Enjoy a Winter Beach Day In Marin County California!

In our latest Marin County Travel Guide we pick Stinson Beach as a Top Ten Thing to do in Marin. And guess what, winter can be a great time to visit! When the sun is shining and the temps are mid-60’s a long walk on the beach is a lovely thing.

Getting To Stinson Beach

From our Marin Hotels, plan on a 30-40 minute drive. You have a couple of choices on routes: Highway 1 or Panoramic Highway. Highway 1 is famous for its beauty and almost any section of the road counts as one of the most scenic drives in the country. It is also twisty. And there are several spots on the road that have that “sheer drop to the ocean feeling”. Is it safe? Yes. But, if you’re the type who gets a little nervous behind the wheel, we suggest taking Panoramic. Still absolutely beautiful!

When To Go

If you’re planning to go on a summer weekend, go early to secure parking in the beach lot. During the week or in the winter, you’ll have no problem getting parking. One thing about going early: in the summer there may be fog, but it usually pulls back mid-morning.

What To Do

The most obvious thing to do is to set up for the day and just enjoy being outside at this beautiful beach with the rolling hills of Marin as a backdrop.

If you’re feeling active, take a surf lesson or walk the entire length of the beach (this usually takes around two hours round-trip). Note: the facilities are located near the parking areas, so go before you head out on on your surf or walk, as there are no other facilities.

Eating & Drinking at Stinson Beach

There are several restaurants in the small town of Stinson. You can easily walk to all of them and decide what speaks to you on the spot. There’s also a small grocery store if you want to pick up some picnic food. Pro Tip: we like popping over to the Parkside Cafe takeout window for a slice of really good pizza or the tomato tart, which is especially good this time of year. You can take that back to the beach, or head to the little playground/park across the street for an alfresco lunch with a view of the surrounding hills.

Muir Beach and Muir Beach Overlook

If you’re taking Highway 1, consider a stop at Muir Beach Overlook on the way home. The views of the coastline and ocean are spectacular. And Muir Beach itself is a lovely spot for a small stroll anytime of the day; also a popular bonfire spot (the photo at the top of the post is from Muir Beach).

See you out there!