Bolinas Lagoon

Of the spots I’ve covered in this notebook, Bolinas Lagoon is the one I most often recommend to people who ask where to go with a week and a camera.

Getting there is straightforward if you plan around the road access and the weather window for the season.

On a strong day in the right season you can work your way through the tidal lagoon and mudflats and tick off most of the headliners before lunch.

My default advice is to go october through march for shorebirds. Outside that window there are still good days here, but the baseline quality drops.

Gear advice is boring: something long, something short, and enough layers that you’re not rearranging in the car.

On my first visit I missed the best light because I drove past the turnoff twice. I don’t anymore.

Anyone who tells you Bolinas Lagoon is an easy place hasn’t been on a day where the wind picked up by nine.

I’ll keep updating this page as I visit through the year. Take the logistics as rough guidance, not a route sheet.