Stinson Beach is located about 30 minutes from the Golden Gate Bridge on California Hwy 1.
In the early is" century, ranchers began using the green hilly terrain for dairy cows. At that time there were no roads so the only way to access the area was on a boat from San Francisco, by horseback or on foot. In 1870 a road was built from Sausalito allowing access so that a tent camp formed among the willow trees giving rise to the town's original name of Willow Camp.3
After the famous 1906 earthquake, people seeking refuge from San Francisco arrived building the first stores, hotels, and homes in the area. In 1916 the name was changed to Stinson Beach in honor of the biggest land owners in the area, Rose and Nathan Stinson. The 1920's brought many more visitors to the newly built beach resorts but it was not until the Golden Gate Bridge was completed in 1937 that people really started coming to use the beach.
Today, the beach park is now part of the Golden Gate Recreation Area. There are roughly 700 homes in the area with a population of around 750. There are many beautiful parks to visit in the area including Point Reyes Light House, Point Reyes National Sea Shore, Audobon Canyon Ranch, Mt. Tamalpais State Park, Muir Woods, and Marin Headlands. Recreation in the area is abundant with hundreds of miles of hiking trails, kayaking, surfing, beach combing, and more.
The climate is mild with an average temperature range between 50 and 70 degrees for the majority of the year. In warmer months like July, the temperature may be up to 85 degrees and can drop to the high 30s during the colder months. The average annual rainfall is around 37 inches.
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