Chicken Ranch Beach(Chicken Ranch Beach Park)

Located in the city of Inverness, Chicken Ranch Beach is a beach that has light brown sand and is popular among locals. The beach is designated as a Marin County Park. Chicken Ranch Beach has patches of vegetation, and a creek flows through the beach into Tomales Bay. Chicken Ranch Beach does not have lifeguards. However, the beach has trash cans, benches, and a restroom. The beach also allows dogs on leash. 

Chicken Ranch Beach offers many fun activities including swimming, beachcombing, picnicking, fishing, paddle boarding, kayaking, canoeing, and boating. The calm and shallow water near the beach is popular among children, kayakers, beginner swimmers, and paddleboarders. However, if you are planning to go into the water near Chicken Ranch Beach, we recommend being careful as the water around the mouth of the creek is known to have high levels of microbial contamination. In addition, one alleged shark encounter has also been reported in the water near the beach in 2014. Nevertheless, this beach is popular among families due to its child-friendly water. If you like beachcombing, there are many shells scattered around the beach that you can look for during low tide. An immensely popular activity in Chicken Ranch Beach is launching your canoe from the beach and exploring the spectacular Tomales Bay. If you don’t have a kayak or are a beginner, Blue Waters Kayaking is situated near the beach and offers kayaks and stand-up paddleboards for rent. In addition, Blue Waters Kayaking also offers kayaking lessons and organizes memorable trips around Tomales Bay. If you like camping, there are many waterfront campgrounds along the Tomales Bay shoreline that are accessible via kayaks. However, if you are planning to kayak and camp in these oceanfront camping spots, you will require a permit from the National Park Service for camping here. As an interesting fact, Tomales Bay is home to interesting bioluminescent marine organisms, which often light up during the night and create a beautiful and memorable visual marvel. This bioluminescence makes Tomales Bay a popular spot for night kayaking sessions.

Getting to Chicken Ranch Beach is easy - the short access trail to the beach is located near the intersection between Pine Hill Drive and Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, where there is also a free parking lot nearby. We recommend visiting early as the small parking lot near the beach can fill up early.

There are many attractions near Chicken Ranch Beach. Point Reyes Boat is a shipwrecked boat stranded along the Tomales Bay coastline that is a famous spot for photography. Jack Mason Museum of West Marin History has interesting exhibits on the rich history of Marin County and northern California. If you are looking for another attraction near Chicken Ranch Beach, White House Pool is a county park set along the wetlands around Lagunitas Creek. This park has a picnic table and offers many fun activities including hiking, kayaking, and paddleboarding. In addition, the park is a great spot for watching birds and is also known to be home to otters that live near the creek.

sIf you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Chicken Ranch Beach. Saltwater Oyster Depot is an upscale local restaurant that is famous for its oysters and oyster-based dishes. The restaurant also serves many other kinds of excellent seafood dishes including clam chowder, fish-and-chips, and seafood risotto. In addition, the restaurant has also been praised by the prestigious MICHELIN Guide. Vladimir’s Czechoslovakian Restaurant offers delicious central and eastern European dishes including chicken paprikash, Viennese schnitzel, Hungarian goulash, and chicken Vienna. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Chicken Ranch Beach, the Inverness Park Market has a modestly priced delicatessen that offers delicious burgers, sandwiches, bagels, quesadillas, and burritos.

If you are looking for a hotel near Chicken Ranch Beach, there are many great options nearby. Osprey Peak is a zen-themed bed-and-breakfast that offers many amenities including a mini-fridge for guest use, complimentary breakfast, and afternoon wine-and-cheese sessions. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Tomales Bay Resort & Marina that offers many amenities including a pool, a beach club, a restaurant, a boat launch, a marina, and nearby hiking trails. In addition, the hotel also organizes many activities including kayaking sessions, biking tours, and massages for a fee. If you are looking for another good and affordable option near Chicken Ranch Beach, the modestly priced Abalone Inn is a bed-and-breakfast that offers many amenities including a garden patio, a hot tub, a lounge with a fireplace, complimentary breakfast, and massage treatments (for a fee).