When is the best time to surf Stinson Beach?
Peak Nov–Feb · often good Mar–Apr, Sep–Oct · can still fire May–Aug.
Fall through early spring (roughly September through April) brings the most consistent, cleanest energy, with the heart of winter — November through February — delivering the most organized swell; January is often the standout month. September, October, March and April are underrated shoulder windows: real swell still arrives, with lighter crowds on the good mornings. Summer runs smaller and mushier with regular fog, which makes it the friendliest season for beginners and the busiest on the sand — and a south swell can still sneak a fun peak through. Water stays cold all year: a 4/3 minimum, boots and a hood in winter.
What does a surf trip to Stinson Beach look like?
A typical trip from our guide. A real alert comes with the forecast for each day and a fare from your airport.
How much does a surf trip to Stinson Beach cost?
A five-night trip, per person, before food and rentals.
Flight ranges are typical round-trip fares for July from Google Flights price history, checked Sep 3. Stays use our guide's nightly bands; transfers use the guide's quoted rates. Real alerts price the exact dates.
Where should you stay at Stinson Beach?
Sandpiper Lodging at the Beach $
boutique · In the village, ~5 min walk to the sand
Why this one: The obvious surf base: a small cluster of century-old redwood cottages and rooms at 1 Marine Way, steps from the beach with kitchenettes, gas fireplaces and Mt. Tam views. Clean, homey and walkable to the break, market and cafes — book well ahead for weekends.
Also: Redwoods Haus Bed & Breakfast, Village edge on Highway 1, short walk to the beach · Also: Smiley's Schooner Saloon & Hotel, Bolinas, ~2.5 mi / 10 min drive around the lagoon
Points play: Holiday Inn Express Mill Valley – Sausalito (IHG), about 30–45k points a night, ~30 min from the break.
Browse stays near the breakThe full list, with every pick and its booking link, is under where to stay below.
What is the wave like at Stinson Beach?
Break type
Beach
Wave direction
Both
Best swell
WSW (SW–W window)
Ideal size
3–8 ft
Best tide
All tides
Works at every stage
Consistency
Fairly Consistent
Peak season
Nov–Mar
Nearest airport
SFO · ~37 mi
Drive from airport
1h–1h20
Two things define surfing here and you should respect both. First, the water is cold — Northern California cold, 50–58°F year-round — so a 4/3 wetsuit, boots and often a hood are not optional. Second, Stinson sits squarely inside the Red Triangle, the stretch of coast from Bodega Bay to Big Sur (and the Farallones) with the densest white-shark presence on the planet. Attacks are genuinely rare and a documented Stinson incident is decades old, but the sharks are real, the seals are everywhere, and locals factor it in. You're surfing a wild, cold, big-nature coast, not a tropical point.
The village itself is tiny: a market, a handful of cafes, a surf-and-kayak shop, and a beach run by the National Park Service. Stay in Stinson or sleepy Bolinas around the lagoon, base yourself for the surf, and you also get Mount Tamalpais, Muir Woods and some of the best coastal hiking in California out the back door. Come for an uncrowded NorCal beach break with San Francisco on speed dial — and pounce when the window opens.
Who it suits
Beginners and improvers on small, clean days (where rentals and lessons make it ideal), and intermediates who want an uncrowded cold-water NorCal beach break a quick drive from San Francisco. Bring real cold-water gear and a forecast-watcher's eye — the mornings when it lines up are worth the wait.
Where exactly is Stinson Beach?
37.9017, -122.6467
What are the lineup and the town like at Stinson Beach?
Localism
moderate
Crowd
On warm summer weekends the sand is packed with day-trippers and the lineup fills with learners and longboarders, but the surfing crowd thins fast on cold, gray or midweek days — winter dawn patrols can be near-empty. Who's out: a mix of Marin locals, San Francisco weekenders and lesson groups. Early mornings before the wind and the crowds are the play.
Stinson itself is the mellow, beginner-friendly end of the Marin coast — a shifting beach break with room to spread out, where a respectful visitor who waits their turn and doesn't drop in fits right in. The harder edge is next door: Bolinas is known across California for guarding its waves and its privacy (locals famously remove the highway sign), so keep a low profile, low numbers and good manners if you paddle out there. At Stinson proper, normal beach-break courtesy and a friendly attitude are all it takes.
In the lineup: Classic shifting beach-break peaks — walk the sand and watch where the sandbars are throwing up the cleanest A-frames that day rather than committing to one spot. Best on a higher tide with a clean WSW–W swell and NE offshore wind. Paddle out through the channels between peaks, watch for rip currents (they're your friend for getting out, your enemy if you panic), and respect that on bigger winter days it closes out and packs real cold-water power. Booties and a hood make every session here better.
Stinson Beach village is a tiny, weathered strip — a market, a few cafes, a surf shop and a string of beach cottages under the green wall of Mt. Tam, run more like a national-park gateway than a resort town. It's wealthy-bohemian Marin: low-key, outdoorsy, no nightlife to speak of beyond a saloon in Bolinas, and gloriously quiet once the day-trippers drive back over the hill. Bolinas, across the lagoon, doubles down on the off-grid, leave-us-alone ethos. Come for nature and quiet, not for a scene.
How do you get to Stinson Beach?
Fly into San Francisco International Airport (SFO) — about 37 miles from the break, 1h–1h20 (over the Golden Gate, then winding Highway 1). Oakland (OAK) is roughly the same distance and time (also via the Richmond or Golden Gate bridges) and often has cheaper domestic fares. San Francisco itself is closer to the Highway 1 turnoff than SFO, so if you're spending a night in the city first the drive shrinks to about 45–55 minutes.
- rental car$45–90/day · 1h–1h20 from SFO
By far the most practical option — there is no direct transit from the airport. Pick up at SFO, take US-101 north over the Golden Gate Bridge, then Highway 1 (Shoreline Highway) west and north through the hills to Stinson. Highway 1 is narrow, winding and slow; avoid your first run after dark and budget extra for weekend traffic over the bridge.
- rideshare$70–120 one way · 1h–1h20
Uber/Lyft will run from SFO but it's pricey and coverage in Stinson/Bolinas is thin for the return trip — drivers are scarce and you may wait or get no car at all. Fine for getting out; don't count on it to get back.
- bus$2–6 + your route into the city · 2.5–3.5 hours total, with transfers
Carless but determined travelers can do it: BART or a shuttle from SFO into San Francisco / San Rafael, then Marin Transit Route 61 (the West Marin Stagecoach) which runs to Stinson Beach and Bolinas. Service is limited (a few runs a day, more on weekends) and board bags on the bus are at the driver's discretion — workable for a soft-top, painful with a quiver.
- private transfer$150–250 per vehicle · 1h–1h20
Pre-booked car services and Marin-based drivers will do the SFO run and handle boards if you ask for a wagon or SUV with a rack. Most useful for groups splitting the cost or anyone arriving late with a board bag.
Do you need a car at Stinson Beach?
Do you need a car?
essential
Walkability
If you stay in Stinson Beach village (Sandpiper, Redwoods Haus, a beachside rental), the break, market and cafes are a flat 5–10 minute walk — that part is genuinely walkable. But everything beyond the village — Bolinas, the trailheads, Muir Woods, groceries beyond the small market — needs a car, and there is no Uber to lean on locally.
A rental car is effectively required. There's no airport transit, rideshare is unreliable for pickups out here, and the surrounding attractions are spread along a winding coast. Figure $45–90/day for a car from SFO/OAK. The West Marin Stagecoach (Marin Transit Route 61) links Marin City, Stinson and Bolinas a handful of times daily if you're carless and patient, but it won't get you to dawn patrol. Parking at the NPS beach lot is free but fills early on warm weekends; the village has limited street parking.
Boards: Bring soft racks and tie-downs if your rental is a sedan — most rental cars here are sedans or small SUVs without rails, and you'll want to rack boards for the trips up to Bolinas or down the coast. Inside the village you can walk boards to the sand. The Stagecoach bus is not board-friendly for anything beyond a single soft-top.
Where can you stay near Stinson Beach?
In the village, ~5 min walk to the sand · The obvious surf base: a small cluster of century-old redwood cottages and rooms at 1 Marine Way, steps from the beach with kitchenettes, gas fireplaces and Mt. Tam views. Clean, homey and walkable to the break, market and cafes — book well ahead for weekends. (Direct (sandpiperstinsonbeach.com), Tripadvisor)
Village edge on Highway 1, short walk to the beach · Long-running (25+ years) quirky B&B with individually themed rooms, an easy walk to the sand. Pet-friendly by prior arrangement and used to surfers and hikers coming and going — a solid mid-budget village option. (Direct (redwoodshaus.com), Tripadvisor)
Bolinas, ~2.5 mi / 10 min drive around the lagoon · Historic 1851 saloon with seven simple rooms above the bar at 41 Wharf Rd in Bolinas — character over polish, with live music some nights. A characterful, sociable base on the quieter Bolinas side; you'll drive (or take the long way around the lagoon) to the Stinson peaks. (Direct (smileyssaloon.com), Booking.com)
~1 mi south of Stinson on a clifftop terrace, ~5 min drive · Rustic, bare-bones cabins (wood stove, sleeping platforms, no water or electricity) on a Pacific-edge terrace in Mount Tamalpais State Park, plus primitive walk-in tent sites. Spectacular and dirt-cheap (~$100/night cabin), but ferociously hard to get — booked via a Reserve California reservation drawing/lottery entered up to ~8 months ahead (reservecalifornia.com). Enter early and have backup dates. (Reserve California (reservecalifornia.com))
Village and Seadrift; many within a 2–10 min walk of the sand · The deepest inventory in town is short-term rental cottages and beach houses — kitchens, room for groups, and the homey base that makes a multi-day, self-catering surf trip work given how few hotels exist here. Strong Airbnb/Vrbo presence; book early for summer and any swell-window weekend. (Airbnb, Vrbo)
~6 mi up the mountain, ~15–20 min drive down to Stinson · Sixteen first-come, first-served walk-in tent sites among Douglas firs at ~1,500 ft, on the road between Stinson and Mill Valley. Budget option for surfers happy to camp and drive down to dawn patrol; no hookups, redwood-cool nights even in summer. (First-come, first-served (parks.ca.gov))
Bolinas, ~10 min drive around the lagoon to Stinson · Tiny, deliberately low-key Bolinas has a scattering of cottages and guesthouses on Airbnb/Vrbo for travelers who want the quieter, end-of-the-road side of the lagoon. Closer to Bolinas's own (very local) breaks; an easy drive to the Stinson beachbreak. (Airbnb, Vrbo)
Where do you eat at Stinson Beach?
- Parkside Cafecafe · $ mid-range
All-day breakfast, wood-fired pizza, and pastries from the on-site bakery — The village anchor at 43 Arenal Ave — full cafe plus a snack bar, marketplace, coffee cart and a proper bakery turning out bread and pastries daily. Breakfast-through-dinner, organic-leaning, and the natural post-session refuel. Open daily, coffee cart from early.
- Parkside Snack Barfood truck · $ budget
Burgers, fish tacos, fries and shakes for the beach — Parkside's casual walk-up food counter at 43 Arenal Ave — burgers, fish tacos, fries and shakes you can carry straight to the sand a couple of minutes away. The quick, cheap between-surfs lunch in the village; takeout-focused with some outdoor seating.
- The Breakers Caferestaurant · $ mid-range
American beach fare on a sunny patio — Casual sit-down spot in the village with a patio — a reliable option for a relaxed lunch or dinner when you want a table rather than a takeout window. Solid, unfussy and walkable from the beach.
- Stinson Beach Market delicafe · $ budget
Sandwiches and grab-and-go from the town's only market — The market at 101 Calle Del Mar runs a deli counter — cheap, fast fuel and the place to build a beach lunch. Doubles as your grocery stop (see groceries). Expect village prices.
- Coast Caferestaurant · $ mid-range
Brunch, fish and chips, and an espresso window — Bolinas's main restaurant on Wharf Rd, a 10-minute drive around the lagoon — local, low-key cooking plus a walk-up espresso window. The pick when you're basing or surfing on the Bolinas side.
- Smiley's Schooner Saloonbar · $ mid-range
Cold beer, bar food and live music in a 19th-century saloon — Bolinas's historic 1851 watering hole — pub plates, a full bar and music some nights, open into the evening. The closest thing to nightlife on this stretch and a fun end to a surf day if you're on the Bolinas side.
Cooking for yourself
- Stinson Beach Marketminimart
The only grocery in the village, at 101 Calle Del Mar just off Highway 1 — staples, snacks, drinks, beer and wine, plus a deli counter. Fine for stocking a rental kitchen or a cooler, but it's small and pricey (village markup); for a big shop, stock up in Mill Valley or San Rafael on the way in.
- Bolinas People's Storeminimart
Tiny worker-owned co-op grocery in Bolinas with organic produce, bulk goods and local bakery items — characterful and useful if you're based on the Bolinas side, but small. Big provisioning still happens off the coast in Mill Valley/San Rafael.
Where do you rent or fix a board?
- Stinson Beach Surf & Kayakboard rental · wetsuits · lessons · wax · leashes · ~$25–40/day surfboard; wetsuit extra
The in-town outfitter at 3605 Highway 1 (Shoreline Hwy), outfitting Stinson and Bolinas since 1998 — surfboard, SUP, bodyboard, wetsuit and bike rentals plus lessons. The convenient stop in the village for a board, a 4/3 and the cold-water basics if you flew in light. Cold water means you'll want the wetsuit rental too, not just the board.
- Live Water Surf Shopboard rental · board sales · wetsuits · apparel · wax · leashes · Daily wetsuit, surfboard, SUP and bodyboard rentals
The other in-village shop, in the historic Avillas Barn at 3450 Shoreline Hwy — outfitting Stinson since 1978. Daily wetsuit, surfboard, SUP and bodyboard rentals plus retail (boards, wetsuits, beach gear, their 'No Sharks' apparel). The full-stock shop for cold-water rentals and gear right by the sand; open daily, roughly 10am–5pm.
- 2 Mile Surf Lessons (Bolinas)lessons · board rental · wetsuits · Lessons from ~$150 private (board + wetsuit included)
Long-running Bolinas surf school (formerly 2 Mile Surf Shop, whose storefront closed after a 2020 fire). Instruction now meets students at the beach near the end of Brighton Ave with board and wetsuit included — private and group lessons plus summer camps, booked ahead online, no walk-up retail. The pick for a proper beginner lesson on the Bolinas side; bring a cold-water tolerance and book early in summer.
What do you do when it's flat?
- Mount Tamalpais State Park hikingnature · free–$8 parking
Stinson sits at the foot of Mt. Tam, with world-class trails out the back door: the Dipsea/Steep Ravine loop through redwood canyon and the Matt Davis Trail with filtered ocean views are the classics. The perfect flat-day or rest-day move; bring layers, the mountain makes its own weather.
- Muir Woods National Monumentnature · $15 adult entry + $9.50 parking reservation
Ancient coast-redwood grove ~25–30 minutes up the hill — one of the most famous old-growth stands in California. Entry and parking are by advance reservation (gomuirwoods.com / recreation.gov); book ahead, it sells out, and there's no walk-up parking.
- Bolinas Lagoon & bird watchingnature · free
The tidal lagoon between Stinson and Bolinas is a major migratory-bird stopover (240+ species) with harbor seals hauled out on the bars. Easy roadside viewing, kayaking on a calm tide, and the Audubon Canyon Ranch heronry nearby in spring.
- Explore Bolinas villageculture · free
The famously unmarked, fiercely low-key town at the end of the road around the lagoon — a funky main street, the People's Store co-op, Smiley's saloon and its own (very local) surf scene. Worth a slow afternoon; respect that locals like it quiet.
- Stinson Beach swimming & sunbathingwater · free
The NPS-managed beach has lifeguards roughly late May to mid-September (peak Memorial Day–Labor Day), restrooms, showers and picnic areas — the rare NorCal beach where summer swimming is actually on the table on warm, calm days. Cold and rip-prone outside guarded hours; see water safety.
- Day trip to Point Reyes / Stinson Gulch overlooksday trip · free–$15 (varies)
Point Reyes National Seashore is ~45 min north past Bolinas — lighthouse, elephant seals, tule elk and dramatic empty beaches for a full flat-day excursion. Combine with oysters at Tomales Bay on the way.
What should you know before you go?
Cash & ATMs
Thin. The Stinson Beach Market on Highway 1 is the most reliable cash point in the village (ATM in-store and cash-back on purchases); there's no full bank branch in town. Bring some cash for parking meters, the snack shack and small spots — and top up in Mill Valley or San Rafael on the way out, where full banks and ATMs are easy.
Medical
Stinson Beach has a small community health center / medical office for routine and minor issues, but it's limited and not a 24/7 ER. For anything urgent you're driving ~40–50 minutes east to MarinHealth Medical Center (Marin General) in Greenbrae, the area's full hospital and emergency room. Cell coverage on Highway 1 is patchy — note that for solo sessions.
Water safety
Cold, exposed and big-nature. Water runs ~50–58°F year-round — a 4/3 wetsuit minimum, boots, and a hood in winter to avoid getting cold-shocked and ice-cream-headache out of a session. Rip currents are the everyday hazard: strong, year-round, and they pull swimmers and surfers out fast — swim/paddle parallel to shore to escape, never against it. Lifeguards cover the beach only in summer (roughly Memorial Day–Labor Day, 10am–6pm); outside that you're on your own. Stinson is squarely inside the Red Triangle, the Bodega-to-Big-Sur stretch with the world's densest white-shark population, and seals (their prey) are common around the lagoon mouth — attacks are genuinely rare (the notable Stinson incident was in 2002) but locals factor sharks in, especially in fall. There are rocks at the south end near the gulch; the main beach is sand. Water quality is generally good and monitored weekly by Marin County April–October, but skip surfing for a day or two after heavy rain (urban/agricultural runoff into the lagoon spikes bacteria).
United States basics: money, entry, phones, water
Currency
US Dollar (USD) — Home currency — 1 USD = 1 USD
Entry (US passport)
Unlimited — domestic travel — No passport needed for travel within the 50 states (including Hawaii) or to Puerto Rico. Since May 7, 2025 you need a REAL ID-compliant driver's license (star marking) or a passport to clear TSA for domestic flights — check your license before booking.
Language
English, Spanish (widely spoken, esp. California, Texas, Florida). Native — English works everywhere, including every surf town.
Plugs
A, B · 120V / 60Hz
Tipping
Expected and culturally significant: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 per drink at bars, 10–15% for taxis/rideshares. Counter-service tip screens are common but optional.
Phone / data
Your existing US plan, T-Mobile / AT&T prepaid, Travel eSIMs (Airalo, Holafly, Nomad). Strong LTE/5G in cities and most coastal towns. Expect dead zones on rural stretches of coast — parts of the Big Sur/Central California coast, the North Shore of Kauai, and remote East Coast barrier beaches. Download offline maps for surf-check drives.
Tap water
Safe to drink nationwide from municipal supplies, including Hawaii and Puerto Rico.
Emergency
911 for police, fire, and ambulance everywhere (including Hawaii and Puerto Rico). International visitors: US healthcare is extremely expensive — an ER visit can run thousands of dollars — so travel insurance with medical coverage is essential.
Other passports: entry rules differ — check the official source before booking.
Alert me when Stinson Beach is on
It's quiet right now. Drop your email and you'll get one message when our forecast shows a trip-worthy window here: the dates, the size, and a place to stay. Free, no account.
Frequently asked questions about Stinson Beach
Can you surf at Stinson Beach?
Yes — Stinson Beach is a fairly consistent open-ocean beach break in Marin County, about an hour from San Francisco. It breaks both left and right over shifting sandbars, works best on a clean small-to-mid WSW swell at higher tide, and is popular with beginners and longboarders on small, clean days. Expect cold water and fickle, weather-driven conditions.
Is Stinson Beach good for beginners?
On small, clean days, yes — it's one of the more forgiving, learner-friendly breaks in the Bay Area, with board rentals and lessons available in the village and in nearby Bolinas. On bigger winter swells it closes out and gets powerful and cold, so beginners should go on mellow days and ideally take a lesson first.
Are there sharks at Stinson Beach?
Stinson Beach sits inside the Red Triangle, the stretch of NorCal coast from Bodega Bay to Big Sur with the densest white-shark population in the world, and seals are common nearby. Actual attacks are very rare — the notable Stinson incident was in 2002 — but the sharks are real and locals factor them in, especially in fall.
How cold is the water at Stinson Beach and what wetsuit do I need?
Water runs roughly 50–58°F year-round. Wear a 4/3 wetsuit at minimum plus boots, and add a hood (and consider 5/4) in winter. It never gets warm enough for boardshorts — gear up by water temperature, not the air.
How far is Stinson Beach from San Francisco airport?
About 37 miles and 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes by car from SFO — north over the Golden Gate Bridge, then west and north on the winding Highway 1. There's no direct airport transit, so a rental car is effectively essential; rideshare works to get out but is unreliable for the trip back.
Where can I rent a surfboard near Stinson Beach?
Two in-village shops rent gear: Stinson Beach Surf & Kayak on Highway 1 (around $25–40/day for a board) and Live Water Surf Shop on Shoreline Hwy, both renting surfboards, SUPs and wetsuits. For lessons, 2 Mile Surf Lessons in nearby Bolinas meets students on the beach. Rent a wetsuit too — the water is cold year-round.
When is the best time to surf Stinson Beach?
Fall through early spring (about September–April) is the most consistent window, with January often the best month for organized winter swells. Summer is smaller and mushier but friendlier for beginners and warmer on the sand. Mornings before the wind are best year-round.
Do you need a car to visit Stinson Beach?
Effectively yes. There's no airport transit, rideshare is unreliable for pickups out here, and the trailheads, Bolinas and groceries are spread along a winding coast. The West Marin Stagecoach bus connects Marin City, Stinson and Bolinas a few times a day if you're carless, but it won't get you to a dawn session.
Sources for this guide
- surf-forecast.comsecondary source · Break type, both-hands, high-tide preference, WSW swell window, consistency, seasonal quality
- stormrider.surfsecondary source · Wave character, hazards (sharks/rips/rocks), best conditions and season
- en.wikipedia.orgsecondary source · Red Triangle context, 2002 shark incident, NPS-managed beach, village geography
- travelmath.comsecondary source · Road distance (~36 mi) and drive time from SFO via Golden Gate / Highway 1
- sandpiperstinsonbeach.comofficial · Sandpiper Lodging live listing, location (1 Marine Way), cottages/kitchenettes, walkability
- redwoodshaus.comofficial · Redwoods Haus B&B live listing, location on Highway 1, 25+ years, pet policy
- smileyssaloon.comofficial · Smiley's Schooner Saloon & Hotel (Bolinas) — 7 rooms, 1851 history, restaurant hours, 41 Wharf Rd
- parksidecafe.comofficial · Parkside Cafe — cafe/bakery/snack bar/coffee cart, all-day service, 43 Arenal Ave
- 2milesurf.comofficial · 2 Mile Surf Shop (Bolinas) — rentals, lesson types/prices, gear, booking policy, address
- stinsonbeachsurfandkayak.comofficial · Stinson Beach Surf & Kayak — in-village rentals (boards/SUP/wetsuits/bikes), since 1998, 3605 Hwy 1
- nps.govofficial · NPS-managed beach, summer lifeguard hours, facilities, swimming guidance
- marincounty.govofficial · Weekly beach water-quality monitoring April–October, runoff caveat
- reservecalifornia.comofficial · Steep Ravine cabins & Pantoll camping — pricing, rustic specs, 6-month rolling reservations
- yelp.comsecondary source · Confirming Sand Dollar Restaurant is closed (2026) — excluded from food
- yelp.comsecondary source · Confirming The Siren Canteen is CLOSED (Yelp, June 2026) — removed and replaced with Parkside Snack Bar
- livewatersurfshop.comofficial · Live Water Surf Shop — live in-village shop since 1978, 3450 Shoreline Hwy, wetsuit/board/SUP rentals and retail
- yelp.comsecondary source · Confirming 2 Mile Surf Shop storefront closed after 2020 fire; operation now lesson-only meeting at the beach
- yelp.comsecondary source · Parkside Snack Bar — live walk-up beach food counter at 43 Arenal Ave (Yelp, May 2026)
Guide researched and verified 2026-06-17. Details change; confirm bookings and entry requirements before travel.