Stinson Beach, California is an unincorporated community in Marin County, California, on the west coast of the United States. The population of the Stinson Beach CDP (census-designated place) was 751 at the 2000 census.
Stinson Beach is about a 30-minute drive from the Golden Gate Bridge on California's Highway 1. It is near important attractions such as Muir Woods National Monument, Muir Beach, and Mount Tamalpais. It has a long beach with occasional opportunities for surfing, although the water is cold and fog is common throughout the year.
In 2002, a surfer was attacked by a 12-15 foot-long great white shark, 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 since 1998, and the 13th in Marin County since 1952. The surf off Stinson Beach is within an area known as the Red Triangle, where there have been an unusually high number of shark attacks.
Stinson Beach is a popular day trip for people from the San Francisco Bay Area and for tourists visiting northern California. Although most visitors arrive by private car, Stinson Beach is linked to Marin City by a daily bus service, and the network of hiking trails around Mount Tamalpais also reaches the town.