Almanac note · Outdoors
At Point Reyes, the San Andreas Fault is easy to picture
The Earthquake Trail near Point Reyes Station gives visitors a calm, clear way to see where the San Andreas Fault shapes the landscape.
The San Andreas Fault can sound huge and hard to picture. At Point Reyes, it becomes easier to understand because the landscape shows the line where two plates meet.
Point Reyes sits on the Pacific Plate, while land to the east is on the North American Plate. The San Andreas Fault runs through the area, and the narrow Olema Valley and Tomales Bay help trace its path.
The Earthquake Trail near Bear Valley is one of the easiest places in the park to learn about it. The 1906 earthquake moved the Point Reyes Peninsula about 20 feet northwest, a dramatic shift that the trail makes clear without turning the visit into a scare story.
This is a good stop because it makes California geology feel visible. Instead of seeing plates only on a map, you are walking near a boundary that helped shape the coast, the valley, and the way people understand earthquakes here.
Where to see it
Earthquake Trail near the Bear Valley Visitor Center at Point Reyes National Seashore.
Official sources
Official source trail
Reviewed July 1, 2026
California Porch explains the path. The official source is still the place to confirm the current rule, fee, form, map, deadline, or office decision.
Use the official page before you spend money, file paperwork, rely on a deadline, or change a property.
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