Sunset View from Chimney Rock Trail, Point Reyes National Seashore

This photograph captures a west-facing view from Chimney Rock Trail at Point Reyes National Seashore, overlooking steep coastal cliffs and the open Pacific Ocean. The headland’s rugged topography shows actively eroding sandstone bluffs that drop sharply into a narrow cove below, where wave patterns trace the shoreline. Low coastal vegetation in the foreground adds scale and texture, anchoring the composition against the expansive seascape. Point Reyes sits along the tectonically active boundary of the Pacific and North American plates, which contributes to its dramatic relief and fractured coastline. As a federally protected national seashore, the area preserves significant coastal ecosystems, including marine terraces, grasslands, and seabird nesting habitat. The image was taken at sunset, with the sun positioned just above the ridge line. Warm directional light skims across the cliffs, enhancing surface detail and separating the headland from the cooler tones of the ocean. This location rewards photographers who time their visit carefully, as the trail provides clear sightlines toward the horizon. A wide-angle perspective works well here, allowing the curve of the cliffs and receding headlands to guide the viewer’s eye through the frame while balancing foreground, midground, and distance.

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