“Wild Northern California coast: fog-draped bluffs, elk herds, historic lighthouse, tule elk in open grasslands. A moody, mystical coastal landscape one hour from San Francisco with extraordinary cinematic range.”
About This Location
Point Reyes National Seashore, an hour's drive north of San Francisco on the Marin Coast, is one of California's most cinematically rich NPS units. The seashore combines rugged Pacific bluffs, sweeping grasslands roamed by free-ranging tule elk, Drakes Bay with its white sand and clam-shell beaches, the fog-draped Point Reyes headland, and the historic 1870 lighthouse perched atop a dramatic cliff. The San Andreas Fault runs directly through the seashore, visible in a trench that separates the peninsula geologically from the mainland. For indie filmmakers, Point Reyes offers an extraordinary range of moods: golden afternoon grasslands, cold grey coastal fog, and intimate forest creek settings — all within a few miles. The Special Park Uses office manages commercial filming permits. Proximity to San Francisco's production infrastructure is a major logistics advantage. An iconic Northern California location used in dozens of productions.
Color Palette
Location
📍 Open in Google Maps →Permit Information
Permit Required
Type
NPS Commercial Film Permit
Fee
Varies – NPS location fee + cost recovery
Contact
Point Reyes National Seashore Special Park Uses Office
Contact Permit Office
📞 415-464-5100Multiple zones with different permit requirements. Drakes Beach, Limantour, Tomales Point all popular for film.
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