Marin County
California
Drive north across the Golden Gate Bridge and you’ll find yourself in Marin County—home to the bayfront town of Sausalito, giant redwoods, wide sandy beaches and mountain bike trails.
For outdoor enthusiasts, Marin County has a lot to offer. The first stop for many visitors is Sausalito, just across the north side of the bridge. The marina here is home to local boats and is a delightful place for a stroll, while the town itself is home to several good restaurants, coffee shops and art galleries.
To get a taste of the great outdoors, head to the magnificent Muir Woods, where you’ll find old-growth redwood trees—many of which are over 500 years old, and some over 1,200 years old. It’s easy to combine a trip to Sausalito and Muir Woods in a day. If you’re looking for something more high-energy, check out the huge network of mountain bike trails in the area, or take a seaplane ride over the bay. And don’t forget, the famous winetasting regions of Napa and Sonoma are just a short drive away.
- Tamalpais in Marin County is widely acknowledged as the birthplace of mountain biking—find out more at the Marin Musem of Mountain Biking.
- For a taste of Marin County’s coastline, head to Stinson Beach—you can also hike in to enjoy the surrounding scenery.
- George Lucas’ home Skywalker Ranch is located in Marin County.
Marin County lies immediately north of San Francisco and is connected to the city via the Golden Gate Bridge. Visitors can drive or cycle across the bridge to get here or take a ferry to Sausalito from the San Francisco’s Ferry Building (Embarcadero). You can also book a guided tour of the county that includes round-trip transport.
Marin County is in northern California and enjoys pleasant weather all year round. While Marin often escapes the fogs that can descend on San Francisco, the area can get foggy in July, August, and September, but for some people, it just adds to the atmosphere of the place. January is the best month for whale watching in the area.
The fertile land in Marin County is home to many farms that supply the Bay Area’s top restaurants. You can taste this delicious produce for yourself at one of the county’s regular farmer’s markets. The best known is perhaps the Sunday market in San Rafael which operates weekly until 1 pm in the town of San Rafael, but there’s also a year-round Saturday market in Larkspur.
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