Stinson Beach is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

(CDP) in

Marin County Marin County is a county located in the northwestern part of the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 262,231. Its county seat and largest city is San Rafael. Marin County is acros ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, on the west coast of the United States. Stinson Beach is located east-southeast of

Bolinas Bolinas is an unincorporated coastal community and census-designated place in Marin County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 1,483. It is located on the California coast, approximately (straight line dist ...

, at an elevation of . The population of the Stinson Beach CDP was 541 at the 2020 census. Stinson Beach is about a 35-minute drive from the

Golden Gate Bridge The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the strait connecting San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The structure links the U.S. city of San Francisco, California—the northern tip of the San Francisco Pen ...

on California's Highway 1. It is near important attractions such as

Muir Woods National Monument Muir Woods National Monument is a United States National Monument managed by the National Park Service, named after naturalist John Muir. It is located on Mount Tamalpais near the Pacific coast, in southwestern Marin County, California. It is ...

Muir Beach Muir Beach is a census designated place (CDP), unincorporated community, and beach on the Pacific Ocean. The community is located northwest of San Francisco in western Marin County, California, Marin County, California, United States. Unlike many ...

, and

Mount Tamalpais Mount Tamalpais (; ; Miwok languages, Miwok: ''Támal Pájiṣ''), known locally as Mount Tam, is a mountain, peak in Marin County, California, Marin County, California, United States, often considered symbolic of Marin County. Much of Mount Tama ...

. It has a long beach, and the cold water produces

fog Fog is a visible aerosol consisting of tiny water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. Reprint from Fog can be considered a type of low-lying cloud usually resembling stratus, and is heavily influ ...

throughout the year. Stinson Beach is a popular day trip for people in the

San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Go ...

and for tourists visiting Northern California. Although most visitors arrive by private car, Stinson Beach is linked to

Marin City Marin City is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Marin County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 2,993, up from 2,666 in 2010. It is located northwest of downtown Sausalito, ...

by a daily bus service, and the network of

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

trails around

also reaches the town. The beach is one of the cleanest in the state, and sandy, unlike the rockier neighboring beach in Bolinas.Bay Area beaches grade well for safe swimming
May 27, 2010 by Carolyn Jones, San Francisco Chronicle

History

Nathan H. Stinson bought land at the site in 1866. In 1870, the first road was built along the Pacific coast from

Sausalito Sausalito (Spanish for "small willow grove") is a city in Marin County, California, United States, located southeast of Marin City, south-southeast of San Rafael, and about north of San Francisco from the Golden Gate Bridge. Sausalito's p ...

, and a tent settlement sprang up amongst the

willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist s ...

trees at the beach, which gave rise to the town's original name, Willow Camp. The Mt. Tamalpais & Muir Woods Railway opened in 1896, making Willow Camp more accessible. Visitors could ride the train to West Point Inn and then hike or arrange a

stagecoach A stagecoach is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by four horses although some versions are draw ...

to take them to the beach. In 1906, refugees from the

San Francisco earthquake At 05:12 Pacific Standard Time on Wednesday, April 18, 1906, the coast of Northern California was struck by a major earthquake with an estimated moment magnitude of 7.9 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (''Extreme''). High-intensity sha ...

came to the area and built some of the area's first businesses. Stinson Beach became the official town name in 1916, in honor of the largest landowners, Rose and Nathan Stinson. Stinson Beach RPPC 1916

The first post office opened in 1916. In 1939, the beach was sold to Marin County. It was transferred to the state of California in 1950, and was eventually transferred to the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...

in 1977. In 2002, a surfer was attacked by a

great white shark The great white shark (''Carcharodon carcharias''), also known as the white shark, white pointer, or simply great white, is a species of large mackerel shark which can be found in the coastal surface waters of all the major oceans. It is nota ...

while surfing off Stinson Beach. The young man survived, but received more than 100 stitches to close his wounds. The attack was the second in Stinson Beach, and the 13th in Marin County since 1952. In 1998, Jonathan Kathrein was attacked by a great white shark while bodyboarding. His injury from the shark bite required over 600 stitches. The surf off Stinson Beach is within an area known as the Red Triangle, where there have been an unusually high number of

shark attack A shark attack is an attack on a human by a shark. Every year, around 80 unprovoked attacks are reported worldwide. Despite their rarity, many people fear shark attacks after occasional serial attacks, such as the Jersey Shore shark attacks of ...

s. Marin County added 12

tsunami A tsunami ( ; from ja, 津波, lit=harbour wave, ) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater explo ...

warning signs to the Stinson Beach shoreline in 2012 to explain the risk to beachgoers.

Geography

Stinson Beach is located in southern Marin County at , between

and

. It is by road northwest of

and northwest of

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

. The CDP has a total area of , all of it recorded as land.

Climate

According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

system, Stinson Beach has a

warm-summer Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...

, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps. Like much of the California coast, summer afternoons are often cool and windy (and usually foggy) as winds blow in off the cold ocean. Adjacent sea surface temperatures are typically in the low to mid 50s F year-round. It receives more rain than other coast cities in the

in this latitude with of rain.

Demographics

2010

The

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...

reported that Stinson Beach had a population of 632. The population density was . The racial makeup of Stinson Beach was 582 (92.1%)

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 3 (0.5%)

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 8 (1.3%) Native American, 14 (2.2%)

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 1 (0.2%)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 9 (1.4%) from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 15 (2.4%) from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 33 persons (5.2%). The Census reported that 629 people (99.5% of the population) lived in households, 3 (0.5%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized. There were 339 households, out of which 50 (14.7%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 134 (39.5%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 14 (4.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 10 (2.9%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 26 (7.7%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 8 (2.4%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 147 households (43.4%) were made up of individuals, and 45 (13.3%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.86. There were 158

families Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideall ...

(46.6% of all households); the average family size was 2.54. The population was spread out, with 76 people (12.0%) under the age of 18, 26 people (4.1%) aged 18 to 24, 117 people (18.5%) aged 25 to 44, 278 people (44.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 135 people (21.4%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 54.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.1 males. There were 773 housing units at an average density of , of which 209 (61.7%) were owner-occupied, and 130 (38.3%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.3%; the rental vacancy rate was 9.7%. 425 people (67.2% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 204 people (32.3%) lived in rental housing units.

2000

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000, there were 751 people, 374 households, and 178 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 693 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP in 2010 was 89.6% non-Hispanic

, 0.5% non-Hispanic

, 0.2% Native American, 2.2%

, 0.2% from

, 0.5% from

, and 1.6% from two or more races.

of any race were 5.2% of the population. There were 374 households, out of which 18.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.6% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 4.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 52.4% were non-families. 42.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.98 and the average family size was 2.75. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 16.9% under the age of 18, 3.3% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 39.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $87,679, and the median income for a family was $105,827. Males had a median income of $58,750 versus $56,875 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the CDP was $62,452. About 3.8% of families and 5.1% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 11.8% of those under the age of eighteen and 10.4% of those 65 or over.

Education

Stinson Beach is in the Bolinas-Stinson Union School District, the Tamalpais Union High School District, and the

Marin Community College District The College of Marin is a public community college in Marin County, California, with two campuses, one in Kentfield, and the second in Novato. It is the only institution operated by the Marin Community College District. College of Marin has bee ...

. Students in primary grades (K-2) attend

Stinson Beach School Bolinas-Stinson Union School District is a public school district in Marin County, California, with offices in Bolinas, California, USA. As of the 2017–18 school year, the District had 91 students at its Bolinas campus. History Bolinas Schoo ...

, while elementary grade students (grades 3–8) attend Bolinas School. Stinson Beach is in the attendance area of

Tamalpais High School Tamalpais High School (often abbreviated as Tam) is a public secondary school located in Mill Valley, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is named after nearby Mount Tamalpais, which rises almost above Mill Valley. Tamalpais High Scho ...

, in

Mill Valley Mill Valley is a city in Marin County, California, United States, located about north of San Francisco via the Golden Gate Bridge and from Napa Valley. The population was 14,231 at the 2020 census. Mill Valley is located on the western and ...

Government

Stinson Beach is unincorporated, receiving general government services from

, including law enforcement, land use planning, library, public health, and code enforcement. Three special districts provide local services. The Stinson Beach County Water District provides water and septic tank maintenance service and contracts for garbage and recycling collection. The Stinson Beach Volunteer Fire Protection District provides fire protection, emergency medical care, and disaster management services. The Marin County Flood Control and Water Conservation District administers programs which aim to mitigate flooding, historically concentrating on issues related to the flooding of Easkoot Creek.

Community organizations

The Stinson Beach Village Association was formed in 1976 to represent the town as the County developed the first Stinson Beach Community Plan. The Village Association's current elected president is village resident Michael Matthews. Previously, development of the town had been promoted by the Stinson Beach Progressive Club, one of several non-profit organizations that formed the board of the Stinson Beach Community Center. The other founding organizations were the Allied Arts Club, the Stinson Beach Community Church, The Volunteer Fire Department, and the Parent-Teachers Club. The Community Center complex on Belvedere Avenue includes the Fire House, which fronts on Shoreline Highway, the Community Center, and the Chapel. The land was donated by the FitzHenrys and the other heirs of the Stinson families.

Regional recreation areas

* Audubon Canyon Ranch *

Golden Gate National Recreation Area The Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) is a U.S. National Recreation Area protecting of ecologically and historically significant landscapes surrounding the San Francisco Bay Area. Much of the park is land formerly used by the United ...

Mount Tamalpais State Park Mount Tamalpais State Park is a California state park, located in Marin County, California. The primary feature of the park is the Mount Tamalpais. The park contains mostly redwood and oak forests. The mountain itself covers around . There are a ...

Point Reyes National Seashore Point Reyes National Seashore is a park preserve located on the Point Reyes Peninsula in Marin County, California. As a national seashore, it is maintained by the US National Park Service as an important nature preserve. Some existing agricult ...

Annual events

On the second Sunday of June, the town serves as the ending point for the annual running of the

Dipsea Race The Dipsea Race is a trail running event in California, United States. It is the oldest cross-country trail running event and one of the oldest foot races of any kind—in the United States. The 7.5 mile (12 km) long Dipsea Race has been ...

, the second-oldest footrace in the U.S. The California Road Club holds its Mount Tamalpais Hill Climb, one of the oldest bicycle races in the West, in early fall. Since 2002, the race has been held on the third Saturday of the month, with about 400 bicyclists competing in the road race from Stinson to the head of Bolinas Lagoon and on to the West summit of Mount Tamalpais at Rock Spring. "Cuisine on the Green" is a yearly event held in the town's central park, the Village Green, each May. It features local restaurants and merchants selling a wide variety of foods, trinkets, clothing, art, and novelty items at different booths. Talent local to the area often performs on the small park stage. Cuisine on the Green benefits the Stinson Beach Community Center. On July 4 of every year, a "tug-of-war" is held with Bolinas across the inlet dividing the two communities. Thirty women from each shore pull against each other until a winner is declared, and then 30 men from each take their turn. It is a slice of life, pure Americana, and always contested both during the actual event and then afterward in the local bars of Smiley's and the Sand Dollar, where the winners' trophies are displayed.

Notable people

House on stilts in Stinson Beach, California

Residents, landowners, and summer people important in the development, life, and culture of Stinson Beach. Arrival or tenure is shown in square brackets. Birth and death dates are shown in parentheses. * Rafael Garcia (1836–1846), first settler on Bolinas Lagoon.National Park Service, Stinson Beach History
* Gregorio (1791 – May 10, 1863) and Ramona Garcia Briones (1793/4–June 23, 1901), received the

Rancho Las Baulines Rancho Las Baulines was a Mexican land grant in present-day Marin County, California, given in 1846 by Governor Pío Pico to Gregorio Briones. The grant extended around Bolinas Lagoon and encompassed present-day Stinson Beach and Bolinas. Hist ...

Mexican land grant on February 11, 1846; after being widowed, Ramona married Benancio Munos when she was almost 80; when she died at the age of 107, Ramona Garcia Munos was believed to be the oldest woman in California. * Pablo Briones (1837–?), with his uncle, Rafael Garcia, managed the Rancho for his parents, Gregorio and Ramona; trained as

curandero A ''curandero'' (, healer; f. , also spelled , , f. ) is a traditional native healer or shaman found primarily in Latin America and also in the United States. A curandero is a specialist in traditional medicine whose practice can either contra ...

by his aunt,

Juana Briones de Miranda Juana Briones de Miranda (c. 1802 – 1889) was a Californio ranchera, medical practitioner, and merchant, often remembered as the "Founding Mother of San Francisco", for her noted involvement in the early development of the city of San Francisco ...

; settled in Bolinas. * Captain Isaac Morgan (c. 1851–), purchased the portion of Rancho Las Baulines east of Bolinas Lagoon in 1852; on this property, called Belvidere Ranch and which was to become Stinson Beach, he grew apples, cut wood, built boats, and had a dairy farm; in 1866, as lead partner in the Morgan Land Company, purchased the Page Tract, which ran from Belvidere Ranch to Dogtown and which became the Bourne and Wilkins Ranches. * Nathan and Rose Stinson (1870s), established first campground at Willow Camp. * Captain Alfred Easkoot (1870s), Marin County surveyor; founder of second campground.; member of Duxbury Grove No. 26, UAOD *

William Kent William Kent (c. 1685 – 12 April 1748) was an English architect, landscape architect, painter and furniture designer of the early 18th century. He began his career as a painter, and became Principal Painter in Ordinary or court painter, but ...

(March 29, 1864 – March 13, 1928) United States Congressman; donor of the land for the

; owner of the beach and tidelands that became Seadrift.Susan Sward, ''San Francisco Chronicle,'' December 17, 1995, "Dredging Up Trouble? West Marin residents agree that Bolinas Lagoon must be saved from silt that threatens to destroy it. What they can't agree on is how."
/ref> * Newman Lee Fitzhenry (1881–November 20, 1938) (c. 1913–1938(, BS, University of Chicago, 1905; married Eve Stinson and pursued real estate and resort development; suicided November 20, 1938. * William Kent Jr., began the development of the Seadrift subdivision in the 1950s. * Mildred Sadler (May 16, 1905 – February 18, 2004) (1926–2004), Principal,

, 1926–1967. * Landis Everson (1960s), poet and painter. * George Hunter White, also known as Colonel White (1965–1975) (died October 23, 1975),

Federal Bureau of Narcotics The Federal Bureau of Narcotics (FBN) was an agency of the United States Department of the Treasury, established in the Department of the Treasury by an act of June 14, 1930, consolidating the functions of the Federal Narcotics Control Board a ...

agent and District Supervisor, retired; OSS Counter-Intelligence Director during WWII; led

Project MKULTRA Project MKUltra (or MK-Ultra) was an illegal human experimentation program designed and undertaken by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), intended to develop procedures and identify drugs that could be used in interrogations to weak ...

in Boston and

Operation Midnight Climax Operation Midnight Climax was an operation carried out by the CIA as a sub-project of Project MKUltra, the mind-control research program that began in the 1950s. It was initially established in 1954 by Sidney Gottlieb and placed under the direction ...

in New York and San Francisco brothels (or "safehouses") until the closure of the San Francisco facilities in 1965; Fire Marshall, Stinson Beach Fire Department *

Elmer Collett Charles Elmer Collett ( ;Baltimore Colts 1975 Media ...

(1966–present), former professional football player for the 49ers and the Colts * Peter Bishop Allen (November 1, 1943 – June 3, 2004) (c. 1967–2004), sculptor of marine mammals; Assistant Chief, Stinson Beach Fire Department; founder of The Kids Camp nature education program * Steve Miller (1960s–1970s), musician *

Jerry Garcia Jerome John Garcia (August 1, 1942 – August 9, 1995) was an American musician best known for being the principal songwriter, lead guitarist, and a vocalist with the rock band Grateful Dead, which he co-founded and which came to prominence ...

(1970s), musician * Carolyn Garcia, also known as Mountain Girl (1970s), member of

Merry Pranksters The Merry Pranksters were comrades and followers of American author Ken Kesey in 1964. Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters lived communally at Kesey's homes in California and Oregon, and are noted for the sociological significance of a lengthy roa ...

, wife of Jerry Garcia * Keith and Donna Godchaux (1970s), musicians *

Peter Rowan Peter Rowan (born July 4, 1942) is an American bluegrass musician and composer. Rowan plays guitar and mandolin, yodels and sings. Biography Rowan was born in Wayland, Massachusetts to a musical family. From an early age, he had an interes ...

(1970s), musician *

Richard Jencks Richard William Jencks (1921 – June 30, 2014) was an American television executive, lawyer, former president of the CBS Broadcast Group, and former member of CBS' board of directors. He retired from his position as Corporate Vice President of ...

- former President of CBS. *

The Rowan Brothers ''The Rowan Brothers'' is the eponymous debut studio album by the country rock duo The Rowan Brothers. Track listing # "Hickory Day" # "All Together" # "Best You Can" # "One More Time" # "Lay Me Down" # "Wizard" # "Mama Don't You Cry" # "Gold" ...

– Lorin and Chris Rowan (1970s), musicians *

David Grisman David Grisman (born March 23, 1945) is an American mandolinist. His music combines bluegrass, folk, and jazz in a genre he calls "Dawg music". He founded the record label Acoustic Disc, which issues his recordings and those of other acoustic mu ...

(1970s), musician * George Frayne (born c. 1946) (c. 1973–199), musician (

Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen were an American rock band founded in 1967. The group's leader and co-founder was pianist and vocalist George Frayne IV, alias Commander Cody (born July 19, 1944 in Boise, Idaho, died September 26, 2021 i ...

) and artist; Frayne has referred to Stinson Beach as "formerly the grooviest place on earth." * Joseph Esherick (1987), famed architect; designed a home on Sea Drift Road * James Grant (1924–1997) (c. 1980–1997), painter and sculptor; the art exhibit wall at the Stinson Beach Branch Library is named in his honor * Jerry Cebe (August 10, 1940 - Sep 1, 2017), artist (

abstract painting Abstract art uses visual language of shape, form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th ...

;

art glass Art glass is a subset of glass art, this latter covering the whole range of art made from glass. Art glass normally refers only to pieces made since the mid-19th century, and typically to those purely made as sculpture or decorative art, with ...

) *

Klaus Kinski Klaus Kinski (, born Klaus Günter Karl Nakszynski 18 October 1926 – 23 November 1991) was a German actor, equally renowned for his intense performance style and notorious for his volatile personality. He appeared in over 130 film roles in a c ...

In popular culture

Stinson Beach has been the setting and filming location for several movies, including: * '' Play It Again, Sam'' * ''

The Fog ''The Fog'' is a 1980 American supernatural horror film directed by John Carpenter, who also co-wrote the screenplay and created the music for the film. It stars Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Atkins, Janet Leigh and Hal Holbrook. It ...

'' * '' Memoirs of an Invisible Man'' * ''

The Invisible Man (2020 film) ''The Invisible Man'' is a 2020 science fiction horror film written and directed by Leigh Whannell. Inspired by H. G. Wells' novel of the same name, it stars Elisabeth Moss as a woman who believes she is being stalked and gaslit by her seemin ...

''; this adaptation is unrelated to the novel & film listed above. * ''

Basic Instinct ''Basic Instinct'' is a 1992 neo-noir erotic thriller film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas. The film follows San Francisco police detective Nick Curran (Michael Douglas), who is investigating the brutal murder of a wealt ...

'' * '' On The Edge'' * ''

Shoot The Moon ''Shoot the Moon'' is a 1982 American drama film directed by Alan Parker, and written by Bo Goldman. It stars Albert Finney, Diane Keaton, Karen Allen, Peter Weller and Dana Hill. Set in Marin County, California, the film follows George (Finn ...

'' * '' The Crazy-Quilt (1966

John Korty John Korty (June 22, 1936 – March 9, 2022) was an American film director and animator, best known for the television film '' The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman'' and the documentary '' Who Are the DeBolts? And Where Did They Get Nineteen ...

Film)'' * '' America Is Still the Place'' The town was mentioned in an episode of ''

M*A*S*H ''M*A*S*H'' (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) is an American media franchise consisting of a series of novels, a film, several television series, plays, and other properties, and based on the semi-autobiographical fiction of Richard Hooker. The ...

''—"The Merchant of Korea". In the episode, BJ borrows $200 from Charles to wire home to his wife as a down payment on the purchase of a one-acre lot with "trees, the beach, a view of San Francisco...everything!" George Frayne ( Commander Cody) wrote a song about Stinson Beach entitled "Midnight on The Strand". It was recorded on his 1987 album, ''Let's Rock''. The town and the beach are the topic of a poem by

Garrison Keillor Gary Edward "Garrison" Keillor (; born August 7, 1942) is an American author, singer, humorist, voice actor, and radio personality. He created the Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) show ''A Prairie Home Companion'' (called ''Garrison Keillor's Radio ...

. In ''We Are Still Married: Stories and Letters'', Keillor has a four-page essay about his visits to Stinson Beach and how thinking of the beach helps him sleep. The poet Robert Duncan wrote his influential collection ''Opening the Field'' at a house in Stinson Beach.

Janis Joplin Janis Lyn Joplin (January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970) was an American singer and musician. One of the most successful and widely known Rock music, rock stars of her era, she was noted for her powerful mezzo-soprano vocals and "electric" stage ...

's cremated ashes were scattered along this beach as well as the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

. The story of a young surfer's recovery from a shark attack is the subject of a book, ''Far from Shore''.''Far from Shore''
/ref> Author Danielle Steel writes about Stinson Beach in her novel ''One Day at a Time'' (Dell, 2009, ).

References

External links

California Coastal Records Project, "Stinson Beach Central Parking Lot and Restrooms," 2005

California Coastal Records Project, Stinson Beach - main beach and most of downtown from the air, 2004

Stinson Beach Community Center

Stinson Beach Village Association

Stinson Beach Library

* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20070724173239/http://www.bolinaslagoon.org/index.html Bolinas Lagoon Foundation {{authority control Census-designated places in Marin County, California Beaches of Marin County, California Mount Tamalpais Populated coastal places in California West Marin San Francisco Bay Area beaches Census-designated places in California Beaches of Northern California