Top Five: Marin Beach Walks

Any time is beach time in Marin. With San Francisco socked-in with friendly fog or the inland areas baking in heat, Marin offers easy coastal escape and refreshing beach walks.

Stinson Beach.  Less than an hour's drive from San Francisco, the sleepy beach town of Stinson Beach invites you to stroll its wide sandy crescent. Play in the waves, enjoy ocean breezes, and take in distant views of San Francisco to the south and Bolinas to the northwest.

 

Tennessee Cove.  Abounding in wildlife and the unspoiled nature of Marin's coastal headlands, this small beach is reached by an easy-going hike through Mill Valley's Tennessee Valley, less than 30 minutes drive from San Francisco.

 

Drakes Beach. In the heart of Point Reyes National Seashore, Drakes Beach offers wide sandy stretches of wilderness shoreline overlooked by dramatic white sandstone cliffs.

 

Limantour Beach. This peaceful strand of sand, bound between Drakes Bay and an estuary in Point Reyes National Seashore, is a bountiful wildlife area, especially for shorebirds and harbor seals.

 

Point Reyes Beach.  Sparse crowds, heavy surf and a spectacular coastline are the highlights of this wild, 11-mile-long Pacific Ocean beach.

 

Heart's Desire Beach. Situated on the calm Tomales Bay side of the Point Reyes peninsula in Tomales Bay State Park, Heart's Desire offers a quiet stretch of white sand and a sheltered shoreline. It's a great place to hang out, have a picnic and take in the abundant beauty of West Marin.