If you follow any California photographer on Instagram, you’ve most likely come across a picture of ethereal light rays beaming through rows and rows of cypress trees. And if not, well, this famous Point Reyes tree tunnel definitely deserves a spot on your bucket list!

Point Reyes Tree Tunnel Visiting Tips

Just north of San Francisco, Point Reyes National Seashore is a beautiful coastal park with amazing hiking trails as well as fun opportunities to spot wildlife.

It was established as a means to protect wilderness, natural ecosystems, as well as cultural resources. With that in mind, please remember to leave no trace and practice responsible recreation.

Where to Find the Tunnel

The tree tunnel is located about an hour-drive from Golden Gate Bridge. On Google Maps, it can be found as “Cypress Tree Tunnel” in Inverness, California.

Remember to save an offline map of the area, as you may not get cell service.

Parking

I’ll be frank… I was extremely confused as to where to park.

There’s what seems to be a turnout lane a couple meters past the tree tunnel along Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. You might be able to stop here temporarily, but it doesn’t look like an actual parking lot facility.

That said, I decided to park in the shoulder area directly in front of the tunnel by the no parking sign where I could at least see my vehicle in case I needed to move it. Mind you, my friend and I also visited before sunrise on a weekday morning. There weren’t other tourists around and the park security didn’t seem bothered by us either.

If you end up visiting after reading this post, please feel free to share your parking tips in the comments!

Best Time to Visit

The Point Reyes tree tunnel is an incredible sight year-round. However, if you’re big on photography and wish to capture that iconic light ray shot, sunrise and sunset are the absolute best times to visit.

Depending on the season of your visit, you might even get lucky and witness light rays peeping through low fog.

Photography Tips

For the best tunnel effect, shoot with a telephoto lens or one with a narrow focal length. (Above photos and Instagram Reels video were all shot with the Sony 85mm f/1.8.)

Don’t let that stop you from experimenting though! Here are some photos I took with the Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master.

16-35mm left; 85mm right.

Other Things to Do in Point Reyes

Tomales Point.

Apart from the tree tunnel, there are plenty of other exciting things to do in Point Reyes. Be sure not to miss the following attractions:

• Point Reyes Lighthouse
• Point Reyes Shipwrecks
• Tomales Point
• McClures Beach

Point Reyes Shipwrecks.

Don’t forget to pin this for later!

Hope this gives you a better idea of what to expect when visiting the Point Reyes cypress tree tunnel. If you’ve enjoyed this post, save it to Pinterest or share it with a friend!