West Marin is the largest rural region of Marin County and has some of the planet’s coolest communities, literally and figuratively, including Point Reyes Station, Olema, and Stinson Beach,as well as Bolinas, Tomales, Dillon Beach, Forest Knolls, Lagunitas, Marshall, Nicasio, San Geronimo, Woodacre and Inverness. Bordered by the wild Pacific Ocean and the more populous communities of Marin, these towns are the definition of bucolic living, with pastures of grazing cattle and sheep and a landscape dotted with century-old farmhouses and blink-and-you’ll-miss-it main streets. Oh, and this is also ground zero for excellent farm-to-table cuisine.
The list of activities in West Marin is long and exciting! Enjoy hiking along the coast or through the woods within the Point Reyes National Seashore or its surrounding towns; bird watching, whale watching, viewing an abundance of wildlife including elephant seals, deer and tule elk. There are beaches to explore, incredible surfing, and paddle boarding, as well as wonderful bicycling paths, picturesque picnic areas, horseback riding, golf, kayaking on Tomales Bay, and digging for oysters. For geology buffs, the fact that Point Reyes lies on a different tectonic plate than the rest of the coast is proof enough that West Marin is where it’s at.