By Rachel Levin, senior editor, Sunset magazine

One of my favorite places in all of Northern California—heck, in the world— is Point Reyes, a refreshingly undeveloped paradise of a peninsula about an hour-and-a-half north of San Francisco. And one of my favorite times to be there is now. September. How come? The summer fog has lifted. The sun is shining. And there is wildlife All. Over. The. Place.

Want proof? Check out these pics from last weekend:

Tule elk

Where can you seem them? Hiking the Tomales Point trail: a gorgeous, windswept 10-mile out-and-back that follows the Pacific the whole way.

Pelicans

Where can you seem them? Everywhere — usually skimming the surface of Tomales Bay. Or lined-up like schoolchildren along the sand like, they are here. Aw.

Seal lions

Where can you seem them? On Tomales Bay—and the best way to play with them is to rent a kayak from Blue Water Kayaks in Inverness, and paddle around. Cuties.

And more elk

Okay, sorry. It's nature! But, I know. Not as cute as the seals.

Photographs by Matt Krumme

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