This weekend's forecast is running windy rather than foggy, which is actually the better deal at Point Reyes — fog closes down the views, wind just makes you layer up. Tomales Point sits at the northern tip of the peninsula, and on a clear-ish day the bay views in both directions are the reason people make the drive. The elk tend to cluster in the first two miles, so you don't have to hike to the end to see them. If you want a shorter option, the Chimney Rock trail (about 1.8 miles round trip) stays accessible and gives you ocean-side bluffs.

Parking at the Tomales Point trailhead fills fast on holiday weekends — arrive before 9am or prepare to wait on the shoulder of Pierce Point Road. Bring water; there's none on the trail. The nearest food is back in Point Reyes Station at the Bovine Bakery (opening around 7am on weekends).

With two hours: drive straight to Tomales Point, walk the first two miles to the elk, turn around, stop at Bovine on the way home.