Drakes Bay is a large, open coastal bay on the Pacific Ocean within Point Reyes National Seashore in California. The bay is the ocean gateway for Drakes Estero, a complex five-bay estuary covering approximately 2,500 acres that is a primary destination for paddlers. The overall experience is one of remote wilderness paddling in a designated marine wilderness area where motorized boats are prohibited, offering a sense of solitude and a pristine natural setting. The bay itself is exposed to the open ocean, with views of dramatic coastline bluffs. Paddlers typically access the area via the Drakes Estero Kayak Launch Site, located off Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. This involves turning left at the "Drakes Estero" sign just before the bridge over Schooner Creek and proceeding 0.7 miles down a one-lane dirt road to a small parking area with vault toilets. From this launch, paddlers enter the protected waters of Schooner Bay within Drakes Estero, which eventually leads out to Drakes Bay.

Timing is critical due to strong tidal influences. The entire experience is highly dependent on the tides. At low tide, paddlers may have to wade across extensive mudflats to reach the water from the parking lot. More significantly, currents near the mouth of the estero, where it meets Drakes Bay, can be extremely powerful, and kayakers have been swept out of the estuary and into the open bay on an outgoing ebb tide. Planning to paddle on a slack tide or a small ebb is recommended to manage these currents. Wind is another major factor, often picking up in the afternoon, with July and August noted for potentially high winds. The best months for paddling are generally September through November, and also December through February, though winter brings elephant seals to Drakes Beach. Drakes Estero is closed entirely to public access from March 1 through June 30 annually for harbor seal pupping season; this is the largest resident harbor seal population on the West Coast. Beyond seals, wildlife viewing commonly includes leopard sharks, bat rays, river otters, and abundant birdlife such as pelicans, cormorants, herons, and osprey.

When paddling out to the mouth of the estero and Drakes Bay, paddlers will encounter sandbars that may require walking at lower tides, and will feel ocean wave action and see kelp beds. The transition from the protected estero to the open bay involves crossing a surf zone where offshore swell enters the estuary mouth, and the beach at Drakes Bay can have rows of breaking waves. Facilities are limited to the vault toilets at the launch site; there is no drinking water. All paddlers must have a Coast Guard-approved life jacket, and children under 13 must wear one at all times. Glass containers are prohibited on or near the water, and drones are not allowed.