Communities

Nick's Cove

Hog Island Oyster Co. Cowgirl Creamery

Cypress Tree Tunnel

West Marin Comprising seven tiny hamlets — Point Reyes Station, Olema, Stinson Beach, Bolinas, Tomales, Dillon Beach and Inverness — and a whole lot of open space, West Marin is the largest rural area in Marin County. Its bucolic rolling hills, pastures dotted with grazing cattle and sheep, sweeping ocean vistas and dramatic cliffside beaches have lured countless visitors over the years, as well as a number of notable artists, including the late abstract expressionist Sam Francis. Nature lovers flock to Point Reyes National Seashore for a close encounter with wildlife like elephant seals and tule elk (see our hiking guide on page 38), and to Tomales Bay to witness spectacular displays of bioluminescence — ideally experienced on a kayak at night under the stars. Aside from all of that natural beauty, however, West Marin is also foodie paradise, home to gourmet purveyors like Cowgirl Creamery, Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company, Wild West Ferments, Stemple Creek Ranch, Hog Island Oyster Co. and Tomales Bay Oyster Company, as well as outstanding eateries like Nick’s Cove, William Tell House, and Sir and Star at the Olema. LOTUS ABRAMS

THE STATS

POPULATION: Approximately 16,000

NOTABLE RESIDENTS: Joel Coen and Frances McDormand, the late Sam Francis

FUN FACTS:

Point Reyes lies on a different tectonic plate than the rest of the coast. Bolinas and Stinson Beach face off in a tug of war competition across the Bolinas Lagoon every Fourth of July, an annual tradition (save a Covid-19 hiatus) for more than 120 years.

WANT MORE? Get to know every corner of Marin with a different town each month in "Communities" — and read more about them at marinmagazine.com/cities-towns.