West Marin: Stinson, Bolinas, Point Reyes & Inverness

Beach towns, oyster shacks and national seashore, about an hour from the city

Last updated September 2026 · By Melissa DiVita, REALTOR®, Compass · DRE #01387955 · Marin native, in real estate since 2003

The coast side of Marin

Cross over Mt. Tam or head out Sir Francis Drake and Marin changes completely. West Marin is small coastal villages, dairy ranches, Tomales Bay and more than 70,000 acres of Point Reyes National Seashore. Some buyers come here for a full-time life and some for a weekend house. Either way, it’s one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in California.

Town	Character	Median price*	Public schools
Stinson Beach	Beach-house town with a long sandy beach and the gated Seadrift enclave	$3.8M (3-mo, Jun 2026, 9 sales)	Bolinas-Stinson Union → Tam High
Muir Beach	Tiny coastal hamlet (about 300 residents), closest to the city	Few sales	Mill Valley SD → Tam High
Bolinas	Famously private; lagoon, reef and a beginner-friendly surf break	$1.9M (3-mo, Aug 2026, 3 sales)	Bolinas-Stinson Union → Tam High
Point Reyes Station	Farm-to-table gateway to the National Seashore	$1.6M (3-mo, Aug 2026, 2 sales)	Shoreline USD → Tomales High
Inverness	Boating village on Tomales Bay	Few sales	Shoreline USD → Tomales High
San Geronimo Valley / Woodacre	Rural, forested valley; home of Spirit Rock	About $955K (Nov 2025, single month)	Lagunitas SD (public Montessori) → Archie Williams

*Redfin ZIP-code figures. With only a handful of sales, West Marin medians swing a lot. I price every home from the specific comps.

Beaches and surfing

Stinson Beach. A long sandy beach with lifeguards in summer. The Dipsea Race finishes here every June.
Bolinas. The best place in Marin to learn to surf, with lessons March through October. The water runs roughly 50 to 62°F through the year, so plan on a 4/3 wetsuit and booties.
Muir Beach. A small cove next to the English-style Pelican Inn.
Drakes Beach and Limantour in Point Reyes. Seasonal closures protect elephant seal pupping.
Sharks. Great whites are part of life on the Northern California coast, and beaches occasionally close after sightings. Check posted advisories.

Oysters, food and weekends

Hog Island Oyster Co. in Marshall, and Tony’s Seafood (opened 1948; in the MICHELIN Guide)
The Marshall Store for oysters on the water
Cafe Reyes in Point Reyes Station (in the MICHELIN Guide), Side Street Kitchen, Station House Cafe
Parkside Cafe in Stinson and Smiley’s Saloon in Bolinas
Inverness Yacht Club on Tomales Bay, founded in 1912, with youth sailing and summer racing
Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, founded in 1985 on 412 acres

Outdoors

Point Reyes National Seashore has about 150 miles of trails and a lighthouse first lit in 1870. On the Mt. Tam side, the Matt Davis, Steep Ravine and Dipsea loop above Stinson is one of the best hikes in the Bay Area. Riders do a classic 56-mile loop from Mill Valley out to Point Reyes Station and back over the coast.

Getting there

Stinson is about 20 miles from San Francisco on Highway 1, but the road is slow and winding. Point Reyes Station is about 42 miles by road. Most full-time West Marin residents don’t commute daily into the city.

What buyers should know

Septic and wells. Many homes aren’t on city sewer or water. Inspect carefully.
Coastal permits. Additions and remodels near the coast go through additional review.
Insurance. Wildfire in the hills and flood or erosion near the water can affect insurability.
Short-term rental rules vary. Check county rules before counting on rental income from a weekend home.

Financing in Marin. Many West Marin homes need jumbo financing, especially in Stinson Beach and Bolinas, since Marin’s 2026 conforming limit is $1,249,125. Second homes, rural parcels and unusual properties can also have their own lending rules. My husband Michael DiVita is a mortgage broker and owner of DiVita Home Finance, with access to 40+ wholesale lenders, and he’s a great resource for jumbo and bank-statement loans. Learn more at mycahomeloan.com.
Disclosure: Michael DiVita is my husband. You are free to choose any lender; using DiVita Home Finance is never required, and I receive no referral fee.

Mill Valley guide

All Marin towns

Honest trade-offs: is West Marin right for you?

West Marin is a great fit if you:

Want the coast, space and quiet, with Point Reyes, Tomales Bay and Stinson as your backyard.
Work from home, or want a weekend place.
Love small communities where everyone knows everyone.

Think twice if you:

Haven’t priced fire insurance. Most West Marin homes are in High or Very High fire hazard zones, with new ember-resistant rules for the 5 feet around the house.
Are looking in Stinson’s Seadrift or on the beach. A 2025 sea-level-rise plan calls for raising nearly every home, and Calle del Arroyo, the only road to about 500 homes, already floods at king tides.
Aren’t ready for septic, long drives to errands and Highway 1 beach traffic on hot days. The coast is also foggy and windy much of the summer.

More in my Marin microclimates guide, and if you’re selling, see what West Marin requires at sale.

A year in West Marin

West Marin’s traditions are small, local and wonderfully unpolished.

Point Reyes Birding & Nature Festival (late April): dozens of guided field trips across the Seashore.
Western Weekend (first full weekend in June): a barn dance and a Main Street parade in Point Reyes Station, celebrating West Marin’s ranching roots.
Fourth of July: the Bolinas–Stinson tug-of-war across the lagoon channel, then a parade in Bolinas; a pancake breakfast and parade in Woodacre.
Inverness Fair (second Saturday in August): a pancake breakfast, rummage and plant sales on the Firehouse Green.
Path of Lights (first Friday in December): luminarias along Main Street in Point Reyes Station, a tradition of more than 50 years.
Farmers market: Saturdays at Toby’s Feed Barn in Point Reyes Station, May to September.

For music, there’s Rancho Nicasio, the Old Western Saloon and Station House Cafe in Point Reyes Station, Smiley’s in Bolinas, and the Papermill Creek Saloon in Forest Knolls.

For every town’s traditions in one place, see my Marin events calendar, plus my nightlife, outdoors and clubs guides.

West Marin real estate FAQ

How much does a house in Stinson Beach cost?

Redfin reported a 3-month median of about $3.8 million as of June 2026, based on just 9 sales. That includes homes in Seadrift, the gated enclave on the sandspit. With so few sales, West Marin medians swing a lot, so I price every home from the specific comps, not the ZIP code number.

Can you commute to San Francisco from West Marin?

It’s possible, but most full-time West Marin residents don’t commute into the city every day. Stinson Beach is about 20 miles from San Francisco on Highway 1, but the road is slow and winding. Point Reyes Station is about 42 miles by road. People who buy out here usually work locally or remotely, or they’re buying a weekend house.

What should I inspect when buying in West Marin?

Start with septic and wells, because many homes aren’t on city sewer or water. Additions and remodels near the coast go through extra coastal permit review. Wildfire in the hills and flood or erosion near the water can affect insurability. If you’re buying a weekend home and counting on rental income, check the county’s short-term rental rules first, because they vary.

What schools serve West Marin?

It depends on the village. Stinson Beach and Bolinas are in the Bolinas-Stinson Union district, which feeds Tamalpais High. Point Reyes Station and Inverness are in Shoreline Unified, which feeds Tomales High. The San Geronimo Valley is in the Lagunitas School District, which has a public Montessori program and feeds Archie Williams. Muir Beach is in the Mill Valley School District.

More questions about Marin? See my Marin real estate FAQ, or ask me directly.

Working with a West Marin realtor

West Marin homes are rare and unusual: beach houses, ranches, cottages on Tomales Bay. Value depends on things online estimates can’t see, like septic, water rights, coastal permits and access. I’m a fourth-generation Marin native and have been in real estate since 2003, starting at Hill & Co. in San Francisco. Today I’m with Compass in Tiburon.

What I focus on when buying or selling in West Marin:

Septic systems and wells
Coastal permits for remodels and additions
Short-term rental rules for weekend homes
Insurance for fire, flood and erosion

Selling in West Marin? Start with a free, local home valuation. Buying? Read how to choose a Marin realtor and whether you need a buyer’s agent.

Contact Melissa

Sources

Dreaming of the coast?

Send me a note through my contact form. West Marin homes are rare and unusual, and I’ll help you look past the view to what really matters.