Dare to tread the San Andreas Fault where the earth's crust shifted and moved 5 meters (16 feet) in 1906!

Meet a Park Ranger at the start of the Earthquake Trail for this easy one-kilometer (0.6 miles) walk. The Earthquake Trail begins at the southeast corner of the Bear Valley Picnic Area, just across the street from the Bear Valley Visitor Center.

Join a Park Ranger for a lesiurely 1.3-kilometer (0.8-mile) tour introducing visitors to the Coast Miwok and their history and culture.

Meet at the Bear Valley Visitor Center.

Housed in a restored barn in Point Reyes Station, the Cowgirl Creamery has been making handcrafted, farmstead cheese in small batches since 1997. Nationally recognized for its artisan quality, the Creamery offers tours of its ecologically conscious facilities every Friday at 11:30 a.m.

Foodies and dairy junkies won't want to miss the chance to go behind the scenes, where the Creamery makes about 3,000 pounds of cheese per week. Peek through a viewing window and watch how they make the goods, and learn about the cheese-making process in a 25-minute presentation. The tour ends with a tasting of Cowgirl Creamery cheeses.

Afterwards, peruse the cheese counter to sample cheeses from more than 200 of America's and Europe's most prized producers, or check out the selection of local produce and other goodies.

Reservations for the tour are strongly recommended; call (415) 663-9335 or book your tour online.

Built in 1870, the Point Reyes Lighthouse guided mariners for 105 years before it was replaced by an automatic beacon in 1975.

Join a park ragner for a guided tour of the lighthouse's lantern room, and learn about the history and function of this Bay Area landmark. Tours are available from 2:30 - 4 p.m., Thursday - Monday, April - December.

The Lighthouse Visitor Center is also open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Thursday - Monday, year-round, where you can see historic photographs of shipwrecks and lighthouse keepers, and handle artifacts -- such as real whale baleen -- on a hands-on "touch table."

Experience the Point Reyes Lighthouse as many keepers have over the years. Watch as the lighthouse's beacon shines over the sea on this popular ranger-led tour.

Available on first and third Saturdays, from mid-April through December. Start times will vary depending on sunset. The Lighthouse Visitor Center is open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Thursday - Monday, year-round.

Space is limited. Call (415) 669-1534 after 10 a.m. on the day of the tour, for tour schedule and reservations.

The Marin Poetry Center brings its Summer Traveling Show to the Dance Palace Community Center in Point Reyes Station.

Poets from all over the Bay Area are invited to join in and read their own or others' work aloud in this informal, one-hour poetry/spoken-word performance.

Join a Park Ranger to learn more about Point Reyes National Seashore's natural and cultural history.

Topics covered may include earthquakes and plate tectonics, the Coast Miwok, the U.S. Lifesaving Service, or area flora and fauna. Some programs may require a walk of up to 1 mile on easy to moderate trails.

Stop by or call the Bear Valley Visitor Center at (415) 464-5100 for information about today's program.

View Tule elk through binoculars and scopes at the Point Reyes National Seashore, weekends and holidays, July through September.

Docents will be stationed at the Tomales Point Trailhead from 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. and at Windy Gap (1 mile north along the Tomales Point Trail) from 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Look through the docents' binoculars and spotting scopes, and get a closer look at the Tule elk during their mating season. Feel free to ask the docents questions about these majestic animals.

Now in its 29th year, the Big Time Festival is an annual celebration of California Native American culture, held at Kule Loklo (Point Reyes National Seashore's Coastal Miwok cultural exhibit).

Bring a picnic lunch and watch as artisans exhibit their talents in basketry, flint knapping, clamshell bead making, and more. Learn more about the culture and traditions of the Coast Miwok and other local American Indians at a variety of informational booths. Enjoy dance performances from the Intertribal Pomo group and Dry Creek Pomo group. Vendors also will be on hand, selling a wide variety of crafts.

Celebrating its 64th year, the Marin County Fair is one of the biggest community events of the summer.

This year's fair will deliver an even bigger, cleaner, greener, fun-filled experience for everyone, with the first ever Electric Wheels Car Show, the first solar-powered carousel at a county fair, performances by Steve Trash and his Big Green Magic Show, and much more.

It wouldn't be a County Fair without the traditional fun and games: 28 carnival rides, games of skill and chance, nightly fireworks, loveable farm animals, and interactive exhibits. Come see artists and craftspeople compete for the blue ribbon in 800 categories ranging from baking and winemaking to photography and filmmaking.
 
Both Bay Area artists and popular retro bands perform throughout the event, including Creedence Clearwater Revisited, The Motels with Martha Davis, Berlin with Terri Nunn, Los Lobos, and more. Admission to all concerts are included with price of fair ticket.

If you still haven't had enough after a full day of music, rides, and exhibits, stay for the Fantastic Fireworks, launching nightly at 9:30 p.m. Watch the sky above the fair illuminate with Roman candles, comets, meteoric showers, and bursting cascades of twinkling color.

The Point Reyes Farmers Market offers an abundance of locally grown and/or produced vegetables, fruits, organic products, gourmet cheese, herbs, seafood, meats, organic coffee, desserts, and wines, available right from the people who produce them.

This is the perfect spot to sample Marin County's agricultural bounty, grab fixings for a picnic, or stock up on groceries for your hostel stay.

Aside from fresh, organically grown produce, the Point Reyes farmers’ market boasts demonstrations by guest chefs, live music, and activities such as pie baking/eating contests, seed swaps, and "ugly produce" contests.

The Farmers Market is held on Saturdays from June to early November in Point Reyes Station.

Come to the Dance Palace Community Center in Point Reyes Station for a community drum circle and performance by the Hands on Fire Band with percussionist James Henry.

Bring your drum and join in the jam, then sit back and watch the band light up the skins with reggae, funk, soca, and world beat sounds.

Come to the Dance Palace Community Center in Point Reyes Station for a unique performance by music group Ruby.

Ruby -- which includes vocalist Lisa Ferraro, vocalist and guitarist Erika Luckett, and songwriter Shaikh Kabir Helminski -- ushers in the musical expression of the 13th century mystic poet, Rumi, through a musical interpretation of his poetry.

Join a Marin County Parks naturalist for a guided wildflower-viewing walk through Bull Point in the Point Reyes National Seashore, which hosts a flora that is reminiscent of a high mountain meadow.

Join a Marin County Parks naturalist for a guided walk through Arroyo Hondo in the Point Reyes National Seashore.

This lush canyon in the southern portion of the park is a haven for dragonflies, butterflies, and birds. This level, well maintained, shaded trail is a perfect place to enjoy nature on a sunny summer day.

Join members of the Point Reyes Bird Observatory on their monthly bird walk through the National Seashore.

In July, explore the Muddy Hollow area of the park. Hike through the central part of the Burn Zone of the 1995 Mount Vision Fire, and examine the remarkable extent of vegetative recovery. Discuss how monitoring songbird response to natural disturbances like this can teach us many important lessons.

You'll also have a chance to experience "science in action" as you check mist-nets (special nets designed to catch birds without harming them) for songbirds and observe bird banding (small, numbered metal or plastic rings attached to bird legs or wings), which is a great opportunity to see birds up close and learn about breeding biology.