Accommodations

Unless you’re camping, budget-friendly accommodations are thin in the Point Reyes [1] area, with its local reputation as a playground for Bay Area rich folks. Prepare to spend a bundle on that quaint B&B, so choose carefully to make sure you find the perfect inn for your tastes.

If you prefer indoor accommodations to the camping options in the national seashore and state parks, exclusive inns and boutique hotels proliferate in the small towns that dot the Point Reyes region.

Olema

The Point Reyes Seashore Lodge (10021 Hwy. 1, Olema, 415/663-9000, www.pointreyesseashorelodge.com [2], $150–330) offers both budget and luxury in its 23 rooms. Attractive florals mix with clean white walls and attractive wooden accents. All rooms have private baths, some have whirlpool tubs, and a couple of special suites sit away from the main lodge for extra privacy and special amenities. Outside, guests can enjoy the attractive gardens with winding brick pathways that roll out to Olema Creek. The Farm House Restaurant, Bar, and Deli adjoin the hotel, providing plenty of food and drink options for all visitors of the tiny town of Olema.

Point Reyes Station

In Point Reyes Station, you can find a room and tasty board for a reasonable price in One Mesa Bed & Breakfast (1 Mesa Rd., Pt. Reyes Station, 415/663-8866, www.onemesa.com [3], $132–210). All three rooms have private baths, down comforters and featherbeds, and free all-day and all-night coffee service. Each is decorated with a different style—most have fireplaces, some have soaking tubs, and all have televisions and VCRs. Guests can make use of the inn’s hot tub and enjoy a self-service breakfast on weekdays and a basket of goodies delivered right to your door on weekends.

Inverness

For the flush, Point Reyes [1] boasts an array of accommodations in the over-$250-plus range. One of the most original, the Blackthorne Inn (266 Vallejo Ave., Inverness, 415/663-8621, www.blackthorneinn.com [4], $215–360) perches on a hillside to the west of Tomales Bay in Inverness Park. This fascinating treehouse–meets–medieval castle was designed by its owner, who was not an architect by trade. Each guest room takes one floor of the central tower. All are spacious and pretty, with cute electric fireplaces that work as well as the heaters to warm the often-chilly rooms. A hot tub welcomes all guests until 10 p.m., when it becomes private to the top floor. While all baths are private, not all connect directly to the bedrooms. The tempting breakfast buffet changes daily, and provides hearty enough fare to sustain hikers bound for the wilds of the many parks.