Tomales Bay

Tomales Bay is a long, narrow inlet on the Marin coast, formed along a submerged stretch of the San Andreas Fault. It runs about 12 miles southeast from its mouth at Bodega Bay, east of Tomales Point, and averages around half a mile to a mile wide with shallow water. Point Reyes National Seashore and Tomales Bay State Park line the west shore, and the towns of Marshall, Inverness and Point Reyes Station sit on its banks.

Who boats here

Most boating is small craft: anglers in skiffs, crabbers, kayakers and paddleboarders, and boat-in campers headed for the national seashore's beaches. Fish, clams, mussels and oysters are taken from the bay, and oyster farms cover large sections of the tide flats south of Toms Point. Personal watercraft and hunting aren't allowed on the bay.

Where to launch

Miller Boat Launch, a Marin County park on Highway 1 north of Marshall near Nick's Cove, has a two-lane ramp and dock. Lawson's Landing at Dillon Beach, near the mouth, has a sand-bottomed ramp with forklift launching, fuel and dry storage. Tomales Bay Resort, north of Inverness, has a cement ramp. Hand-carried boats can also launch at Hearts Desire Beach, Millerton Point and Chicken Ranch Beach.

Hazards

The entrance bar is dangerous and shouldn't be attempted by strangers. A 6-knot current can run at the entrance on spring tides, the shallow bar often gets rough, and breakers can appear suddenly in a calm sea. The marked channel carries 3 to over 10 feet for about 4 miles before deeper water. An unmarked rock covered 10 feet lies near mid-bay, 0.8 mile southeast of Pelican Point. Water averages about 55°F, wind funnels down the bay, and the area north of Toms Point, Hog Island and Pelican Point is where white sharks are most likely to be encountered.

Closures and camping

Pelican Point, Duck Island and the east side of Hog Island are closed year-round. Boat-in camping on national seashore beaches needs a Recreation.gov permit.