America's Foggiest Destination Is A California Gem Known For Its Diverse Landscapes (And It's Not San Francisco)

California really is a land of extremes. As well as boasting one of the most pleasant climates of any state in the country, the hottest place on Earth, the deepest lake in the United States, and one of the region's snowiest national parks around the winter wonderland of Mount Lassen, the Golden State also lays claim to the foggiest location in America. Contrary to what the nicknames imply, it's not the metropolis of San Francisco — a town sometimes called Fog City. Instead, it's a little corner of the California coast north of there, and it goes by the name of Point Reyes.

Jutting out into the Pacific Ocean from the undulating hills and rugged shores of Marin County, Point Reyes is a designated national seashore. The area is famed for its seal-speckled beaches, waterfalls that crash straight into the sea, and views you'll simply never forget. The thing is, said views are often hindered by a thick covering of ocean fog, which forms along the point roughly 200 days of the year. That makes this spot second only to the Grand Banks in Newfoundland, Canada — which counts up to 206 days of fog per year — when it comes to the foggiest places in the whole of North America.

And it's not just any old fog, either. According to the National Park Service's official guide to the climate and weather at Point Reyes, huge sheets of water vapor can hug the coast here, extending out a whopping 50 miles across the Pacific. The phenomenon is most common in the summer, when cold ocean air currents collide with hotter air over the North American continent, socking in the beaches with impenetrable clouds and mist.

The headland of Point Reyes is the centerpiece of the wider Point Reyes National Seashore, which draws over 2.3 million visitors every year. It's easy to see why the crowds come: Despite the persistent fog, this is a land of rolling grass meadows, dramatic headlands carved by the Pacific over thousands of years, and forest-covered hillsides. It's a tempting prospect for nature lovers.

Just one glimpse at the map should reveal how diverse it is — with the official seashore territory spilling down to meet not one, but two stretches of shoreline on its western side. In the east, it also climbs up to Inverness Ridge, a high point where you can hike through untouched woodlands to get views of the ocean on one side and Marin County's inland peaks on the other.

Of course, the most popular pursuits here coalesce around the ocean. The Point Reyes National Seashore is a utopian stretch of coast with uncrowded beaches and lagoons, after all. You can cruise along Sir Francis Drake Boulevard to spot dashes of golden sand appearing under soaring cliffs, before hopping out at the Point Reyes Lighthouse — a fine whale-watching spot, fog permitting. There are also four accessible beaches within the preserve, including Drakes Beach, a sheltered spot for elephant seals that can even catch some sunshine when it's foggy elsewhere.