Planning Your Trip

Festival Headquarters
Environmental Action Committee of West Marin
65 Third Street, Suite 12
Point Reyes Station, CA 94956

Weather, Tides. & Air Quality
Learn more about the area here.

Places to Eat, Stay & Play
If you live outside the area, the closest towns to stay in coastal Marin County are Point Reyes, Inverness, Marshall, Bolinas, Tomales, and Stinson Beach. Depending on your festival schedule, the towns of Petaluma, Novato, and San Rafael may also fit your budget and needs (about a 30-35 minute drive). Thank you for supporting our local businesses. Learn More

Air Travel
If you are outside of the Bay Area, the three closest airports are located in San Francisco, Oakland, and Santa Rosa (a much smaller airport). All three are roughly the same distance to Marin County. Use Google directions to estimate your time to meeting locations.

Car Travel & Carpools
Due to our remote locations, a car is necessary for travel since bus service is limited (Marin Transit/Stagecoach). Please do not rely on Uber/Lyft, as they may bring you out, but will not bring you back. Plan, and give yourself an extra 10 minutes to reach your destination, especially if you are new to the area. We encourage carpooling for the environment, but please know it is at your own risk. We recommend locking up and securing valuables in your trunk before reaching your meeting location.

Registered attendees will receive info on their confirmed events and can download/print them with details on meeting locations. Parking at trailheads is often limited. Carpooling is at your own risk and coordination. Please lock all valuables in your trunk.

Fuel & Electric Cars
The only gas station in coastal Marin (aka West Marin) is in Point Reyes Station. Be sure you have sufficient fuel in your vehicle for a minimum 40-mile round-trip drive, not including side trips to other points of interest. Click here for more info on gas stations and electric hook-ups around Point Reyes Station.

Bringing Your Fledglings & Chicks
Children are encouraged to attend! See the schedule at a glance for age recommendations. We also understand that some youth are more advanced, so if you have a question about registering a younger child for an event, please contact us. Children under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. We also invite families to join us for our Wings & Wild Things: Sunday Family Fun Day.  

Pets vs. Service Dogs: Leave Fido at home. Barring designated beaches, parking lots, and towns, dogs are prohibited in most places and at the festival. If you require a certified assistance dog, please notify us immediately with proper documentation so we can notify property managers, guides, and volunteers in advance. Please be respectful of other attendees' space.
If you have brought a pet, you can board them at the Point Reyes Animal Hospital (415) 663-1533, just across the bridge at the south end of Point Reyes. Do not leave your pet in your car.

Being Prepared

Call 911 for emergencies.

IMPORTANT: Attendees, please visit this page to read full event descriptions by number and additional planning info (Google document). Do not attend an event you are not registered for; you will be turned away.

What to Bring and Wear
We recommend always having plenty of layers and a change of clothes, or extra socks or shoes to change into after an event. Wear good hiking shoes (no sandals or flip flops), and bring optional items including a sun hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses (if needed. In addition, bring binos, scopes, or other materials as noted in your specific event descriptions. In spring, the weather in Point Reyes is highly variable and often very windy. Bring food and water from home or purchase food at one of the stores or restaurants before heading out. Due to Giardia concerns, do not drink from ponds, creeks, streams, or other freshwater sources.

Check the weather & Road ConditionsPlan so you arrive at your events on time. The weather may change an event's itinerary, but most trips will be conducted rain or shine. We will contact you if there is a change in your event. Attendees may experience strong spring winds, cool temperatures, fog, and/or rain, so bring layers and dress appropriately. Make sure to start Google Maps and/or print out directions in advance, as WIFI and cell connections may be limited.

Be Prompt & Check In
Please arrive at the scheduled meeting location and time. Check in with the volunteer to sign the liability form and get a name tag. We ask that you follow your field trip leader from the meeting location to the final destination. Walk-in registration may be available for events that are not sold out.

Restrooms
Can be found at most trailheads, but not always. Participants should plan and use restrooms whenever available and before they come. Downtown Point Reyes Station has a public restroom behind the Palace Market.

Need to update your registration information or add or cancel your event(s)?
Please don’t register again if possible. Staff are available to add a person to your registration, update your current events, and finalize charges with a click of a button. Contact Us

Visit the bird hub or EAC office at 65 Third Street, Suite 12, to view the art show and sale, purchase merchandise, and get festival help.

Get Your Festival Tees, Hoodies & Sweashirts

Refund & Cancellation Policy
Refunds minus event donations and processing fees (registration, credit card, and system fees) can be fulfilled until April 4th, 2026. After April 4th, 2026, your registration fees will be considered a donation, and we will provide you with a tax-ID letter upon request. All events are rain or shine, barring a massive storm or natural disaster. If your trip has an adjustment, we will contact you and update this document. If a guide cannot make it for some reason, we will refund you, or you can adjust your tickets to a donation or switch to another event. Questions or need to cancel? Contact Us

Being Mindful

Be inclusive and respectful to all explorers and participants, and be mindful of trail etiquette for horses and large groups. It is important to note that when horses approach the group, everyone stops on one side of the trail to let them pass, and the same goes for other large groups. Notify us of any concerns or issues so we can address them. Stay with your group and pay attention to your guide/trip leader. Walk quietly and slowly.

Be aware & safety tips: At all times, be aware of your surroundings, and watch out for sneaker waves and tidal changes near the ocean, poison oak, stinging nettles, and cliffsides. Springtime can bring mosquitoes, but rarely is it an issue here. We don’t recommend bug sprays, but if you do, please do not use DDT. Do regular tick checks. Read more from the NPS on safety in the park and surrounding areas.

Under any circumstances, do not feed, handle, or remove wildlife from their habitat or enter closed or flooded areas. Not only is it best to keep wildlife WILD, but they also carry diseases that can harm you, including Avian Bird Flu. Do not pick up or remove anything from parks. If you think you have an emergency wildlife situation, call 911.

Birdsong Audio
The use of audio or mechanical devices to playback bird vocalizations to attract birds is not allowed at the festival. These devices stress and disrupt wildlife mating/nesting activities. Additionally, Federal Regulations prohibit use in National Parks, and California Law prohibits broadcasting vocalizations of endangered species. Read the American Bird Association Code of Ethics below.

Birds & Wildlife First
When observing birds/wildlife, pay attention to their posture and position. If birds are alarmed, step back and allow the birds to relax. Do not approach nests, roosts, or display areas. Please do not feed the wild animals or remove them from their location. If you have a concern, speak to staff, volunteers, or your guide. Read the American Bird Association Code of Ethics below.

Drones prohibited
Launching, landing, or operating a remotely operated aircraft (aka "remotely piloted aircraft," "unmanned aircraft," or "drone") from or on lands and waters administered by the National Park Service within the boundaries of Point Reyes National Seashore is prohibited.

Switch Off
Turn off cell phones or other electronic devices in the field. There may be an event using e-Bird, iNaturalist, or Merlin, but please be ethical and do not call birds using devices, especially in federal parklands, where it is prohibited. Everyone should turn their phones to silent or vibration mode. Cell reception may be limited in remote areas. Make sure to start Google Maps and/or print out directions in advance.

Leave No Trace & Watch Your Waste
Please adhere to Cleaner California Coast and Leave No Trace Principles. Use the proper receptacles to dispose of trash and recyclables, or pack out what you pack in. Whenever possible, utilize reusable containers for food and drinks to reduce the impact on the environment.

Reporting Inappropriate Behavior
The Festival works to provide one of the best birding and nature festival experiences. If you experience unethical or inappropriate behavior, please let us know at (415) 663.9312 or at events@eacmarin.org. 

The American Birding Association’s Code of Birding Ethics

1. Promote the welfare of birds and their environment.
   1(a) Support the protection of important bird habitat.
   1(b) To avoid stressing birds or exposing them to danger, exercise restraint and caution during observation, photography, sound recording, or filming. Limit the use of recordings and other methods of attracting birds, and never use such methods in heavily birded areas or for attracting any species that is Threatened, Endangered, of Special Concern, or is rare in your local area. Keep well back from nests and nesting colonies, roosts, display areas, and important feeding sites. In such sensitive areas, if there is a need for extended observation, photography, filming, or recording, try to use a blind or hide, and take advantage of natural cover. Use artificial light sparingly for filming or photography, especially for close-ups.
   1(c) Before advertising the presence of a rare bird, evaluate the potential for disturbance to the bird, its surroundings, and other people in the area, and proceed only if access can be controlled, disturbance minimized, and permission has been obtained from private landowners. The sites of rare nesting birds should be divulged only to the proper conservation authorities.
   1(d) Stay on roads, trails, and paths where they exist; otherwise, keep habitat disturbance to a minimum.

2. Respect the law and the rights of others.

   2(a) Do not enter private property without the owner’s explicit permission.
   2(b) Follow all laws, rules, and regulations governing the use of roads and public areas, both at home and abroad.
   2(c) Practice common courtesy in contact with other people. Your exemplary behavior will generate goodwill with birders and non-birders alike.

3. Ensure that feeders, nest structures, and other artificial bird environments are safe.

   3(a) Keep dispensers, water, and food clean and free of decay or disease. It is important to feed birds continually during harsh weather.
   3(b) Maintain and clean nest structures regularly.
   3(c) If you are attracting birds to an area, ensure the birds are not exposed to predation from cats and other domestic animals or dangers posed by artificial hazards.

4. Group birding, whether organized or impromptu, requires special care. Each individual in the group, in addition to the obligations spelled out in Items #1 and #2, has responsibilities as a Group Member:

   4(a) Respect the interests, rights, and skills of fellow birders, as well as people participating in other legitimate outdoor activities. Freely share your knowledge and experience, except where code 1(c) applies. Be especially helpful to beginning birders.
   4(b) If you witness unethical birding behavior, assess the situation and intervene if you think it prudent. When interceding, inform the person(s) of the inappropriate action and attempt, within reason, to have it stopped. If the behavior continues, document it and notify appropriate individuals or organizations. Group Leader Responsibilities [amateur and professional trips and tours]:
   4(c) Be an exemplary ethical role model for the group. Teach through word and example.
   4(d) Keep groups to a size that limits the impact on the environment and does not interfere with others using the same area.
   4(e) Ensure everyone in the group knows of and practices this code.
   4(f) Learn and inform the group of any special circumstances applicable to the areas being visited (e.g., no audio playback allowed).
   4(g) Acknowledge that professional tour companies bear a special responsibility to place the welfare of birds and the benefits of public knowledge ahead of the company’s commercial interests. Ideally, leaders should keep track of tour sightings, document unusual occurrences, and submit records to appropriate organizations.