Stinson Beach(Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Stinson Beach Park)

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Stinson Beach. 

Parkside Cafe offers many amazing dishes for lunch and dinner including steaks, seafood, salads, flatbread, and roast chicken. Coast Cafe offers excellent seafood, sandwiches, and burgers. 

Smiley’s Schooner Saloon Hotel & Kitchen offers excellent coastal cuisine that is infused with Hispanic influences. Breakers Cafe offers many amazing dishes for breakfast and lunch including burgers, sandwiches, wraps, soups, tacos, seafood, and chicken dishes. 

If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby restaurant, the Parkside Snack Bar offers many amazing dishes including burgers, sandwiches, hot dogs, and seafood dishes. 

If you are looking for a hotel near Stinson Beach, there are many great nearby moderately priced and modestly-priced options. 

The 3-Star Mountain Home Inn offers many amenities including a bar, a restaurant, a terrace, and massage services. Another moderately priced hotel is the 3-Star West Point Inn that offers amazing views of the Marin Headlands and the surrounding North Californian landscape. The ELEVEN Bread & Breakfast at 11 Wharf Road is conveniently located close to some of the major landmarks in the nearby town of Bolinas and it also has a restaurant. 

Another moderately priced hotel is Smiley’s Schooner Saloon, Hotel & Kitchen that is an adults-only accommodation with an old-world charm and features a saloon-style bar with a pool table, live music, and karaoke nights. If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby hotel, The Stinson Beach Redwood Haus Inn (also called Redwood Haus Bed & Breakfast Inn) offers many amenities including a complimentary breakfast, barbeque facilities, pianos, guitars, a DVD library, and a lobby with a large flatscreen TV. 

Another great hotel near the beach is Sandpiper Lodging Stinson Beach – also sometimes unofficially called Sandpiper Lodge Stinson Beach – that offers many amenities including a garden with a barbecue, a picnic table, outdoor sitting area, and a shower.

Visitors to Stinson Beach can enjoy a variety of amenities. Lifeguards are on duty from late May to mid-September, typically between the first week of July and Labor Day. The beach offers restrooms, volleyball courts, showers, barbecue areas, and picnic spots. Nearby, you’ll find kayak rentals and a concession stand open during the summer months. Please note that dogs are not permitted on the beach.

Whether you’re into sunbathing, beachcombing, fishing, or picnicking, there’s something for everyone at Stinson Beach. Water enthusiasts can swim, surf, paddleboard, or kayak, while land lovers can hike or play volleyball. Surfing is particularly popular in the winter and spring, with great waves for both beginners and experienced surfers. Summer brings opportunities for rafting, jet-skiing, and windsurfing, especially when north-westerly winds pick up in the afternoons.

For those who enjoy exploring, morning beachcombing during low tides in winter reveals a variety of shells. Hiking trails nearby offer stunning views of the rugged Northern California coastline. Photography enthusiasts will love the breathtaking sunsets and Instagram-worthy vistas of the Pacific Ocean. In the quieter winter months, the beach provides a serene escape with fewer visitors.

Safety Tip: The waters can have unpredictable rip currents and strong waves. Shark sightings have also been reported, so caution is advised when engaging in water activities.

Stinson Beach has many disabled-friendly features for visitors with disabilities including a disabled-friendly boardwalk, and disabled-friendly benches, restrooms, and picnic areas – most of the disabled-friendly features of this beach are located near its northern and central portions. 

In addition, this beach also offers beach wheelchairs for visitors with disabilities – if you want a beach wheelchair, you can visit the National Park Service’s website for more information on getting a beach wheelchair. 

Parking at Stinson Beach is convenient, with multiple free lots available near 3514 Shoreline Highway. However, the roads can be winding and foggy, so drive carefully. During the summer, arrive early as parking fills up quickly. It’s also a good idea to check the tide chart before your visit, as high tides can waterlog narrow sections of the beach. Weather can be unpredictable, and fog is common even in summer months.

The name Stinson Beach honors Nathan H. Stinson, a local landowner who bought the area in 1866. The town hosts several events, including the Stinson Beach Arts and Crafts Fair, the annual “Cuisine on the Green” festival in a nearby park, and the Stinson Beach Documentary Film Festival.

There are many attractions near Stinson Beach. Muir Beach Overlook is a clifftop observation area that offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the rugged northern California shoreline and the Pacific Ocean. 

Mount Tamalpais State Park is a state park that has a 2,571-feet tall mountain named Mount Tamalpais and it also offers many fun activities including hiking, biking, camping, wildlife watching, and picnicking – this state park offers a unique insight into local biodiversity and it also has an amphitheater. 

Bolinas Museum offers interesting exhibits highlighting the unique history of the community of Bolinas and Marin County. Duxbury Reef is a coastal area that is located near a beach park named Agate Beach County Park and this coastal area offers many interesting tide pools – these tidepools are home to a large variety of plant and animal species including many kinds of seaweed, chitons, and sea urchins. 

If you are looking for another attraction near the beach, Muir Woods National Monument is a 554-acre national monument that is a 22-minute drive away and it has 240 acres of redwood forests – you can see many kinds of animals here including woodpeckers, squirrels, deer, skunks, and otters. This national monument offers a memorable way to explore the rugged Northern Californian landscape and local biodiversity.