Marin County
One of four regional Audubon Canyon Ranch preserves, this place hides in the hills above Bolinas Lagoon. It's a major nesting ground for great blue herons and great egrets; viewing scopes are set up behind blinds where you can watch these magnificent birds congregate to nest and hatch their chicks in tall redwoods. At low tide, harbor seals often doze on sandbars in the lagoon.
Confirm hours, which vary seasonally, before visiting. It's 3 miles north of Stinson Beach on Hwy 1.
15.15 MILES
When Frederick Law Olmsted, architect of New York's Central Park, gazed in 1865 upon the plot of land San Francisco Mayor Frank McCoppin wanted to turn…
16.42 MILES
Was it the fall of 1966 or the winter of ’67? As the Haight saying goes, if you can remember the Summer of Love, you probably weren’t here. The fog was…
17.18 MILES
If you look close today at the clinker-brick buildings lining these narrow backstreets, past the temple balconies jutting out over bakeries, acupuncture…
17.12 MILES
No one could have predicted the cultural force City Lights would become when it first opened in 1953. Sure, it had a proletarian ethos suggested by its…
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
17.82 MILES
When the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art expanded in 2016, it was a mind-boggling feat that nearly tripled the institution's size to accommodate a…
16.99 MILES
If you want to really see San Francisco, head to Coit Tower, a 1933 art deco beaut designed by Arthur Brown, Jr. and Henry Howard that sits high up on…
13.33 MILES
Few cities boast a structure so iconic as the Golden Gate Bridge, commemorated in everything from films like The Maltese Falcon to not one but two emojis…
17.74 MILES
Welcome to San Francisco's sunny side, the land of street ball and Mayan-pyramid playgrounds, semiprofessional tanning and taco picnics. Although the…
1.19 MILES
This courtyard complex of five galleries exhibits local artists and showcases the region’s history. Look for the weathered Bolinas highway sign affixed to…
2.7 MILES
Meander by tide pools along the coastline at Agate Beach, around the end of Duxbury Point. Low tide is best. Collecting rocks, shells or marine life is…
2.83 MILES
Stinson Beach (3 miles long) is a popular surf spot, with swimming advised from late May to mid-September only. For updated weather and surf conditions…
3.29 MILES
Formerly Point Reyes Bird Observatory, Point Blue's Palomarin Field Station has bird-banding and netting demonstrations, an unstaffed visitor center and a…
3.43 MILES
Red Rock Beach is around 1 mile south of Stinson Beach. It’s clothing-optional and attracts smaller crowds, probably because it can only be accessed via a…
6. Marin Municipal Water District
3.57 MILES
The bulk of Mt Tamalpais' natural areas are managed by the water district. The five reservoirs provide water to Marin County residents, and are beautiful…
4.15 MILES
Mt Tamalpais State Park encompasses 6300 acres of parklands and 60 miles of trails. Get a map and don't miss the summit of East Peak. Panoramic Hwy climbs…
8. Muir Woods National Monument
6.03 MILES
Muir Woods National Monument is located just a few miles north of San Francisco in Marin County, and is a prime peaceful destination for reflection within…