Point Reyes National Seashore preserves 71,028 acres of the Point Reyes Peninsula along northern California’s coast, protected after legislation introduced in 1962 to stop major development above Drakes Bay. Shaped by the San Andreas Fault, the area includes headlands, beaches, estuaries, lagoons, uplands, and rare features such as Alamere Falls. Its human history extends from thousands of years of Coast Miwok life through possible visits by Francis Drake, Spanish naming in 1603, Mexican ranchos, and later private ownership. The seashore is especially significant for its exceptional wildlife, historic sites, and unusual combination of dramatic scenery, deep history, and biological richness.