Kelham Beach Trail, Point Reyes National Seashore

Kelham Beach with Drakes Bay and whale bone explorers

Kelham Beach Trail is a short trail that connects the Point Reyes Coast Trail with a scenic beach on the east side of Drakes Bay in California. On your way north from the Sky Trail/Coast Trail junction, you can't miss the “lonely” eucalyptus tree. That is from where a short path and steps lead down to Kelhalm Beach.

Kelham Beach is a 0.9-mile-long strip of sand between cliffs and ocean water. Looking around, you will find evidence of cliff crumbling, sliding, and falling rocks. Water is seeping or dripping down at wall sites. A short walk from the trail access point (apparently the only point of refuge when high tide water or giant waves are coming in) to the south brings you to a small waterfall. 

When I was visiting Kelham Beach on a beautiful day at the end of October in 2023, I found a gray whale skull and various bones on the beach. Not being a biologist, I only assumed those to be whale bones. Asking a ranger at the Bear Valley Visitor Center, I was told they are gray whale bones. The exhibit area in the visitor center actually features a gray whale skull und bones, which looked similar to what I had seen at Kelham Beach.   

Kelham Beach with gray whale skull and sea birds

Close-up look at gray whale skull

Gray whale bones as seen when coming down the trail

Gray whale bones neatly arranged

Point Reyes is roughly located mid-way on the migration route of the Eastern Pacific Gray Whale between the Bering Sea and Cabo San Lucas at the “entrance” to the Gulf of California.

Gray whale migration map at the Bear Valley Visitor Center in the Point Reyes National Seashore preserve

Further reading and exploring

[1] Kelham Beach. National Park Service. URL: https://www.nps.gov/places/point-reyes-kelham-beach.htm.

[2] Kelham Beach Trail. Point Reyes Nature. URL: https://www.pointreyesnature.com/kelham-beach.