Stinson Beach, CA

Stinson Beach is a Marin County CDP on the Pacific side of Mount Tamalpais, just east of Bolinas Lagoon and about 35 minutes north of the Golden Gate by State Route 1. The 2020 census counted 541 residents. The beach community began as Willow Camp, reached by sea, lagoon launch, or trail before roads made the coast easier to reach. In 1916, the name Stinson Beach honored Rose and Nathan Stinson, the largest local landowners. The beach, lagoon, and Dipsea Trail do most of the local organizing. Since 1905, the Dipsea Race has finished at Stinson Beach after climbing over Mount Tamalpais from Mill Valley, and the route still gives the town its annual burst of runners and spectators.

ATTRFrank Schulenburg / CC BY-SA 4.0

Stinson Beach School and the Bolinas-Stinson Union district keep the school map local, while State Route 1 links the village to Muir Beach, Bolinas, and Sausalito. Stinson Beach's local scoop is a Pacific beach town with a lagoon behind it, a trail race running through its story, and a road that makes the whole coast feel connected.