Point Reyes Shipwreck: Inverness, California

If you love photography and like to photograph old crusty, rusty shit like I do, you’ll want to make it a point to trek out to Point Reyes National Seashore to photograph this little shipwreck if you happen to be in the Bay Area. I’ve visited this shipwreck twice.

Point Reyes Shipwreck Quick Details:

Location:
12781 Sir Francis Drake Blvd
Inverness, CA 94937
It is located the back of a grocery store and can be accessed directly from the parking lot. No hike necessary!
Admission: Free!
Time commitment: 30 minutes or less

History of the Point Reyes Shipwreck

There isn’t much of a backstory to this boat, other than it’s just someone’s old fishing boat that ran aground and left to rot. And now it’s one of those ‘must visit’ photography locations in Northern California. There was a small fire on the boat in 2016, but I visited in 2017 and didn’t notice much, if any, damage.

If you’re staying in downtown San Francisco, heading out to this shipwreck can eat up at least a 1/2 day. Google maps will say it’s a little over an hour to get to the shipwreck from downtown San Francisco, but it’s probably going to take you longer due to traffic. Both times we did this, we left our San Francisco hotel early in the morning (before 8am). I highly suggest combining this with another attraction in the area, such as the Point Reyes Lighthouse or Muir Woods because this literally takes only minutes to explore.

Visiting the Point Reyes Shipwreck

The shipwreck is located right off the main drag in the small town of Inverness, California, in the back of a small general store, on a small sandbar in Tomalas Bay. There’s also a little park here with a few picnic benches and port-a-potties. The shipwreck is free to visit and there is plenty of parking.

If at all possible, I’d suggest wearing boots as the area around the shipwreck is soggy and muddy. We wore improper footwear both times (ok…flip flops), and suffered the muddy consequences.

We had perfect weather when we were here. On our first visit, we were here in the late afternoon, so we had some really nice light to photograph the Point Reyes Shipwreck. Our second visit still had great weather but we were here mid-morning, so the harsh light and didn’t make for very flattering pictures. As with most photography subjects, visiting late afternoon or sunrise/sunset will get you the best light and that also applies to the Point Reyes Shipwreck. And make sure to bring your wide angle lens!

Point Reyes Shipwreck – Pros and Cons

Pros:
Great for photographers!
Free and easy access
Quick side trip from visiting Point Reyes Lighthouse or Muir Woods National Monument

Cons:
Ground around the shipwreck is muddy and wet. Wear proper shoes!