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Major city · United States

Stinson Beach

Go for one day from San Francisco or Mill Valley, or one night if you want the beach at sunrise; skip as a base — it is a village, not a hub.

Not yet checkedSourcesWhat these labels mean

Stinson Beach is a small West Marin village on Highway 1, north of the Golden Gate Bridge, with a wide sandy beach, a handful of cafés and a few places to sleep. Almost everyone comes for a day; a single night buys you empty morning sand and a sunset without the drive back in the dark.

basic guide: no trip line yet
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
More ways in
Print / PDF guide
Local time, weather, currency, airports
Weather
see forecast
Currency
USD
Best months
Sep–Oct (warmest, clearest); May–Jun for green hills
avoid Jul–Aug fog and parking queues; winter storm closures on Highway 1
Airports
SFO · OAK
Nights
1
Rules in force · 7Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • United States ↗Check whether you need an ESTA (Visa Waiver Program) or a visa on the official CBP and State Department sites; apply only through esta.cbp.dhs.gov, not third-party sites, and allow time before you book.
  • United States ↗Several popular national parks use timed-entry or vehicle reservations in peak season; check each park's page on nps.gov and book on recreation.gov before fixing your dates.
  • United States ↗Medical care is very expensive for visitors; buy travel insurance with high medical cover before you fly.
  • United States ↗Tipping is expected: about 15–20% at sit-down restaurants and bars, and a tip for taxis, hotel staff and guides.

Entry rules depend on your passport. Full visa guide

Checking your follows…
What is in this basic guide9 covered · 4 not yet ▾

Not in this guide yet

  • Walking areas with bag rules
  • Day plans checked against opening hours
  • Airport-to-bed timings and the last safe connection
  • Field-checked times and prices
Emergency numbers for Stinson Beach911 ▾

Tap a number to call from your phone. These are the numbers listed in this guide; a row marked check has not been verified.

EssentialsQuick answers and what things cost

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Stinson Beach, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Show all 12 answers

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Coffee$4–6
  • Street or quick mealBreakfast plate at a village café$14–22
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week$10–30
  • Budget bedHostel or shared bunk (nearest options in Marin), a night, per personUS$45
  • Mid-range bedMotel or inn double room, a night, per roomUS$220
  • High-end bedMotel or inn double room, a night, per roomUS$380

A day, not counting the bed: Budget US$55 · Mid US$110 · High US$220

Prices in local money; change the currency in the header to see yours next to them. Every price and the budget calculator →

DecideWhat it is known for, and when the weather works

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Wide sandy beach on the PacificHighway 1 coastal driveMount Tamalpais trailheads above the villageBolinas Lagoon and birdlife
Airports
SFO San Francisco International (About 1 h 15 min by car via US-101 and Highway 1; longer on summer weekends) · OAK Oakland International (About 1 h 30 min by car; check traffic on the Richmond–San Rafael bridge)

Best months at a glance

From the guide's best and avoid lists

  1. Jan

    not flagged

    14°C (57°F)

  2. Feb

    not flagged

    15°C (59°F)

  3. Mar

    not flagged

    16°C (61°F)

  4. Apr

    not flagged

    17°C (63°F)

  5. May

    Best

    18°C (64°F)

  6. Jun

    Best

    20°C (68°F)

  7. Jul

    Avoid

    20°C (68°F)

  8. Aug

    Avoid

    21°C (70°F)

  9. Sep

    Best

    22°C (72°F)

  10. Oct

    Best

    21°C (70°F)

  11. Nov

    not flagged

    17°C (63°F)

  12. Dec

    not flagged

    14°C (57°F)

Best: May–Jun, Sep–Oct. Avoid: Jul–Aug. Month by month →

Warmest Sep (22°C (72°F)), coolest Jan (6°C (43°F) low), wettest Jan (11 rain days), driest Jul (1). Averages, not a forecast.

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Stinson Beach: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

14°C (57°F)

6°C (43°F)

11 rd

Feb

15°C (59°F)

7°C (45°F)

10 rd

Mar

16°C (61°F)

7°C (45°F)

10 rd

Apr

17°C (63°F)

8°C (46°F)

6 rd

May

18°C (64°F)

9°C (48°F)

4 rd

Jun

20°C (68°F)

10°C (50°F)

2 rd

Jul

20°C (68°F)

11°C (52°F)

1 rd

Aug

21°C (70°F)

11°C (52°F)

1 rd

Sep

22°C (72°F)

11°C (52°F)

2 rd

Oct

21°C (70°F)

10°C (50°F)

4 rd

Nov

17°C (63°F)

8°C (46°F)

8 rd

Dec

14°C (57°F)

6°C (43°F)

11 rd

High / low, both scales · rd = rain days

Arrive & moveAirports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The village is walkable in 10 minutes. Everything else — Mount Tam, Bolinas, Muir Woods — needs a car or bike; the West Marin Stagecoach route 61 runs from Sausalito and Marin City a few times a day (check the timetable). Highway 1 is two lanes with blind curves: drive it in daylight.

See & doDay-trips, door to door

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Bolinas

go

Door to door: 15 min by car

Car or bike on Highway 1, north

Smaller, quieter beach town; the road sign is famously missing — use a map.

Muir Woods National Monument

caution

Door to door: 40–50 min

Car via Highway 1 and Panoramic Hwy

Parking and shuttle require a reservation — book ahead or you will be turned away.

Mill Valleygo

Door to door: 30–40 min

Car via Panoramic Hwy and Highway 1

Best stop for groceries, coffee and a proper town before or after the beach.

Sausalitogo

Door to door: 35–50 min

Car via Highway 1 and US-101, or Stagecoach 61 to Marin City then bus

Ferry back to San Francisco if you want to skip the bridge traffic.

Point Reyes National Seashore

overnight

Door to door: 1 h

Car north on Highway 1

A long return day; sleeping in Point Reyes Station makes it easier.

Eat & sleepWhich area to sleep in

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Village centre (Shoreline Hwy and Arenal Ave)

Walk to the beach and both cafés; the only real choice if you have no car.

Marine Way and Belvedere Ave

Cabins and small lodgings a 2–5 min walk from the sand.

PracticalWhat a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
$40–70 excl. bed
Mid
$80–140 excl. bed
High
$180+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Motel or inn double room1 × 1 night × US$220US$220
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × US$110US$220
Beach parking, one day1 × US$10 · checkUS$10
West Marin Stagecoach 61 fare, one way2 × US$3 · checkUS$6
eSIM, about a week of data2 × US$15US$30
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeUS$49
Trip total≈ US$268 per person per day, bed includedUS$535

2026 estimate in US dollars; sales tax added at checkout. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee$4–6
Breakfast plate at a village café$14–22
Sandwich or burger lunch$15–25
Beach parking, per day$10–15 (check)
Rideshare San Francisco → Stinson Beach$70–110 (check)
eSIM or data SIM, about a week$10–30

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

A calm, low-crime village. The real risks are the ocean (cold water, rip currents, seasonal lifeguards), the two-lane coast road in fog, and leaving valuables visible in a parked car.
  • Parking is limited and fills early on warm weekends; check whether the lot is paid and enforced before you rely on it.
  • Rip currents and cold water (about 12–14 °C (54–57 °F)): swim near lifeguards, and note that lifeguard cover is seasonal — check before you swim.
  • No cell signal in parts of the canyon on Highway 1; download offline maps.
  • Fog can drop visibility on the coast road within minutes.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
911
Marin County Sheriff (non-emergency)
415-479-2311
Poison control
1-800-222-1222

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Stinson BeachStinson Beach

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

To this address, pleaseTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance911
  • Marin County Sheriff (non-emergency)415-479-2311
  • Poison control1-800-222-1222

Embassy

No embassies in West Marin; consulates-general are in San Francisco.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • West Marin Stagecoach 61, Sausalito → Stinson Beach: about $3 one way, a few runs a day (check)
  • Beach parking, per day: $10–15 (check)
  • Rideshare San Francisco → Stinson Beach: $70–110 (check)

Say or show

  • Thank you — Thank you
  • Where is the beach access? — Where is the beach access?
  • Is the water safe to swim? — Is the water safe to swim?
  • Can I pay by card? — Can I pay by card?

Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink.

Deep diveWhat this guide covers so far, and its sources

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Stinson Beach. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Sep–Oct (warmest, clearest); May–Jun for green hills · avoid Jul–Aug fog and parking queues; winter storm closures on Highway 1 · month by month →
  2. 2 airports and 2 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 5 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-beach contract for SFO and OAK: last Stagecoach 61 departures, rideshare fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Walking clusters: village centre, Marine Way, the beach and the Mount Tam trailheads.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (beach lot, Muir Woods reservation, Bolinas road) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Fog and storm fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to United States

Sources

Ask about Stinson Beach

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