Bolinas Ridge
Encyclopedia
Bolinas Ridge is a north-south ridge
in southwestern Marin County, California
. Much of the western side of the ridge is protected parkland in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area
, and the eastern side is watershed lands of the Marin Municipal Water District
.
, and features panoramic vistas with trees, meadows, rounded hillsides, Bolinas Lagoon
, Tomales Bay
, the Olema Valley
and the Pacific Ocean.
The base of the ridge at the south end includes the community of Stinson Beach, with the ridge rising abruptly from around 400 feet (121.9 m) to over 1900 feet (579.1 m) at the highest point.
West Ridgecrest Road, a two lane highway, runs along the southern portion of the ridge, and has been the location for numerous automobile commercial video shoots. This roadway begins at the Rock Springs parking area and heads north along the ridge. Views to the east include lakes and undulating hills, with the ocean to the west, the source of dense fog
that sometimes obscures all views and limits visibility to a few feet.
Today, a diverse community of plant life grows along the ridge. Along with the tall redwoods, sections include stands of Douglas fir, various mixed scrub and open grassland hillsides, hardwood woodlands and along the lower slopes, maritime chaparral
that features rare Marin Manzanita (Arctostaphylos virgata
) and a federally designated 'Species of Concern', Mason's ceanothus
(Ceanothus masonii
), listed by the state of California as rare.
Ridge
A ridge is a geological feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for some distance. Ridges are usually termed hills or mountains as well, depending on size. There are several main types of ridges:...
in southwestern Marin County, California
Marin County, California
Marin County is a county located in the North San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. As of 2010, the population was 252,409. The county seat is San Rafael and the largest employer is the county government. Marin County is well...
. Much of the western side of the ridge is protected parkland in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Golden Gate National Recreation Area
The Golden Gate National Recreation Area is a U.S. National Recreation Area administered by the National Park Service that surrounds the San Francisco Bay area. It is one of the most visited units of the National Park system in the United States, with over 13 million visitors a year...
, and the eastern side is watershed lands of the Marin Municipal Water District
Marin Municipal Water District
The Marin Municipal Water District is the government agency that provides drinking water to southern and central Marin County, California. Chartered in 1912, it became California's first municipal water district...
.
The setting
The ridge parallels a section of the San Andreas FaultSan Andreas Fault
The San Andreas Fault is a continental strike-slip fault that runs a length of roughly through California in the United States. The fault's motion is right-lateral strike-slip...
, and features panoramic vistas with trees, meadows, rounded hillsides, Bolinas Lagoon
Bolinas Lagoon
Bolinas Lagoon is a tidal estuary, approximately in area, located at in the West Marin region of Marin County, California, United States. It is a part of the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. The lagoon is a back bay of Bolinas Bay on the Pacific coast approximately 15 mi ...
, Tomales Bay
Tomales Bay
Tomales Bay is a long narrow inlet of the Pacific Ocean in Marin County in northern California in the United States. It is approximately 15 miles long and averages nearly 1.0 miles wide, effectively separating the Point Reyes Peninsula from the mainland of Marin County. It is located...
, the Olema Valley
Olema Valley
Olema Valley is a gorge formed by the San Andreas Fault in rural west Marin County, Northern California. The valley runs from the town of Olema through Dogtown and Point Reyes to the Bolinas Lagoon, which lies between Bolinas and Stinson Beach near Drake's Bay....
and the Pacific Ocean.
The base of the ridge at the south end includes the community of Stinson Beach, with the ridge rising abruptly from around 400 feet (121.9 m) to over 1900 feet (579.1 m) at the highest point.
West Ridgecrest Road, a two lane highway, runs along the southern portion of the ridge, and has been the location for numerous automobile commercial video shoots. This roadway begins at the Rock Springs parking area and heads north along the ridge. Views to the east include lakes and undulating hills, with the ocean to the west, the source of dense fog
Fog
Fog is a collection of water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. While fog is a type of stratus cloud, the term "fog" is typically distinguished from the more generic term "cloud" in that fog is low-lying, and the moisture in the fog is often generated...
that sometimes obscures all views and limits visibility to a few feet.
Flora
Much of the original old-growth Coast redwoods were logged off in the late 1800s and shipped out by way of Bolinas Lagoon; however, new redwoods have grown again in the years since, providing a second-growth forest in patches.Today, a diverse community of plant life grows along the ridge. Along with the tall redwoods, sections include stands of Douglas fir, various mixed scrub and open grassland hillsides, hardwood woodlands and along the lower slopes, maritime chaparral
Chaparral
Chaparral is a shrubland or heathland plant community found primarily in the U.S. state of California and in the northern portion of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico...
that features rare Marin Manzanita (Arctostaphylos virgata
Arctostaphylos virgata
Arctostaphylos virgata is a species of manzanita known by the common names Bolinas manzanita and Marin manzanita.-Distribution:...
) and a federally designated 'Species of Concern', Mason's ceanothus
Ceanothus
Ceanothus L. is a genus of about 50–60 species of shrubs or small trees in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae. The genus is confined to North America, the center of its distribution in California, with some species in the eastern United States and southeast Canada, and others extending as far south...
(Ceanothus masonii
Ceanothus masonii
Ceanothus masonii is a species of shrub in the buckthorn family, Rhamnaceae, known by the common name Mason's ceanothus. It is endemic to Marin County, California, where it is known only from an area near Bolinas on the Point Reyes National Seashore. It grows in the coastal chaparral on the...
), listed by the state of California as rare.
See also
- Audubon CanyonAudubon CanyonAudubon Canyon is a coastal valley in Marin County, California, United States, which is associated with a small stream. The canyon provides habitat for a variety of animals and plants...
- Copper Mine GulchCopper Mine GulchCopper Mine Gulch is a valley in Marin County, California, United States, which is associated with a small stream.The stream descends the western slope of the Bolinas Ridge, passing the mine from which it receives its name, and flows through the town of Dogtown into the San Andreas Rift Valley...
- McKinnan GulchMcKinnan GulchMcKinnan Gulch is a valley in Marin County, California, United States.It contains a small stream which descends the western slope of the Bolinas Ridge and drains into Bolinas Lagoon....
- Morses GulchMorses GulchMorses Gulch is a coastal valley in Marin County, California, United States.It descends the western slope of Bolinas Ridge and drains into Bolinas Lagoon.-See also:* List of watercourses in the San Francisco Bay Area...
- Pike County GulchPike County GulchPike County Gulch is a coastal valley in Marin County, California, United States, which is associated with a small stream. It is located between Wilkins Gulch and Audubon Canyon ....
- Stinson GulchStinson GulchStinson Gulch is a valley in Marin County, California, United States which is associated with a small stream.The stream descends the western slope of the Bolinas Ridge, crosses State Route 1 just north of Stinson Beach, California, and drains into the southern tip of Bolinas Lagoon.Most of Stinson...
- Wilkins GulchWilkins GulchWilkins Gulch is a valley in western Marin County, California, United States, located northwest of Pike County Gulch. It is associated with a small stream....