Olema (
Miwok
The Miwok (also spelled Miwuk, Mi-Wuk, or Me-Wuk) are members of four linguistically related Native Americans in the United States, Native American groups indigenous to what is now Northern California, who traditionally spoke one of the Miwok lan ...
: ''Olemaloke'')
is an
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...
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 ac ...
,
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
.
It is located on
Olema Creek south-southeast of
Point Reyes Station,
at an elevation of 69 feet (21 m).
Olema is along
State Route 1 at its intersection with
Sir Francis Drake Boulevard
Sir Francis Drake Boulevard is an approximately 43.8 mile east–west arterial road in Marin County, California, running from the trailhead for Point Reyes Lighthouse at the end of the Point Reyes Peninsula to Interstate 580 just west of th ...
, on the eastern edge of the
Point Reyes Peninsula in the western part of Marin County. The name Olema comes from the
Coast Miwok placename meaning "coyote valley".
Olema was once thought to be the epicenter of the
1906 San Francisco earthquake
At 05:12 AM Pacific Time Zone, Pacific Standard Time on Wednesday, April 18, 1906, the coast of Northern California was struck by a major earthquake with an estimated Moment magnitude scale, moment magnitude of 7.9 and a maximum Mercalli inte ...
due the fact that the
San Andreas Fault
The San Andreas Fault is a continental Fault (geology)#Strike-slip faults, right-lateral strike-slip transform fault that extends roughly through the U.S. state of California. It forms part of the tectonics, tectonic boundary between the Paci ...
runs in very close proximity to the town, and due to the huge rifts surrounding the fault still visible via a nearby hiking path. There are historical references to this in and around the town, including at shops and restaurants. However, more recent evidence suggests that a location offshore of
Daly City is more likely the epicenter.
Olema was also the title subject of the late-1960s country-rock song "Hippie from Olema",
The Youngbloods
The Youngbloods was an American rock band consisting of Jesse Colin Young (vocals, bass, guitar), Jerry Corbitt (vocals, guitar, keyboards, harmonica), Lowell "Banana" Levinger (guitar and electric piano), and Joe Bauer (drums). Despite receiv ...
' rejoinder to
Merle Haggard
Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential figures in country music, he was a central pioneer of the Bakersfield ...
's "Okie from Muskogee".
The Olema post office opened in 1859, closed in 1860, and reopened in 1864.
Attractions
Olema has a few shops, two restaurants (
Sir and Star and Due West), a lodge, and several bed and breakfasts. Nearby is a large campground and also a large retreat for the
Vedanta Society
Vedanta Societies refer to organizations, groups, or societies formed for the study, practice, and propagation of Vedanta, the culmination of Vedas. More specifically, they "comprise the American arm of the Indian Ramakrishna movement" and refe ...
(a branch of
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...
). Also, the Bear Valley Visitor Center, a quarter-mile from town on Bear Valley Road, provides a standard starting point for a visit to the
Point Reyes National Seashore
Point Reyes National Seashore is a park preserve located on the Point Reyes, Point Reyes Peninsula in Marin County, California. As a national seashore, it is maintained by the US United States National Park Service, National Park Service as an ...
. Inside the center are exhibits and books for sale. Outside are picnic tables, a Morgan horse ranch, and
Kule Loklo, a reconstructed Miwok village.
Politics
In the
state legislature
A state legislature is a Legislature, legislative branch or body of a State (country subdivision), political subdivision in a Federalism, federal system.
Two federations literally use the term "state legislature":
* The legislative branches of ...
, Olema is in the
3rd Senate District and in the
6th Assembly District.
Federally, Olema is in .
References
{{authority control
Unincorporated communities in California
Unincorporated communities in Marin County, California
West Marin