Bear Valley Visitor Center

Nice exhibits inside that tell the story of what animals live around the area. Volunteers are polite and helpful.
Unfortunately they are unable to or don’t have access to the most simple of first aid kit supplies. Our daughter scraped her hand up pretty nicely while on a small hike; I requested some antibacterial ointment and an adhesive bandage. While apologetic, the volunteer told us that he wasn’t allowed to give out much but could notify the EMTs if we liked. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to cleanse her wound because the bathrooms don’t have paper towels, and because we are from out of town we didn’t bring a first aid kit with us.
Besides that, this place is gorgeous and we definitely make it a must see every time we come to the area.

The Bear Valley Visitor Center is a gateway to Pt. Reyes National Seashore. A creepy taxidermy elephant seal greets visitors. There are several dioramas with more taxidermy depicting the various landscapes of the seashore. One of the dioramas has a gray fox… but I’ve seen livelier ones. They also have artifacts, like Ming dynasty pottery found in the graves of Native Americans. They have a map showing the various faults of the Bay Area, including the beautifully named «Napa Valley Fault» (now with the less picturesque name West Napa Fault)
Their souvenir shop is excellent, but the bathrooms are OK. Be sure to use them before hitting the road. They have pleasant picnic areas. The Earthquake Trail is fun and informative. The 1906 quake ruptured all the way from Fort Ross in Jenner to San Juan Bautista. You can see the fence that the quake tore.
Bear Valley Visitor Center is a great place to spend a morning/​afternoon.

Bear Valley Visitor Center is the place to go for information about the near by area. Looking for a certain place? Ask one of the rangers behind the counter for directions and information. The rangers are very helpful and will provide you a map. Kids can look at mini exhibits about various wildlife. There are also many trails that ranges from a short walk to a long hike near by. A gift shop is inside to browse around or purchase any small items. Plenty of parking available so make a stop here and check it out.

The Bear Valley Visitor Center is your gateway to many of the trails in Point Reyes National Seashore. Although there are other visitor centers at the lighthouse and near Drake’s Beach, the Bear Valley Visitor Center is the park headquarters and is easily accessible from Highway 1 and/​or Sir Francis Drake Boulevard — the turnoff is basically at Olema. Hours of operation vary according to season, but in spring, summer, and autumn, the visitor center is open from 10AM to 5PM on weekdays and 9AM to 4:30PM on weekends. The parking lot can get busy during the day, but there are ample spaces if you’re willing to walk a little bit further. If you come at the right time, the meadows surrounding the Visitor Center will be dotted with orange poppies.
The visitor center is housed in a relatively new, barn-​like building that has all the amenities you would expect. There are relatively clean bathrooms (with running water!), a small gift shop, information desks staffed by park rangers, an auditorium, and exhibits about the wildlife you can encounter in the park. (There’s also a giant plaster /​plastic sea lion [?] in the lobby which is perfect for wacky photo ops.) Although I didn’t need to consult with park rangers, it seemed like other patrons were getting useful information about trails and campsites. You can obtain permits for backcountry camping and beach fire permits here as well.
If you’re planning to hike any of the trails, I would highly recommend either bringing one of the free maps available at the visitor center (limited to one per group, but not really enforced) or taking a picture of the map at the trailhead on your phone. While the popular Bear Valley trail is semi-​paved and relatively flat, many of the connecting trails are hilly and overgrown with brush. (Be advised that as of March 2015 the Arch Rock Trail is closed until further notice due to a fatality /​cliff falling into the ocean.) Right now there is an abundance of stinging nettle, so keep an eye out for that plant if you’re hiking on one of the overgrown trails (portions of the Coast Trail, the Sky Trail, the Baldy Trail, the Woodward Valley trail, and probably more). If it’s not too warm, I would definitely recommend wearing pants since your legs will get beat up by thistles, weeds, and other plants. And, be prepared to encounter horses on the trails on weekdays; this isn’t a major inconvenience, but it might mean stepping to the side of an already narrow pathway to allow the rider to pass.
Overall, I though the Bear Valley Visitor Center was the perfect place to embark on a hike through parts of Point Reyes. Definitely stop by if you need any information, permits, or access to great trails!