Marin County Visitors Bureau - Attractions & Destinations

Marin County Visitors Bureau

Photo by Barbara Stenson

Attractions & Destinations

Food & Wine | Recreational | Tours
Historical & Museums | Environmental | Cultural

Recreational
Angel Island

Marin County is a paradise for outdoor recreation. Marin’s weather patterns and moderate temperatures allow visitors and residents to enjoy outdoor activities all year around.

Although Marin’s rainy season runs from November through March, it’s not unusual to have brilliant, sunny days in February with temperatures in the low 70s. Every morning you can see rowers on Corte Madera Creek or walkers and bikers enjoying the spectacular views from the Golden Gate Bridge. The following recreational activities are enjoyed by residents throughout the year.

Bocce Ball
The Marin Bocce Federation at 550 B. Street maintains eight outdoor bocce courts at Albert Park in San Rafael. Leagues play on the courts five nights and three days every week. Open play hours for the general public are: Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The courts may be rented for special events.
Information: 415-455-8927.

Bowling
San Rafael has the County’s only bowling alley, Country Club Bowl, located at 88 Vivian Way in East San Rafael.
Information: 415-456-4661

Fishing
Visitors who like to fish can find many locations in Marin County for fresh water and salt water fishing.

McNear’s Beach Pier, located in east San Rafael on San Pablo Bay, is a good spot for halibut, striped bass, and sturgeon. Varieties of perch and shark are also present. Entry fee of $8 per vehicle.
China Camp State Park, also on San Pablo Bay, has a number of points on the shore suitable for fishing.
Paradise Beach Park, between Corte Madera and Tiburon on Paradise Drive, has a fine fishing pier that gives access to San Francisco Bay for halibut, striped bass, perch and sturgeon.
Fishing is allowed in all seven of the Marin Municipal watershed lakes. Licenses are required. Call 415-945-1194 for current fishing conditions or visit www.marinwater.org.
Miller Park Boat Launch on Tomales Bay, three miles north of Marshall, is a good spot for boaters fishing the bay.
Ocean fishing from the shore is allowed at public beaches in West Marin.
Visitors may take a sport fishing charter boat out of the Loch Lomond Marina in San Rafael for both bay and ocean fishing. Bass, halibut, and sturgeon are caught in the bay and salmon, during the season, in the ocean.

Golfing
Marin County hosts a number of beautiful public golf courses.

McInnis Park Golf Center, located at 350 Smith Ranch Road in San Rafael, has sweeping vistas of San Francisco Bay from its a nine-hole golf course. The center also offers a golf academy, driving range, pro shop, miniature golf course, batting cages and an outstanding restaurant with a garden terrace. Voted one of the 100 best in the country.
Information: 415-492-1800 or www.mcinnisparkgolfcenter.com.

Indian Valley Golf Course — An 18 hole public course located at 3035 Novato Blvd. in Novato., 415-897-1118
Mill Valley Golf Course — located at 280 Buena Vista Avenue in Mill Valley., 415-388-9982
Peacock Gap Golf and Country Club — An 18 hole public course located at 333 Biscayne Drive in San Rafael., 415-453-4940
San Geronimo Golf Course — An 18 hole public course located at 5800 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., San Geronimo., 415-488-4030
Stonetree Golf Center — Located at 9 Stonetree Lane in Novato., 415-209-6090

Horseback Riding
Marin County has miles of open space horse trails, including horse campsites at Mt. Tamalpais State Park and Samuel P. Taylor State Park.

Baywood Canyon Equestrian Center, 59 Baywood Canyon Road, Fairfax., 415-460-1480.
Creekside Equestrian Center, 5001 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Woodacre., 415-488-4006
Five Brooks Stables at 8001 State Route #1 in Olema, offers horse rentals., 415-663-1570

Ocean Surfing
Surfing at Stinson Beach on the Marin County coast is extremely popular. Check surfing conditions at www.magicseaweed.com/Marin-County-Surf-Report.

Surfboard Rentals

Live Water, 3450 Shoreline Highway, Stinson Beach., 415-868-0333
O’Neill Surfshop, 247 Shoreline Highway, Mill Valley, 415-383-2058
Fat Kat Surf Shop, 1906 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Fairfax, 415-453-9167

Sailing/Boating/Kayaking
Sailing and boating are major sporting activities in Marin County, because of its access to San Francisco Bay. A number of marinas, including Loch Lomond Marina, have boat launches as well as berthing slips. The Miller Park Boat Launch provides access to Tomales Bay for boating or sailing.

Kayakers enjoy easy access to San Pablo Bay and can be found enjoying the coastal waters surrounding China Camp State Park. Corte Madera Creek, with its views of Mt. Tamalpais, is a draw for both kayakers and rowers.

Loch Lomond Yacht Club, 95 Loch Lomond Drive, San Rafael., 415-459-9811
Marin Yacht Club, 24 Summit Avenue, San Rafael., 415-453-9366
San Rafael Yacht Club, 200 Yacht Club Drive, San Rafael., 415-459-9828

Skateboarding
Marin County has two new skateboard parks for teens and young adults. Novato’s Skate Park is a state-of-the-art facility located at Hamilton Parkway. The facility includes a 15,000 square foot skating area complete with stairs, bowls, walls, curbs, rails and ramps. San Rafael’s Skate Park is located at McInnis Park off Smith Ranch Road. It is a 25,000 square foot park with equal challenges for skateboard enthusiasts.

Swimming
A number of swimming pools are open to the public at various hours. Only McNear’s Beach Park swimming pool is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Cost: $4 per person, plus $7 to enter the park.

Call for hours and fees for school and community pools.

College of Marin, Indian Valley campus, Novato, 415-883-2211.
Hamilton Pool, 296 El Bonito Way, Novato, 415-492-9622
Homestead Valley Community Asso., 315 Montford Ave., Mill Valley, 415-388-0128
Marinwood Community Center, 775 Miller Creek Rd., San Rafael, 415-479-2335
Novato High School, 625 Arthur Dr., Novato, 415-492-9622
Osher Marin Jewish Comm. Center, 200 N. San Pedro Rd., San Rafael, 415-444-8000
Tamalpais High School, 700 Miller Ave., Mill Valley, 415-380-3533
Terra Linda Community Center, 670 Del Ganado, San Rafael, 415-485-3346
YMCA, 1500 Los Gamos Dr., San Rafael, 415-492-9622

Tennis
Tennis advocates will find plenty of courts in Marin County.

Boyle Park, 11 East Drive, Mill Valley, 415-388-6523
Canon Swim & Tennis Club, 135 Mitchell Blvd., Fairfax, 415-457-7766
Dave Kregel Tennis Center, 99 Lowell Ave., San Rafael, 415-389-8522
Harbor Point Tennis Club, 475 E. Strawberry Dr., Mill Valley, 415-383-3448
Lagunitas Country Club, Lagunitas Road, Ross, 415-453-8706
Marin Country Club, 500 Country Club Drive, Novato, 415-382-6700
Marin Tennis Club, 925 Belle Ave., San Rafael, 415-457-5160
Meridian Rolling Hills Club, 351 San Andreas Dr., Novato, 415-897-2185
Mill Valley Tennis Club, 285 Manor Drive, Mill Valley, 415-388-2010
Mt. Tam Racquet Club, 1 Larkspur Plaza, Larkspur, 415-924-6226
Rafael Racquet & Swim Club, 95 Racquet Club Drive, San Rafael, 415-456-5522
Ross Valley Swim & Tennis Club, 235 Bon Air Road, Kentfield, 415-461-4383

Windsurfing
San Francisco Bay has a number of prime areas for the fast-growing sport of wind-surfing, one of them being off Point San Quentin near the Larkspur Ferry Terminal.

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Food & Wine | Recreational | Tours
Historical & Museums | Environmental | Cultural