When planning a recent trip to San Francisco, my husband and I decided to take a few days to explore the surrounding countryside. We wanted a destination that would offer easy access from the city, peace and quiet, and stunning natural scenery. As it turned out, these parameters didn’t narrow things down much.

Northern California has so much natural beauty to offer that it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices. Of course, Napa, Sonoma, and Big Sur are perennial favorites. But beyond these destinations, there are dozens of smaller areas that are perfect for a weekend trip from the San Francisco area.

After a bit of online research and consultations with friends who had lived in the area, we settled on Point Reyes National Seashore, less than an hour’s drive north of San Francisco in Marin County.

Point Reyes is a national park encompassing 100 square miles along the California coast. It offers 80 miles of undeveloped coastline, including estuaries, beaches, coastal scrub grasslands, and salt and freshwater marshes. Not only did it meet all of our criteria for a perfect weekend getaway, it also offered unusual historical sites and great food.

We arrived in San Francisco in the early afternoon and headed out of the city in a rental car. After missing a highway turnoff, we ended up on the local roads for most of the drive – a happy mistake, it turned out, as we thoroughly enjoyed the dramatic views at every turn. At one point, Lucas Valley Road led us through an awe-inspiring redwood forest. The ancient giants blocked out the crisp California sunshine, putting us instantly into a reverent and meditative state.

We stayed at the Point Reyes Station Inn, one of many inns and bed-and-breakfasts in the area (11,591 Highway One, 415-663-9372, www.pointreyesstationinn.com; $189 a night for a double room). Our comfortable room had a fireplace (as do all the inn’s rooms), Jacuzzi, and a small balcony overlooking a beautiful garden.

The next morning, we headed out to explore. Point Reyes National Seashore is a roughly triangular landmass, attached to the main coast right along the San Andreas Fault. It offers activities and itineraries for all visitors, from weary city dwellers to fleece-and-granola types.

The pine and fir forests in the southern area offer numerous trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. Campers can obtain permits at the visitor center, while boaters and kayakers, though advised to avoid the more turbulent waters on the ocean side, will find plenty of shoreline to explore in the long, narrow Tomales Bay to the north. Birders flock to its lagoons and beaches, while the annual whale migration, from January to April, draws crowds. The beaches along its perimeter offer lots of room for picnickers.

We decided to start with a hike. On the northern tip of Point Reyes, at the mouth of Tomales Bay, is a paved walking trail into the Tule Elk Reserve. Wild tule elk once roamed the entire peninsula, but were almost extinct by the late 19th century. Protected since 1971, this California subspecies has been reintroduced to Point Reyes, where they have multiplied into a herd of about 400 animals. The elk are often visible from the road as well as from the trail.

The trail also affords sweeping views of the ocean and expanses of wildflower strewn meadows. Be sure to take a stroll through the historical ruins of Pierce Point Ranch, at the trail head. This was the best known of many industrial-scale dairy operations that flourished on the grassy flatlands, themselves a legacy of two millennia of the native Miwok people’s presence in the area.

The designation of Point Reyes as a national park in 1962 came about as a cooperative effort between the declining dairy industry, which sought to retain its land rights in the face of financial struggles, and the Sierra Club. Six working ranches still exist and the remains of others, like the Pierce Point Ranch, have received historical protection.

The road from Pierce Point Ranch to the most remote area of the park is Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, named for the renowned Englishman who stopped at Point Reyes for repairs during his 1579 voyage around the world.

At the very tip of the park stands the Point Reyes Lighthouse, at the bottom of a 300-stair descent to the rocky cliffs. The day we visited was relatively clear and calm, but the waters off the lighthouse point churned in the strong winds along the cliffs, creating a fine salt mist that settled on every surface.

The 1870 lighthouse, which used the most advanced optics of its time for its 8-foot-tall lens, was built to stem the grim tide of shipwrecks that littered this prominent yet treacherous part of the coast. A steam-powered fog signal, crucial in the notoriously capricious local climate, necessitated several freshwater cisterns to keep it going, sometimes for hours at a time.

After our day of hiking, it was time to sample the area’s cuisine. Barbecued oysters, a local specialty, were prominently advertised everywhere we went. Preferring ours on the half shell, we checked out some of the innovative options offered at the Olema Inn & Restaurant (10,000 Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, Olema, 415-663-9559, www.theolemainn.com). Local Hog Island Oysters, farmed in Tomales Bay, come eight to a serving with raw or oven roasted toppings ($14). We sampled the flying fish roe, classic vinegar and shallots, caviar and creme fraiche, and roasted shallots with shiitake mushrooms and asiago cheese. The main dishes, grilled halibut ($24) and pasta with duck, garlic cream, morels, cheese and Serrano ham ($21) included organic ingredients, both local and international.

Sadly, we had to return to San Francisco after only a brief weekend in Point Reyes – my husband had a conference to attend. But our short trip at least provided a tantalizing glimpse into the possibilities. So the next time we’re in this area casting about for a quick getaway, a return to Point Reyes will be high on the list.