West Marin
Unsurpassed Natural Beauty in Coastal and Rural Marin
The villages, hills, and coastline of West Marin are best shown in this video or by a visit. This enchanting rural area is a place where time seems to move slowly. The 350,000 acres of West Marin are protected in parks or by County zoning as agricultural land (historically, dairy farms), with development restricted to parcels with a minimum of many acres. Owning West Marin real estate is like living in a dream, yet you are a short drive to San Francisco and the East Bay. Once you get there, you may never want to leave!
Map of Marin County showing parklands in West Marin plus rural areas above the Point Reyes Petaluma Road, courtesy of the West Marin Chamber of Commerce
West Marin includes:
- Stinson Beach, with its outstanding beachfront homes at Sea Drift.
- Nicasio, with its bucolic town square and velvet-like, grass covered hills.
- Inverness, stretching along inland Tomales Bay.
- Dillon Beach.
- Muir Beach.
- Nine more villages.
- Extensive rural farmlands north and west of Novato.
Your best bet is to drive (or bicycle) west on Sir Francis Drake Boulevard to explore this unique area.
Few people live in West Marin, but many people visit the Point Reyes National Sea Shore and Tomales Bay State Park with their beautiful beaches, dramatic cliffs and ridges, wildlife, and views from Bodega Bay to San Francisco. This is vacation paradise, but you can also live here in one of the many villages.
Villages of West Marin
- Bolinas
- Dillon Beach and Tomales
- Forest Knolls
- Inverness & Inverness Park
- Lagunitas
- Marshall
- Muir Beach, at the south end of the Marin coastline, just 10 minutes drive from Mill Valley. Here is a history of Muir Beach.
- Nicasio
- Olema
- Point Reyes Station
- San Geronimo
- Stinson Beach
- Tomales
- Woodacre
Property Values
See our market report for the price of homes sold in West Marin over the last month and last two years.
New Listings
Most Expensive Homes
Least Expensive Homes
Community Information
Traveling to West Marin
There are three main routes to West Marin, and all require that you relax and enjoy the scenery:
- Sir Frances Drake Blvd from Hwy 101, through the San Geronimo Valley and Woodacre to the Hwy 1 coastal route.
- Hwy 1 (also named Shoreline Hwy) from Mill Valley through Muir Beach to Stinson Beach and Bolinas.
- Panoramic Hwy in Mill Valley, north along the crest of Mt. Tamalpais, finally meeting Hwy 1 in Stinson Beach.
The Marin County Transit District provides bus service to West Marin.
What to Do in West Marin
For information on touring West Marin by car, on foot, horse, or boat, check out these Internet sites:
- An overview of outdoor activities from the National Park Service
- Blue Waters Kayaking
- Five Brooks Ranch
- Point Reyes National Seashore
- Point Reyes Arabian Adventures
- Point Reyes Lighthouse
- Samuel P. Taylor State Park in Lagunitas
Favorite Places
- Audubon Canyon Ranch, Bolinas, home to the blue herons and snowy egrets in nesting season.
- Pt. Reyes National Seashore. Wild, gentle, and sensational—all at the same time!
- Samuel P. Taylor State Park. Just 15 miles west of San Rafael on Sir Francis Drake Blvd.
- Stinson Beach. White sands; rent a house on the beach for a relaxing retreat.
- Toby’s Feed Barn, in Pt. Reyes Station. Step back in time to this upscale general store.
- Tomales Bay, a dramatic inlet from the Pacific Ocean along the Point Reyes National Seashore.
- Tomales Bay Oyster Company in Marshall.
- Hog Island Oyster Company in Marshall.