The Black Heron Inn

We had a wonderful stay. Perfect setting. Loved waking up early to to traipse about the fields or just sit with the binoculars and watch the day go by out the window. The locale is as advertised. Birds and wildlife and splendid views right out the front door and an easy drive to many of the great places that area has to offer. A special place in a special part of the world. We definitely hope to visit again.

We could not have been more pleased with our stay at the Black Heron. Full of amenities, great view of Tomales Bay, close to Pt Reyes Station, birds galore to wake up to (we’re birders), and very quiet. Very nice pond as well. Can’t wait to return.

Great location with wonderful and peaceful views of bay and mountain. The room we had was very comfortable with a good kitchenette. We appreciated the fresh fruit and coffee cake. The hosts were helpful and welcoming.

My husband and I have now stayed at The Black Heron Inn on three different occasions and each one has been top of the line! There are many reasons why we keep going back. First of all the charming atmosphere and homey feeling the Inn offers is a perfect relaxing get away from the city. The views are spectacular out over Tamales Bay with comfortable Adirondack chairs to melt into and watch the sunrise or sunset. Second, the location and accessibility to wonderful hiking trails is a big plus. Each time we have hiked a different route and we look forward to the next trip to enjoy a new spot. The hosts are super friendly and have great tips on where to eat, hike or just catch the best view. Highly recommend it!

An excellent place– private, quiet, cozy! Awesome view! Great fields and a trail with birds, ponds, more views. Very comfortable, delicious banana bread and fruit for breakfast. Highly recommended!!!

Location: off the beaten path with distant bay views over rolling grazing lands. Short drive on dirt road. Direct access to trails in point reyes national seashore. 5 minute drive to point Reyes station. Could walk but it’s a winding road with no sidewalks, a bit less than two miles one way.
Service: minimal hands on service. Owners live on site but upon arrival the key will be waiting for you so you might not see them. Very quick in responding to email and will email all information needed.
Rooms: home has three units, two down and one up. The two down share a large open deck looking over the seashore and hills. Many outdoor seating options both overlooking the hills and in the back overlooking garden and ponds. Large picture windows also provide viewing opportunities and binoculars are in rooms.
Rooms are above average with antique décor including a small table for eating, chairs for reading and a sink and fridge in room area. Small closet space. 25 inch or so flat screen tv. Carpet is Berber, walls are freshly painted bright colors. Bed is the only complaint. Linens were worn and stained. Sheet was very itchy flannel. The bed itself was uncomfortably hard and seemed to have lost all its natural «give». One pillow we called «the brick» and made sure not to use. The others were an assortment of squishy as to be useless and medium full. Bed has two bedside tables with reading lamps.
Bathroom is blue tile and blue counters. Small standup shower stall. Some space to put toiletries on the counter.
Breakfast: is in the room and left the night before. There is some fresh baked good, ours was a small average loaf of banana bread, very good, strong smooth coffee with decaf and caf options and a large assortment of stash teas. Two kinds of dry cereal were available, granola and bran. A bowl held banana, oranges and apples. 2% milk and a small orange juice were in the fridge.
We would stay again with some concern about the bed.. .

We stayed in the ridge view room for two nights and it was wonderful! The view is beautiful from the giant window facing the bay. Bed is comfortable. Fast wireless access for your phone/​computer. Binoculars to look out for wildlife – my husband saw a bobcat and we saw lots of birds too. Tasty breads for breakfast (banana and spice cake loaves), granola and raisin bran, and a bowlful of fresh fruit like bananas, apples, and oranges. Close 3 – 4 minute drive from downtown point reyes station but in a very secluded and peaceful setting. The view is exactly the same as from the bay view room – the two rooms are side by side on the first floor. The grand view sweet takes up the entire upstairs from what I can tell. Four stars just because the walls are on the thin side so you can hear your neighbors – though not too bothersome. It was otherwise a perfect stay!

3 nights at the Black Heron inn was perfect for the 2 of us. the grand view suite was as spectacular as promised. The views, the peace, the setting, the access to the trails and convenience to Point Reyes Station were all appreciated. The tea breads and fruit were a welcome surprise. Owners really stayed invisible, also a nice touch although we did need some more coffee and couldn;t get anyone to answer the phone. But that was minor stuff, the Palace Market in PRS to the rescue. Would stay here again in a second!!.

What a beautiful part of our state! We took a weekend trip up to Point Reyes to recharge. Wineries, creameries, oysters… oh my! This Inn was a perfect place to end our evenings under a million bright stars.
The innkeepers leave a great touch with their homemade breads/​granola and juices/​milk in the fridge. So convenient to have a fridge to keep the goodies we bought!
I will say that we stayed in one of the downstairs rooms (ridge) and it sounded like a basketball team was staying upstairs. We heard every single step and closing of doors. Didn’t allow for much sleep when they were coming home at midnight. (Impressive in itself. Not much to do in Point Reyes Station after 10 or so!)
That being said, I’d return to this Inn. I’d just make sure to spend the extra dough to stay upstairs in the larger room.
Other pros: free wi-​fi, easy drive to town, easy parking, access to great community porch

This inn was truly a gem.
My husband and I stayed 2 nights here. What we loved about this place:
–The quietness (there are only 2 other rooms)
–The incredible view (we saw a lot of wildlfie out here using the provided binoculars)
–Parking was right next to the inn
There was no breakfast here, however, tea, coffee, orange juice, and 2 loaves of breads were provided.
The only thing that could use improvement was faster and more reliable wi-​fi since cell phone connection here is non-​existing.
Overall, this was a lovely stay, and we hope to come back here soon!

A weekend getaway in January to do some hiking in Point Reyes.
We booked the Grand View Suite. The view was as advertised! Beautiful sunsets and a pastoral setting. Directions to the Inn are accurate — but the driveway is easy to miss as there is no sign marking the entrance.
The room layout is curious — the sleeping loft is up an awkward set of stairs — the run and rise of the steps are for long legs and require special attention if you need to get down stairs in the middle of the night ! The bed is VERY firm to the point of being too hard for our tastes.
The furnishings are a gitchy combination of grandma’s attic and a local garage sale. There is no sofa in the sitting area but instead there are 2 black leather swivel recliners and a coffee table on wheels which is a new concept to consider… If the 1980’s are missing a couple of TV’s I know where they are… Overall everything looks a little tired and a bit dusty.
The continental breakfast (not sure what that means anymore or which Continent it refers too.) consisted of a decent fruit bowl, some carrot cake, 2 cartons of milk and OJ. We did find some cereal and granola in jars which was a bit stale and needs to be refreshed. The coffee packets provided are not going to satisfy your tastes if you like a remotely decent cup of coffee. We went to the Pine Cone Diner in town for our second morning which we highly recommend!
Since the weather in January was cold we did have to fire up the heater in the living room — the problem is the sleeping loft gets too hot and the living area is freezing. This issue could easily be solved with the installation of a ceiling fan (hot air rises, right?) I suspect the sleeping loft could get pretty hot in the summer as well so the fan could solve most seasonal issues.
Final word– beautiful setting — but in my opinion the Inn is a bit overpriced and we were underwhelmed.

I needed time away from work and personal obligations, just to take care of myself, focus on my writing, do some hiking and just be away from distractions. My 4 nights at the Black Heroin Inn was a perfect «me» holiday. For someone like me whose a solo traveler, self reliant, doesn’t drive, and prefers walking everywhere, this Inn and it’s location is ideal.
I took the Bart to Richmond, the 42, then 68 buses to downtown Point Reyes. The owners Bill & Susan offered me a ride to the Inn from downtown. 5 minutes by car.
The rest of the time there I walked to downtown (25 minutes) for food, renting a bike to go hiking at Bear Valley. There’s also an amazing trail just walking distance to the Inn called Tomales Bay Trail. There are cows roaming the ridge along this trail, which leads to a very pretty preserve.
The room I stayed in at Black Heron was the Ridge Suite. The view overlooked the Reserve for miles and miles. I had everything I needed: breakfast in a small kitchenette (granola, cereal, two small loafs of delicious banana and cranberry pumpkin bread, milk, silverware, plates, glasses, cups, coffee maker, electric kettle for tea, etc…). There is even a TV with cable, a DVD player with a small collection of good movies inside the drawer the tv sits on. There’s also up to date magazines, robes, mini fridge, iron, toaster, two comfy armchairs, cute dinette near the large window overlooking the ridge. The bed was very comfy. The heat and hot water worked very well, which is a huge plus ’cause you never can tell in any type of hotel/b&b.
Most of all Bill & Susan were very, very accommodating. Bill even got me a container of soy milk from town instead of regular milk when I asked if they had soy milk.
Genuinely a short holiday at a great, quality B&B I’ll cherish!

stayed at the black heron inn for the weekend. great bed and breakfast. They supplied us with some oj, and tasty homemade banana bread which was delicious.
we stayed in the grand view suite, which in fact has a grand view overlooking the bay. the room itself is large, and has great character. the bed is comfy.
It’s a great place to come to if you want privacy. you can spend all day in your room and have a really chillax weekend, or you can get more active and go hiking on the many trails right next to the inn. a short 40 minutes drive takes you along the coast, where you can check out the beaches as well.
pt. reyes station is a great little town with farmers markets on the weekend. a few nice restaurants make for great breakfasts, lunches or dinners.
overall we had a great weekend there, courtesy of the inn!

Gorgeous views from our Ridge View room! We came here for a mini vacation for just the two of us and we will definitely be back. It was so quiet, peaceful and rejuvenating. The room was warm and comfy and suited us perfectly.
Like other reviewers pointed out, this isn’t a true B&B, where everyone is in a shared house and hot breakfast. You have your own room and bathroom with a separate entrance and your room is stocked with breakfast foods.
We didn’t have trouble finding the place at all (we used the phone gps) and we were greeted by a deer as we pulled up the driveway. It was like a movie setting — couple pulling up driveway «cue deer, sun glisten, pond flowing, birds chirp». lol, it was a great little piece of property.
Ridge View Room:
— comfy bed
— reading chairs and a dining table w/​chairs
— very clean
— bathroom mirrors were a little awkward, kind of made me feel like I was going cross-​eyed. Not sure if they weren’t wide enough or if it was because they were on an L angle (butting up against each other).
— heater in the bathroom, which is nice with the chilly ocean weather
— binoculars to borrow during your stay — way cool! Used them to check out the wildlife, mostly wild turkey & cows… but there were some cute baby cows :)
— chairs on balcony, looking over meadow — this is where we ate our drank our coffee and ate our breakfast.
— free WiFi, which was nice since my phone didn’t have service
— very quiet — we had ppl next door to us and upstairs and didn’t hear a thing
Food:
— mini fridge stocked with milk and oj
— delicious banana bread (tasted homemade, but not sure)
— granola and bran cereal (granola was really good with a sliced banana)
— bowl of fruit — oranges, apples, bananas
— coffee and tea
Property:
— Nice pond with lilly pads and frogs galore
— wild turkey roaming
— deer sightings
— many cows in meadow
— hiking/​strolling trail access at back of property
Overall a great place to stay! Only thing that would make it better is if the pups could come, but it was nice to get away from everything and not have any responsibilities for a few days.

We needed to recharge our batteries and a weekend in Point Reyes had all the earmarks of a relaxing getaway. Not a bad drive up from the South Bay; the little towns along Sir Francis Drake are all very quaint and inviting. By the time we hit Point Reyes Station it was obvious that this was a great place to get away from the stupidity of the city.
The directions were very specific but it still took us awhile to find the driveway; however, that was the worst thing that happened over the whole weekend. Seriously, we were expecting a horrible storm and it just sprinkled a bit on Friday night. The weather gods were with us for sure.
Upon our arrival (late, sorry) we found the key to the Ridge Suite in the mailbox and entered our room. Beautiful view of the rolling hills and the lower tip of Tomales Bay. Two loaves of homemade bread (banana and something else equally delicious) awaited us; nice touch! We cracked a bottle of Prosecco and planned our evening. When I say «planned», I mean we decided we should check out the three-​block strip that constitutes downtown Point Reyes Station. There are a couple of restaurants, the Bovine Bakery, the Cowgirl Creamery, the Old Western Saloon, a market and a variety of cute shops. We hit the market and stocked up on local cheese and snacks. Yum!
One cheese plate later we headed back downtown for cocktails and live music at the Old Western. Great fun! The next day we hit the Pt Reyes Winery and wandered around the coast of the Bay, visited the Cowgirl Creamery, ate more cheese, checked out the shops and returned to our room. The grounds of the Black Heron are beautiful and the local cows make for good nature watching, especially if they cross the stream and wander past you. I hopped the fence and tried to commune with them, but they found me suspicious and avoided me.
The next day we checked out at 11am and drove to Drake’s Bay to look for sea birds. Well worth the drive! Not a lot of sea birds but it sure is pretty,
All in all a wonderful experience. Clean room, beautiful view, birds chirping in the morning, a great escape! And only a couple of hours from San Jose! We will certainly be returning!

We stayed in the Ridge View room.
We agree with what the previous 3 reviews say. This was a far better experience than I expected and the GF definitely thought I did right to pick it. Knocked off a star because, (1) bathroom is small (not to blame them, they didn’t promise otherwise), (2) we stayed two nights but only got coffee for one day and no one responded to phone call asking for more.
If returning to Pt. Reyes, we will likely come here again.

My husband and I recently stayed in the Bay View room for 2 nights (there is a 2 night minimum if you stay for Friday or Saturday). I was trying to make last minute reservations in Pt Reyes, when the friendly owner of a different place told me to check
to view availability across multiple B&Bs, and I’m grateful to her because that’s how I found Black Heron!
This place isn’t so much a «bed and breakfast,» as it is mostly a «bed.» That said, we had a fanTAStic time. I agree 100% with what the previous reviewers said.
What we loved:
* Price: reasonable — great value for the price
* Really easy to book and pay online
* spacious room, and a little breakfast nook
* Free wifi, dvd player, interesting magazines/​books
* wetbar: well-​provisioned with coffee, hot chocolate, different teas, milk/​OJ in the fridge. There was a toaster, electric tea kettle, cutting board and utensils, plates/​bowls, mugs/​glasses, cutlery. We bought cheese and bread from Cowgirl Creamery and had a lovely little in-​room picnic while looking out at Tomales Bay from the window, and munched on the plentiful apples/​oranges/​bananas in the room
* 2 substantial loaves of banana bread in a glass stand served as breakfast, plus 2 kinds of cereal in the cabinet. I liked the extra touch of a glass dish of dark chocolate Hershey kisses — cute! nom nom.
* THE VIEW: bring binoculars! We spent many peaceful hours sitting at the little breakfast nook table looking out on Tomales Bay. Awesome wildlife watching. We saw 2 coyotes rolling around in the grass!
* The grounds: there’s a neat little pond next to the driveway that was filled with interesting wildlife. At night, I was lulled to sleep by the sounds of the frogs and crickets.
* Bed: super comfy. Robes: decadent and a luxurious addition to the weekend! Bathroom: I LOVED the floor heater that could warm up the cold tiles. The room also has its own heating unit so you can control the temp.
We found the website pictures to be completely accurate to the actual place. Two things that might not be immediately apparent from the pictures: it turns out the Bay View room’s tv is a fraction of the size of the Ridge room, but we found it adequate. We brought some dvds, turned the tv stand toward the bed, and watched movies thanks to the in-​room dvd player. Secondly, both rooms access the same deck, so the Ridge room might have a bit less privacy if their blinds were open and I walked from our deck exit over to the parking lot.
Overall, we were really happy with the place. It was perfect for a quiet, private weekend getaway. Close to town and all the hiking trails, and a welcoming place to return to at night to relax before the next day of exploration. HIGHLY recommend it, and we’ll definitely be back!

My boyfriend and I stayed at the Ridge View guest room for two nights.
Location: Easy to find (they warn that you’ll get lost, but we didn’t)
Ambience/​Scenery: Amazing views, private, peaceful, cozy, quaint. We saw 5 deer grazing when we arrived! There were three other cars parked, so I’m assuming the house was fully booked, but we didn’t hear any of the people upstairs.
Check in/​Quality: No check in required. The website pictures are actually quite accurate. The room looked exactly like the photos.
Amenities: They provided fruits, milk, juice, baked goods, and granola (GOOD granola too! Not any of the crappy super super sweet kind) that was more than enough for our two-​day stay. The room was also equipped with plates, silverware, [wine] glasses, a coffee maker, water boiler, cutting board, knives, tea towels, paper towels, dish/​bath soap, etc.
Room Service: None. They don’t come to clean your room every morning with the intention of giving you more privacy. So if you like people cleaning your room every morning, this isn’t the place for you!
Overall: What an amazing and relaxing stay! We couldn’t have asked for anything different. I appreciate their intention of making our experience as private as possible. The bed was comfy, the room was a great temperature, there was an amazing view, and best of all, CABLE IN BED! =)
This place was well worth our money and I would highly recommend it.

Just spent a weekend here, and really enjoyed it. We stayed in the Grand View Suite, which is upstairs and very private. All is pretty much just as advertised on the website, except that the unit is a bit darker than I’d like.
The unit was clean, comfortable, and well provisioned. Not being a fan of the B & B experience, this was perfect. An expanded Continental breakfast was left in the room (fresh fruit, coffee, breakfast breads, cereal, juice, milk), so we could eat — or not — on our own schedule. The innkeeper is generally not on site, but can be reached by phone if there is a problem. We happened to run into him around the property, though, and he was friendly and helpful.
The Inn is located near great hiking trails and is a short drive from town. We’ll be back!