Historic Point Reyes Lifeboat Station is located on the wind-sheltered side of the Point Reyes Headlands. The lifeboat station is built on granitic rock. The north-south trend of the coast here reflects the erosional differences between the resistant granitic rock (land) and the younger (overlying) Tertiary sedimentary rocks (under the bay). The cliffs in the distance consist of Tertiary sedimentary rocks that dip moderately to the east (right in photograph) into a synclinal trough under Drakes Bay (see geologic map). The sedimentary rocks along the distant shore grow increasingly younger to the right.