If you're a social media user, you've definitely seen this ship before.
The spot is a favorite of amateur photographers and Bay Area sightseers alike, and has been featured in countless social media posts from almost every angle. The abandoned boat even made a guest appearance in the music video for "Living Proof," the lead single off The War On Drugs' latest album.
But there's certainly more to it than meets the eye, as is always the case with cropped photos that flood your feed.
While it looks to be found along a desolate, hard-to-reach beach preceded by an hours-long hike, it's really not. The "trek" is quite the opposite, actually.
The only thing you'll need to get to it is a pair of sturdy boots that you don't mind getting wet.
This "shipwreck" is literally just a few hundred yards off the main road into Point Reyes National Seashore, about 10 minutes after you pass through quant Point Reyes Station. You will find this photographer's dream ship on a beach along the banks of Tomales Bay just behind the Inverness Store, a grocery store-meets-deli located at 12784 Sir Francis Drake Blvd. in Inverness.
Don't be fooled by the underscored exterior or the darkened inside – the Inverness Store has excellent to-go sandwiches and should not be missed on your trip to Point Reyes.
But, back to the boat.
Parking is easy to find just behind the store. Just look for other vehicles next to an abandoned shipyard stocked with pontoons and fishing boats.
Up close, it's a little less glamorous than social media posts make it out to be.
Those looking for the best shots need the courage to step over mud and two-foot-deep water to get to the small sand beach it sits on, which doesn't seem to stop many people (including yours truly).
Once across the water, graffiti peppering the ship's exterior greets you.
The insides – apparently charred in an arson fire several years ago – are a sad, jumbled mess of wood, parts, more graffiti and trash.
As the story goes, the boat isn't wrecked or washed ashore. According to a lengthy piece in the Point Reyes Light, it was built in 1944 as a World War II launch boat, later used for salmon fishing, then poorly rehabbed and eventually left to rot in 1997 before the suspicious fire.
While this Bay Area gem isn't as it first seems, it's worth a trip.
It's only a few feet off the beaten path – to the delight of many.
In just 30 minutes at the site on a rainy October weekend, no more than 25 people stopped by for a quick picture or full photo session. Come for the boat, then make time for a longer drive into beautiful Point Reyes for a chance to stand at what feels like the ends of the Earth.
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