Chimney Rock

This photo was taken at Chimney Rock in Point Reyes National Seashore. To get there, take the Chimney Rock Road and drive out to the Chimney Rock Trailhead where you can park your car. From there, it will be a short and fairly flat hike to the GPS coordinates. For this specific shot, I turned right off the main trail after passing Historic Point Reyes Lifeboat Station on my left. This narrow path will take you to the cliff edge where you'll be able to see an elevated view of Chimney Rock.

Your best bet at taking clear, unobstructed photos of Chimney Rock would be in the spring or summer months. This is one of the foggiest areas in the country, and you won't be able to shoot well in fog. Summer months are usually warm and sunny with much less fog. In the spring months, you can also see wildlife and wildflowers. I took this photo in May, to give you an idea. Even if you're visiting in the spring and summer months, check the weather for Point Reyes Station before your visit.

To capture the orange hues of sunlight highlighting the rock, I recommend visiting during late afternoon or sunset.

Be careful while navigating around the cliffside of Chimney Rock. Wearing good walking shoes always helps.

You won't be able to find potable water at Chimney Rock so it's recommended that you bring some with you.

Keep an eye on your surroundings and be mindful of the wildlife and nature.

This is the perfect spot to explore different focal lengths. I created something quite different than the classic composition here by using a telephoto lens (81mm). In any case, a telephoto lens is necessary to zoom in on the rock.

I liked how the waves were crashing on the rocks. If you want to capture this, be patient and wait until you have enough waves so that your photo will look more dynamic.

On your way out to Point Reyes, the last town is Point Reyes Station. While it's quite expensive, the grocery store on the way has great deli sandwiches and a pretty unique selection of snacks. I recommend stopping by so that you can have a picnic with a view.

After you've photographed Chimney Rock, consider staying in the area for a little while to explore. There are some other fantastic Point Reyes spots within 10 minutes that you can also capture on your trip out! Don't miss the Point Reyes Lighthouse which is just a few minutes away. You'll be able to get multiple gorgeous compositions there.