West Marin

West Marin is the largest region of Marin County, California, which is also rural.

Some of the villages in rural West Marin

West Marin comprises the westernmost towns of Point Reyes Station, Olema, Stinson Beach, Bolinas, Tomales, Dillon Beach, and Inverness. West Marin is generally considered to be northwest of Muir Beach on the Pacific Ocean side of Mount Tamalpais, however it also includes Nicasio and Woodacre and going westward. When coming from Fairfax, Woodacre, which is in the San Geronimo Valley, is considered one of the local "gateways" to West Marin by many locals, cyclists and tourists alike.

The San Geronimo Valley also includes the towns of San Geronimo, Forest Knolls and Lagunitas. Local gem Samuel P Taylor Park is just west of Lagunitas. Well known Lagunitas Brewing Company was named after Lagunitas where they got their early start before moving to Petaluma. Local longtime community foundation San Geronimo Valley Community Center is based in the town and valley of San Geronimo. Spirit Rock Insight Meditation Center is based in Woodacre, offering a contemporary space for meditation, retreat, practice, community gathering (saṅgha), and Dharma study.

The Point Reyes Light is a weekly newspaper covering West Marin, and the website of the Marin Independent Journal has a category for West Marin news. KWMR is their public radio station.

West Marin landscape

Unlike the rest of the county, which is served by Golden Gate Transit, West Marin is served only by Marin Transit, which connects to Golden Gate Transit lines at Marin City and in the San Geronimo Valley, among other locations.

The Environmental Action Committee of West Marin, active since the 1970s, focuses on environmental issues such as preserving open space and protecting vulnerable species.

The Straus Family Creamery, a family owned and award-winning dairy known for championing sustainability, is just north of Marshall.

External links

• West Marin official site
• West Marin Citizen homepage
• West Marin News