PRBO's Visitor Center and Bird Banding Lab, also known as our Palomarin Field Station, is located at the southern end of the Point Reyes National Seashore. (Map & Directions)
learn more about PRBO through interactive displays
take a walk on the nature trail
Our main headquarters in Petaluma, the SF Bay Research Center,
on Shollenberger Marsh is also open to visitors year-round, M-F
9am-5pm, and offers useful and important resources for bird and
wildlife conservation.
Map and Directions to PRBO's Visitor Center and Bird Banding Lab:
From Golden Gate Bridge and 101 Northbound: Proceed on 101 North to the 1st Mill Valley Exit marked “STINSON BEACH RT. 1”. Exit bearing right, and proceed to main traffic light at Tam Junction. At light, turn left onto Shoreline Highway, following signs to Stinson Beach. Follow Shoreline Highway to coast and north for approximately 1/2 hour. You will enter Stinson Beach, where there is one stop sign. Proceed through stop sign for approximately 5 miles. Bolinas Lagoon is on your left. Just after the Lagoon ends, there is an unmarked turn-off to the left. Turn left here, go one block and turn left again. Follow this road around the other side of the Lagoon towards Bolinas. Turn left at the first stop sign. . The second stop sign will be MESA ROAD. Take a right onto MESA ROAD (See green road sign “Point Reyes Bird Obs. 4 Mi”). Point Reyes Bird Observatory is 4 miles down Mesa Road. The road will turn into a dirt road at about 3-1/4 miles. Follow the dirt road until you see the sign for PRBO on your left. Turn in at the dirt driveway on your left and you are there!
From Petaluma:
From Petaluma Boulevard South, turn WEST onto “D” Street. Proceed out of Petaluma on “D” Street, which becomes the Petaluma-Point Reyes Road. Proceed ~ 15 miles, where you will come to the “T” intersection heading toward the town of Point Reyes. DO NOT TURN RIGHT TOWARD TOWN OF POINT REYES !!! You will proceed FORWARD at this intersection, at which time you are now on Platform Bridge Road. Proceed 2 miles along this windy road (WATCH FOR ICE IN WINTER !!!) You will arrive at a “T” intersection, where you will turn RIGHT onto Sir Frances Drake Blvd. Proceed 2 miles along this windy road. You will arrive at a “T” intersection in Olema, where you will turn LEFT onto Shoreline Highway (Hwy 1). From Olema go south on Rt. 1 for approximately 8-10 miles. Look for an unmarked paved rd (Olema Bolinas Rd) on your right, accross from a white farm house, just before the Bolinas Lagoon. (If the lagoon is on your right hand sign, you have just missed the turn off to Olema Bolinas Rd.). Veer right on Olema Bolinas Road. Follow this road around the right side of the Lagoon towards Bolinas. Turn left at the first stop sign. The second stop sign will be MESA ROAD. Take a right onto MESA ROAD (See green road sign “Point Reyes Bird Obs. 4 Mi”). Point Reyes Bird Observatory is 4 miles down Mesa Road. The road will turn into a dirt road at about 3-1/4 miles. Follow the dirt road until you see the sign for PRBO on your left. Turn in at the dirt driveway on your left and you are there!
From Santa Rosa and 101 Southbound: Southbound 101 travelers from the Santa Rosa area can take the Lakeville St. (Hwy 116) exit off 101 in Petaluma. Turn right onto "Lakeville St," heading toward Petaluma away from highway. Proceed for 1-2 miles and turn left on "D St". Proceed out of Petaluma on “D” Street, which becomes the Petaluma-Point Reyes Road. Proceed ~ 15 miles, where you will come to the “T” intersection heading toward the town of Point Reyes. DO NOT TURN RIGHT TOWARD TOWN OF POINT REYES !!! You will proceed FORWARD at this intersection, at which time you are now on Platform Bridge Road. Proceed 2 miles along this windy road (WATCH FOR ICE IN WINTER !!!) You will arrive at a “T” intersection, where you will turn RIGHT onto Sir Frances Drake Blvd. Proceed 2 miles along this windy road. You will arrive at a “T” intersection in Olema, where you will turn LEFT onto Shoreline Highway (Hwy 1). From Olema go south on Rt. 1 for approximately 8-10 miles. Look for an unmarked paved rd (Olema Bolinas Rd) on your right, accross from a white farm house, just before the Bolinas Lagoon. (If the lagoon is on your right hand side, you have just missed the turn off to Olema Bolinas Rd.). Veer right on Olema Bolinas Road. Follow this road around the right side of the Lagoon towards Bolinas. Turn left at the first stop sign. The second stop sign will be MESA ROAD. Take a right onto MESA ROAD (See green road sign “Point Reyes Bird Obs. 4 Mi”). Point Reyes Bird Observatory is 4 miles down Mesa Road. The road will turn into a dirt road at about 3-1/4 miles. Follow the dirt road until you see the sign for PRBO on your left. Turn in at the dirt driveway on your left and you are there!
From Richmond Bridge or San Rafael:
After you cross Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, get onto Route 101 NORTH.
Go about 1 mile, and then Exit Route 101 at Sir Francis Drake Boulevard in San Rafael.
Follow Sir Francis Drake about 18 miles until Olema. You will arrive at a “T” intersection in Olema, where you will turn LEFT onto Shoreline Highway (Hwy 1). From Olema go south on Rt. 1 for approximately 8-10 miles. Look for an unmarked paved rd (Olema Bolinas Rd) on your right, across from a white farm house, just before the Bolinas Lagoon. (If the lagoon is on your right hand sign, you have just missed the turn off to Olema Bolinas Rd.). Veer right on Olema Bolinas Road. Follow this road around the right side of the Lagoon towards Bolinas. Turn left at the first stop sign. . The second stop sign will be MESA ROAD. Take a right onto MESA ROAD (See green road sign “Point Reyes Bird Obs. 4 Mi”). Point Reyes Bird Observatory is 4 miles down Mesa Road. The road will turn into a dirt road at about 3-1/4 miles. Follow the dirt road until you see the sign for PRBO on your left. Turn in at the dirt driveway on your left and you are there!
