Stinson Beach is where the Pacific finally gets its way with Marin. After the long curves of Highway 1 down from the ridge, the road drops to sea level and a pale crescent of sand runs out for about three miles, with a spit of dunes at one end and the steep green slope of the mountain at the other. The village behind it is tiny, a scatter of beach houses, a few cafes, a grocery and a bookshop, and it feels both sleepy and expensive, as seaside places near big cities often do.
The riding to get here is the real attraction. Highway 1 from the Mount Tam side snakes down in a long series of tight, blind bends, with a drop on the seaward side, and the fog can swallow it without warning. The surface is patchy, grit and sand collect in the corners, and slow RVs hold up the line, so settle into a rhythm rather than trying to push. North of the beach the road runs beside Bolinas Lagoon, a tidal bay where the San Andreas Fault passes through and where herons and egrets nest in the trees on a nearby ranch each spring. Bolinas, at the far end, is famous for its locals, who are said to take down road signs to discourage visitors, so you may need to read the map instead.
The swim is a different matter from what the name suggests. The Pacific here is cold all year, typically somewhere in the low teens Celsius, and the surf can be strong, with rip currents that lifeguards warn about. These waters are also part of the stretch of California coast where great white sharks feed, and while encounters are rare, many people simply wade and paddle. On a warm afternoon, though, the sand is soft and the dunes pleasant for lying in the sun with an ice cream.
Parking at the beach costs money and fills early on summer weekends. Fuel is not reliably available in the village, so top up in Mill Valley, about nine kilometres back over the hill. Bring layers, since a warm afternoon turns cold the minute the fog arrives.