Tomales Bay facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tomales Bay |
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Tomales Bay as viewed from Tomales Point Trail
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 Tomales Bay
Location in California
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| Coordinates | 38°08′55″N 122°53′52″W / 38.14860°N 122.89787°W |
| Type | Bay |
| Ocean/sea sources | Pacific Ocean |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. length | 15 km (9.3 mi) |
| Max. width | 1.6 km (0.99 mi) |
| Settlements | Inverness Inverness Park Point Reyes Station Marshall |
| Official name: Tomales Bay | |
| Designated: | 21 October 2002 |
| Reference #: | 1215 |
Tomales Bay is a long, thin arm of the Pacific Ocean. It is located in Marin County, in northern California, United States. The bay is about 15 miles (24 km) long and nearly 1 mile (1.6 km) wide. It separates the Point Reyes Peninsula from the rest of Marin County.
Tomales Bay is about 30 miles (48 km) northwest of San Francisco. It forms the eastern edge of the Point Reyes National Seashore. The bay is protected by the California Bays and Estuaries Policy. At its northern end, it opens into Bodega Bay. This helps protect it from the strong currents of the Pacific Ocean. The bay was formed along a part of the San Andreas Fault, which is a major crack in the Earth's crust.
Raising oysters is a big business on Tomales Bay. Two of the largest oyster farms are Hog Island Oyster Company and Tomales Bay Oyster Company. Both sell oysters to people and have picnic areas on the east side of the bay. Cows graze on the hills east of Tomales Bay, belonging to local dairy farms. There are also farms and ranches on the west side of the bay, which are leased from the Point Reyes National Seashore.
Many people enjoy water sports on Tomales Bay. These include sailing, kayaking, fishing, and motor boating. You can launch boats from the public ramp at Nick's Cove, north of Marshall. The sand bar at the mouth of Tomales Bay can be dangerous for small boats.
Towns near Tomales Bay include Inverness, Inverness Park, Point Reyes Station, and Marshall. Other small places are Nick's Cove, Spengers, Duck Cove, Shallow Beach, and Vilicichs. Dillon Beach is just north of the bay's mouth, and Tomales is just to the east.
History of Tomales Bay
The area around Tomales Bay was once home to the Coast Miwok people. Their villages included Echa-kolum (south of Marshall), Sakloki (across from Tomales Point), Shotommo-wi (near the mouth of the Estero de San Antonio), and Utumia (near Tomales).
It is believed that Francis Drake landed in nearby Drakes Estero in 1579. Members of the Vizcaíno Expedition found the Bay in 1603. They thought it was a river and named it Rio Grande de San Sebastian.
In the early 1800s, Russian settlements spread from Point Arena to Tomales Bay. These were the southernmost Russian colonies in North America.
A narrow gauge train line, the North Pacific Coast Railroad, was built along the east side of the bay in 1874. It went all the way to the Russian River. The tracks were removed in 1930.
Tomales Bay State Park was created to protect parts of the bay shore. It opened to the public in 1952. Popular spots in the park include Heart's Desire Beach and Millerton Point.
In 1971, Tomales Bay was listed as a wetland of international importance by the Ramsar Convention. This means it is recognized as a very important natural area worldwide.
The Giacomini Wetland Restoration Project finished in 2008. This project turned hundreds of acres at the south end of the bay back into wetlands. This land had been drained for grazing cows in the 1940s.
Marconi Conference Center
The Marconi Conference Center State Historical Park protects a small hotel. Guglielmo Marconi built this hotel in 1913. It was for the people who worked at his radio station nearby. This station sent radio signals across the Pacific Ocean.
The hotel, along with other buildings, was built by the J.G. White Engineering Corp for Marconi. RCA bought the station from Marconi in 1920. The station closed in 1939. However, other radio stations on the Point Reyes Peninsula still work today.
Gallery
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View of Tomales Bay looking north
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Entrance to Tomales Bay from Tomales Point, looking south
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The old path of the narrow gauge North Pacific Coast Railroad follows the east shore of the bay.
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Marconi Conference Center
See also
In Spanish: Bahía Tomales para niños
