I love this beach because it's out-of-the-way. The beaches are so beautiful. If you're lucky you'll find fossils along the shoreline. It has a nice reef outside the breakers and it's a perfect place to go because it is out-of-the-way. People don't tend to go there as much as other ones that are easily accessible. It's absolutely gorgeous here and worth the drive. Bring a packed lunch and enjoy the day. read more

caught my first ever leopard shark at the lagoon mouth maybe 4-5lbs and more than 24 in. amazing place to fish for leopards, hali, bat eagle rays, and basically anything in the surf. first time coming. only got that one leopard but hali and rays love the mud flats in the lagoon. I can't wait to go back probably in the summer. read more

Bolinas Beach - Beaches Near Me - Bolinas, California

Great place to visit, good motorcycle parking. You also get a beautiful coast view on the way.

Great place to relax, sunbathe and cool down during the hot weather in summer. A little longer past Stinson Beach but it's worth going since it's less populated than Stinson Beach. read more

See all

Want a getaway.... go to this beach out in the middle of nowhere in a little town with no street lights. Yes it was worth the drive. Disclosure:: Get Gas Before and Go early. Very limited parking. read more

Bolinas Beach - Beaches Near Me - Bolinas, California

Best beach in Marin, better than Stinson. Just look at the local reviews giving it 1 star trying to keep this place a secret.

Great beach for everything from surfing to nude swimming to just watching the ocean do its thing. Let's try to keep it unspoiled Do not come heif you don't have any manners Bolinas rocks. read more

I love this beach!! Yesterday, I took my dog to the beach for the first time. I was very nervous because I envisioned my well behaved dog turning in to the dog that licks the face of all the kids, pounces on the blankets of strangers and romps on the beach without a care in the world. We were greeted by surfers, skateboarders, men with fancy cameras, breastfeeding Mom's, and, dogs, lots and lots of dogs. It was amazing!! My dog chased everyone who ran past her, jumped in the waves, took a dump in the ocean (which I bagged up before the waves came to shore, and, yes, she ran through someone's nicely laid out blanket, and they.laughed and went on with the day. It's a beach people, one that allows off leash wild creatures to swim, surf, build sand castles, skateboard, spray paint and bring their four legged companions to run free and sit by the ocean. Thank you to everyone who wasn't afraid of my Pittie! As for the public restroom, there is one about two blocks up, use it before you get settled. read more

See all

What is up with the Town of Bolinas removing their town sign marker eons ago, eh? That town sign has been absent for decades and Bolinasians' humor I guess they feel justified loving every minute knowing outsider peeps have a difficult time trying to locate where the Town of Bolinas much less the Bolinas Beach is located! All the cigarette boats, sailboats, fishing boats dotting along the river/ residential homes constantly exiting and entering the river all day as Mt. Tamalpais becomes a scenic backdrop for the boats exiting the Bolinas Harbor. High winds evoke white peaks seen up and down the Nor Cali Coastline. Surf was uber-high tide . . . no beach to speak of the day I took my East Coast peeps to Bolinas Beach. What little spit of beach existed, dogs nonchalantly lifter their hind quarters and peed a long, steady, gallon stream onto my well-traveled Aerodome Tent! O=:-O GRRRR!!!! "Yo, Dog Owner Dude! Ya gotta clean up the pee your dog left on my tent! This is NOT cool!" "Oh, wow-man . . . like - -uh . . . like I'm super sorry my dog dripped tons on your tent, man . . . like-here . . . here's an ice cold beer n' I'll get a wet towel to wipe your tent clean, k? No worries, just chill n' I'll make things right . . ." Totally laid back, no worry peeps with their dogs and kidlets in tow . . . but, those dogs poop everywhere on the beach, in the water, on the cliff's slope, so ya gotta watch for those humungous land mines when you intend sitting somewhere on what little sand there is! Pros: During low tide you can float across the river to Stinson Beach. You can stumble into Bolinas, hop on a barstool and get pleasingly smashed. Cons: Parking sucks and so do the Bolinas Police Department! The Police Peeps just LOVE raking in the moola giving outsider peeps costly parking tickets! Ka-ching and ya for Bolinas Peeps! Outsider peeps! Read all posted parking signs throughout the Town of Bolinas because 99% of the posted parking signs I discovered need Inspector Clouseau's deciphering! read more

See all

I agree with the writer on the bottom of the page, the locals need to give the tourist who are bring commerce a break. The waves are great for beginners, they are not huge or scary. For me they are great. A local art piece made out of sticks that creates this super huge man, is breath taking. The sand is really soft and nice. I enjoy watching to dogs run around leash free. So in conclusion, this is a decent beach but not my favorite beach so the locals don't need to worry about me messing it up with my city germs. read more

See all

Fantastic beach, never crowded even when Stinson, Pt Reyes beaches are crowded. It's so nice that locals give their beach 1 star to reduce tourists. read more

Still one of our favorite little beaches. Pup-friendly and we always enjoy the people, like us, who take care of this gem. It's calm and relaxing here so please come ready to respect this vibe. And if you pay attention, you may see a harbor seal, a sea star, sea anemones and lots a beautiful shells. read more

It swells like piss. They need to open the bathrooms so people stop going on the beach. Also there's broken glass everywhere going down to the beach so be very careful read more

My husband and I come here almost every weekend ever since he got hooked on surfing. We usually arrive before 8am so parking is not a problem. I think it is a surfer's beach and a dog beach more than anything else. It is not a place to people-watch because the crowd is not as large as Stinson's (and it's mostly local). It is not a place to sunbathe because dogs roam freely (read: unleashed). There are no lifeguards on duty, no shower facilities. We have not had any problems with the locals so far...and according to my hubby, even the surfers are nice (read: not territorial). read more

Bolinas Beach - Beaches Near Me - Bolinas, California

See all

This beach is super duper beautiful! The locals are super friendly and outgoing so don't be scared to just go up and talk to one. They'll always hold a conversation and invite you into the unknown spots if you ask enough. Parking isn't bad if you get there early enough. Some locals will let you park in their driveway if you go up and knock on their doors. Come visit this hidden gem read more

Bad beach super dangerous and locals will slash tires and break windows. Definitely not a family beach

We had an amazing time when we went here on Labor Day 2020. So many friendly people here. We got to throw a ball for this one dog whom loved every minute of my kids throwing it for her. read more

Locals try to hide you by tearing down the sign for town along the highway. Surfers come to you in droves to take their chances amongst the sharks and to play amongst the waves with adorable harbor seals. Sometimes it's the best place ever on a clear, warm summer day when a south swell hits. Sometimes, it's a mess or some local gives you a bad attitude. OK, you never go to San Francisco or anywhere else to visit? You never surfed anywhere else in the world where you weren't local? I doubt it. Calm down already. It's everybody's ocean and there are plenty of waves that will never stop coming as long as there's a moon causing tides or storms creating waves. PS, I'm a marine biologist working to protect the ocean. I think I should be able to enjoy it freely. read more

We came here as a family with our dog, kiddies and sand beach toys. We ended up hanging out at the small inlet that is away from the beach. We actually loved it. Not a lot of people and both dog and kids could play in the small body of water without freaking out they were going out with the tide. Parking was a pain, we had to move the car once I believe. Other than that inconvenience, we were not bothered by locals. No close bathrooms though . read more

Best give this place a miss. Beach is ok, but the locals make it pretty clear you're not welcome there. They have a community action group that does things like block parking spaces, close roads and stand in the middle of the intersection taking videos of you unless you're a local. If like me, you've driven your family 2 hours to get there, you can drop them off at the end of the road so they can enjoy the beach. You won't be joining them though as you circle in vain for a parking space while being jeered at. Honestly, you deserve better and they deserve the slow economic death that comes from parochial isolationism. read more

Throughout high school I spent every 4th of July at Bolinas Beach, drinking beer during the day and dodging bottle rockets at night. I used to follow surfer boyfriends to Bolinas, lay out topless. I used to swim in the water pretending I wasn't scared. These days I stay out of the water and I don't follow anyone but still I go to Bolinas for the beach. Perhaps best known for its residents who supposedly tear down road signs along Highway 1 so that outsiders cannot find their way, Bolinas is not for the faint of beach lovers. Legend has it that a woman rides her horse along the shore break, naked a la Lady Godiva. I have never seen it myself, but believe it nonetheless. One time a man at the beach asked me to take his picture, so I did. Before I could snap away he had taken off his pants (but not his shirt). I have seen fights in Bolinas, parades, festivals, drinking, surfing, swimming, beautiful artwork, I have heard poetry and music; I have taken a bottle rocket to the eye in Bolinas. I could describe the sand (almost white, nearly sugary), the water (friendly but cold). I could describe the beach, the flora, the fauna, but who are we kidding? Bolinas is a beautiful beach but it is the people that make it what it is. Bolinas is artists, musicians, freaks, surfers, nudists, dogs running after waves and kids running after balls. Bolinas is a wonderful place to go. Special. That is, if you can find it. read more

Beautiful beach. But know this: there is no public bathroom, and dogs run wild leaving 20-lb mountains of poop!

Three stars because it's a beach, and I love beaches. Oh, and because it's a dog-friendly beach. And for the creative sculptures in the sandstone -- look carefully. Beautiful views from up on the bluff, nice gentle surf, and good beachcombing for shells, if you avoid the glass. Big minus for all the broken glass (beware of walking barefoot through the seaweed as much of the glass we picked up was green beer-bottle glass), bottle caps and trash. And for the oh-so-cool guys spray-painting on the wooden retaining wall ... where several signs specifically ask that you paint ONLY on the big concrete wall just for that purpose. Sigh. No wonder the locals hate out-of-towners. read more

Sometimes a two star beach strewn with dogs and their ...stuff. Sometimes a three star beach with pretty surroundings. The waves are inviting, but the estuary is before you and the area is known for great white sharks. Of course, this is true elsewhere on the coast. The locals alternate between friendly and downright mean. read more

Took my daughter for a lovely drive out to Bolinas yesterday, because it's unseasonably warm in February. Use your GPS or your maps on your phone because, yes indeed, all the signs to Bolinas have been removed. It's an artsy/ hippy town that doesn't want to become a tourist attraction. That's because it's such a gem of a town. We went straight for different parts of Bolinas beach. This was a holiday (on a Monday) so I don't know if it's always like this, but parking is hard to come by. Expect to park far and walk, which we did. The beach was sunny and sandy with little rocks on top of the sand. The waves are fairly small though there are a lot of surfers (and some of them are under 10 years old!). There were many families there with small kids. The water was cold, as is the ocean, but there were some swimmers and many kids playing in the sand. Someone posted about glass present in the sand. We didn't come across any. BEWARE if you don't like dogs--this beach is loaded with dogs off of leashes. That being said, with the ton of dogs there were roaming about, not ONE of them jumped on us, ran on our blanket, or approached us unless we called to them. I saw one thing of dog poo on the ground the whole time we were there. People had obviously trained their pooches well. I'm a cat person on the whole, but we had a blast, called to dogs and played with a few (catch). I think it's important to keep in mind that this place is for people who are willing to accept that this is a tiny little artist town that doesn't want a ton of people driving through town and acting like they belong there. There's plenty of cyclists meandering and waving to other locals. There's people waving to other people while walking a little in the streets. If you're going to go here, take it easy and be respectful of the 'vibe.' We were treated wonderfully by the shop owners as well as the locals. We didn't find one incidence of rudeness. Loved it here. We will return. read more

This beach is truly special. My friend took me surfing here and I fell in love. The drive down from central Marin was scenic and enjoyable, but the real treat was when we arrived. Bolinas Beach is a secluded little beach perfect for when you want to escape reality. There were lots of dogs off leash and it wasn't very crowded. I even saw a few seals swimming extremely close to my board! I love this beach and it feels like a home away from home. I can't wait to return soon with good friends, a nice picnic, and my puppy Rosie! read more

See all

The lack of sign didn't fool me, nor will it fool anyone with a decent gps, but I don't blame the locals for trying to lose us. I know the town depends on tourism more than some locals understand, but I also know how obnoxious visitors can be to your neck of the woods when it's a popular tourist spot, and they don't treat it as well as they would if they lived there and are obnoxious (I avoid being in the Castro district of SF where I live and work during weekends with the drunk out of towners being obnoxious, destroying property, peeing where they like)... Beautiful beach! And dog friendly! It's been hard for me to find somewhere that has both a good beach to get sun, get in the water (whilst making yourself forget this is an area sharks prefer) and that you can bring your dogs to. I found the locals to be friendly, not snotty like some beach towns. I finally broke down and bought a wetsuit, and was a little worried I was going to get attitude from the kid who sold me the suit for boogie boarding, being the city kid that I am, but he was real friendly, and patient with my cluelessness about suits. Someday, I hope to find somewhere like the little beaches north of Santa Cruz that have less people more up north where the weather can be better like in Bolinas, but until then, I'm glad to have been introduced to a better spot than the seaweed ridden beaches of capitola...I also like the rich progressive hippy like setting, and fantasize about buying one of the cute little homes they have there.... I'm definitely coming back! read more

Just spent a lovely afternoon here! We planted ourselves on the North East side of the beach; this is not a a pretty beach, not as nice at the stretch of beach off of Brighton Street ( where the only bathroom is). I have been to Bolinas several times so the lack of a sign did not throw me, however one couple in our party was lost for over an hour because the sign is gone. I liked the long stretch of beach we were on, I liked the dogs running around having fun, it gave it a family atmosphere. My 16 year old slept most of the time and my 9 year old ran in the waves and collected sea shells. The upside was watching loons, ospreys, brants geese and cliff swallow along the shore, seeing harbor seals bob by, having lots of room on an otherwise crazy crowded warm spring day and the super sweet friendly dogs coming up and saying hello. The down side, people not picking up their dog's poop, a bathroom that was really far away, the gravely part of the beach hurt my tough feet to walk on and parking was really difficult. I like homey/alternative things, so this is a good spot for me but it is not for everyone due to it's very funky side. read more

I wanted to give a five star review just so more people come here and annoy the locals. However, I'll be honest so you will hopefully avoid it too. This beach is small, dirty, overcrowded, and the locals are rude. We were driving around looking for parking when multiple people rudely yelled at us to go home (which is just an hour and a half away). Interestingly, many of them were wearing baseball hats from San Francisco, my home. I don't yell at people who come to San Francisco to go home. I don't think I should get yelled at for going to one of the Bay Area beaches. Don't come here. Go to the many other beaches in the Bay Area and enjoy the sunshine without the commentary. read more

Amazing place. Super cute downtown, and really dog friendly. I met a local woman who was very nice and showed me around. :-) The beach gets very small at high tide, but that's the perfect time to wander the shops. I plan to go back soon. read more

This beach is small and not very nice. Parking is very limited. Stinson Beach, located on the other side of the lagoon, is BEAUTIFUL annnd there are more options for parking!! read more

Great slabs. Nice squishy animals. Waves too loud. We also saw snails, funny looking birds with long skinny beaks, one little shrimpy thing. And there are at least one hundred rocks on the beach. Also remains of a shipwreck, or ark variety. Possibly Noah's Ark. read more

I love Bolinas...Maybe it was because I was raised by hippie(ish) counter-culture folks, so it feels like home...I'm not sure, but it is beautiful and feels very old school Marin. I especially love bringing my husband and my daughter to the beach here,usually on one of those beautiful off season, mid-week sunny days. It's mostly late in the day, and we have practically the whole place to ourselves. We walk the length of the beach and look for cool driftwood and say hello to the dogs, because there always seem to be dogs here! read more

First off, take most of these reviews with a grain of salt. Some of the five stars are people waxing poetic whereas there are probably a few Bo trolls trying to keep you away as well. I've come here for a dozen years while living in SF and recently moved here. The water is cold: it's California. The air might be cold / windy / foggy: it's northern California Bolinas is a hippie and socially laissez a faire town and you might experience: nudity, dogs, dog shit, weed, seaweed, children, surfers, locals, tourists. If you want a narrow yet long beach tucked under seaside cliffs with a view of mountains, water, Duxbury reef, SF on a clear day, it's a good beach. The water is pretty sheltered with small surf and little current with the exception of the channel leading out of the Bolinas lagoon. The surf break is good for beginners. It really is a great place to learn to surf. Speaking of, Duxbury reef is a good spot for tidepooling. Street parking is limited and if you get creative with parking, you might piss off the locals. Compared to parking in SF or beach parking in So Cal, it's not bad. People, stop your bitching. On a (rare) hot summer day, the population of Bo probably triples in size. The locals will get cranky. Tourism is important to Bolinas but not nearly as much as out of towners think. Bo has twice the population of Stinson yet half the restaurants / bars. So, come to Bolinas. We haven't chopped down the roadsign since GPS became prevalent and we even just repaved the road. Order a sandwich at the General Store or the Natural Foods market behind the Community Center, try to park on Brighton, and have a nice walk on the beach. And if an old hippie is an asshole, he's just bitter about sharing paradise. All I ask is that you drive the speed limit to get here. Yeah, Bolinas Lagoon is scenic but Hwy 1 is 55mph and if you see a motorcycle tailgating you, let him pass. read more

This place is awful. There's not much to see and the locals are just not nice. Stinson is right next door and MUCH nicer and funner for the whole family. If you're looking for a peaceful day on the beach, this is not the place. Don't even bother read more

The return to Marin The return to Tam The return to Bolinas. The plan is set Thanks to Google maps. (Double true) Our quest begins in Mill Valley Through Bowser's own Throck-Morton A hidden passage Passage through trees Surrounded by trees far taller than me Houses and forest blend together Elaborate tree houses Shades in this ancient canopy. Up the windy residential road I feel I have graced The Pyrannies of the Swiss Alps In our own back yard. We found the shortcut As the ride past Muir Woods Was only a joke No struggle on the 1 hwy If was as if our bikes Were a teleportation device No fog on Tam today I see redwood trees For miles For miles of God's creation As the world was made to be To celebrate all in jubilee. 1800 feet climb Like I said Far easier this time. Finally a drink of water At Boobjack *cough* Bootjack I stare at the map and realize There's a four mile bomb to Stinson. The decent begins The speed on my bike Vaporizes my sweat The landscapes become a green blur As we just fast as the cars. All of a sudden There's an instant turn I come close to meet my final fate Perfectly bailing to the guard rail I glance at the cliff below only wondering What doom I could have faced. Past Stinson Beach Onto 5 miles of marsh Bolinas just looks so close But so far away. The first leg is over 30 miles in We are here The great independent town of Bolinas. Bikes parked Foot mode activated In the free shack I grab a pencil To write you this story today As you are reading it now. In the shack A man approaches us Asking about straps for a bike Grateful Dead hat Leather Jacket Scarred Face Led Zeppelin belt This man has seen a lot. A simple question turns into a story A 30 minute story on how his Custom Trek beach cruiser Was stolen and returned An impossible feat to achieve But by threatening every homeless man With a hatchet and wrench It mysteriously returned one rainy night Without no blood Without no fight. His name Bruce But they call him Captain Dilligaff D.I.L.L.I.G.A.F.F. Does It Look Like I Give A Flying F*ck ? Boleeeens is quite chill Weather sunny Escape from the hostile city Where no one locks their bikes They even have community bikes All people are rad BB's Bolinas Babes Write poetry and Draw artwork all day The dream. Paradise is not for me you see I become lazy And rot all day Bolinas is only a bike ride away Paradise momentarily Is comforting. I find Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle On my way out As we say bye to Bolinas Towards home we zoom out On the ride I begin to zone out Of a possible path I thought The path that was not taken The path I felt was the right one But it was not my destiny A destiny not chosen for me. Though peddling back up Exhausted 1800 feet elevation again I wonder how I could of made it my destiny But I am stuck in Purgatory of the past Locked in the same Chain of Memories For over two years now But as I conquered my own hell I am hoping I am riding towards heaven But this world will forever keep spinning I need new memories to enjoy So I go out and make my own. Mount Tam conquered again Face is blood red Toby and I feel dead Stars floating above my head I am happy it is all down hill again As we leave the ranger parking lot I hear a dad dropping F-Bombs S-Face To his own kids For reasons to me unknown. One thing I pray Please don't make me like that one day Please. Downhill Safeway doughnuts call my name The sun sets Over and back across the bridge Wind tears us apart But we are home We are home A day of physical Atmospherical Mental battles 60 miles of the best ride so far. Passing by a man from Crescent City Six days of a journey Stacked with equipment and gear He gives us some words of advise "Keep peddling, see where it takes you." Thank you sir. That is exactly what I will do . read more

More STUNG beach and a little abit rockly but pretty to go there! Also, Durning the summer is a madhouse! Come there EARLYER!

I went to Bolinas Beach on March 26 this year in the morning, my first destination before heading to Pt. Reyes National Seashore for a two-day hiking trip. I had been wanting to come here for a long time. I was received well by the locals, despite the reputation the town has (for very good reasons I'm sure) for being wary of outsiders. I would be too, with all these money bags putting out for developments, condos or what not and cutting down the beauty potential of such towns. Actually, the benefits of this pride is paying off in a decisive lack of gentrifying of this beautiful community of far lefts. As mentioned above, I found everyone very friendly, warm and cannot relate to the views portrayed of the locals by some other reviewers. I had a breakfast burrito at the Coast Café, where I met Local no. 1 who I had a great chat with. Locals 2 and 3 walked in and chatted with them. Then I went to the beach... But thinking I should take advantage of the local surf shop, Two Mile, I went there, where I was graciously and thoroughly attended to by the owner and purchased my second wet suit. It is a beautiful beach, narrow as others put it. Be careful of swimming at the edge of the Lagoon where the current will take you out into the ocean to the beach perpendicular to you where there are stronger waves. Otherwise, just walk to the main (Brighton?) beach along the cliffs and enjoy. Another warning: while I enjoyed swimming in my new wetsuit year, comforted that there were many surfers here in this part of the Red Triangle, my foot brushed a barnacled rock (I don't even have a memory of when this happened) in about 2 or 3 foot deep water and ripped three deep gashes into my big toe that are still healing three weeks later. Just an FYI, better to have a little depth to the waist or more with the rocky shores here. At the grocer, the gentleman at the deli was very kind and pointed me to some good hikes at Point Reyes while preparing a cheese sandwich for me with tahini. I Returned to the Coast Café for lunch and headed off to my next destination. There is a cool shop tucked into a wooden building on the way to the ocean where you can buy Grandpa's soaps, in six varieties. I'm smelling good now! read more

It was requested that I be more specific. Unfortunately Yelp did not allow an edit. I passed through beautiful trees, redwood, etc. I am used to the regular Family beaches. This day happened to busy (cool). I went down cement stairs towards water. This is actually an Artsy beach. I mean there's natural, debris, foilage.. Children and weed are an odd mixture. It gives an opening for hobos, trash, and methanphetamines. Graffitti art has the potential to be beautiful just be aware of the beach goers. I wouldn't bring pets here because this corner of the beach, between the trash and the animals. Do you still want to go in? read more

Perfect little beginner's beach with a beautiful view of Stinson, OB and Sutro Tower. Teeny tiny little rollers that will be easy on you, pretty shallow water so paddling is a minimum, and a great lazy beach energy. My recommendation: enjoy the gorgeous drive up to Bolinas (which is the cutest and cozy coastal town ever!) , hit the beach, stay the night at the historic Smiley's Saloon & Inn, enjoy a nice and absolutely scrumptious dinner at Blue Heron's, and get up early to surf it up again before you head out of town. An excellent weekend getaway that will leave you feeling refreshed and ready for another grueling week in the city. read more