Step into an Island in Time…

Since 1962, when President John F. Kennedy signed legislation creating the Point Reyes National Seashore (PRNS), millions of visitors have come to explore West Marin. Along with the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA), over 100,000 acres of open space are preserved for future generations. Our scenic county is further protected by Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT), a non-profit organization which purchases conservation easements prohibiting subdivision and development forever.

As you plan your journey through West Marin, allow enough time to experience the county's diverse scenery, abundant wildlife, and friendly communities. Throughout West Marin, eclectic shops and art galleries, imaginative food, and inviting places to stay can be found adjacent to spectacular natural beauty.

Route One winds through the towering redwoods of Muir Woods, north to Stinson Beach Park which attracts the county's largest beach crowds for surfing, swimming, volleyball and picnicking.

Next is Bolinas where Duxbury Reef tide pools, the Audubon Canyon Ranch, an egret and heron sanctuary on the lagoon, and the Bolinas Museum are located. The Point Reyes Bird Observatory is the only full time ornithological research station in the United States.

Taking the Sir Francis Drake route through the towering redwoods of Samuel P. Taylor State Park brings you to the Point Reyes peninsula, a land in motion, an "Island in Time," and to Olema. Sitting atop the San Andreas Fault, Olema was the epicenter of the 1906 earthquake that devastated San Francisco.

Located a half mile from Olema, The Bear Valley Visitor Center, completed in 1985, is filled with extensive exhibits, specimens, and artifacts, illustrating "earthquake geology to gray whales." Other points of interest include the Earthquake Trail, Morgan Horse Ranch, and Kule Loklo, a replica of a coast Miwok Indian Village.

On the way to the Point Reyes Lighthouse, built in 1870 on a cliff 294 feet above the sea, you will pass through the picturesque village of Inverness on the banks of Tomales Bay. Founded in 1889 as a summer resort, one of its attractions is the historical Jack Mason Museum. Nearby is Drake's Bay, named for Sir Francis Drake, the English explorer who sailed his ship, the Golden Hinde, into the bay in 1579.

After exploring the peninsula, Route One winds through Point Reyes Station, known as "the busiest burg in West Marin," up the east side of Tomales Bay to Marshall, where oyster companies abound. It continues on to historic Tomales, a gateway to sport fishing and water sports set amidst the rolling hills of dairy country. Dillon Beach, the last stop before leaving the county offers camping and boating facilities.