seashore. The white sand beaches of the Gulf Islands National Seashore welcome human visitors and birds, such as this great blue heron.
colorful tapestry woven with threads from its unique geography, natural diversity, and long history of human culture. Home to 1,500 species of plants and animals, including more than 400 species of birds, PRNS keeps naturalists with an interest in flora and fauna busy. Whale spotting is popular during the annual gray whale migration from January through April. From December to March, a breed- ing colony of northern elephant seals takes over the beach at Drake’s Bay. Hiking is the most popular activity available to visitors and the park boasts a 150-mile system of trails.
tures, including a pair of Civil War-era forts—Barrancas and Pickens—both open to visitors. Naval Live Oaks Visitor Center is a good place to view exhibits tracing the history of the area’s dense stand of live oak trees, once used in the building of wooden naval ships. Aside from the William M. Colmer Visitor Center in Ocean Springs, the Mississippi District consists of offshore islands accessible only by boat. Boasting a diversity of ecological com- munities, both districts of GINS are nota- ble for a variety of wildlife. Nearly 300 species of birds have been documented within the park and it’s a refuge for the
on an undeveloped 70-mile stretch of the world’s longest barrier island. PINS offers a haven for some 380 species of birds and is one of the few nesting grounds for the Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle—most endangered of all sea turtles. The creatures nest here from April through mid-July. Visitors spend their days at PINS splashing in the usually warm and gentle Gulf waves, shell collecting, kite flying, windsurfing, and fishing. Anglers surf-cast here, with moderate success, for sea trout, redfish and whiting. Information: 361-949-8068/9 www.nps.gov/pais.
16 COAST TO COAST SUMMER 2015
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