Muir Beach

Muir Beach Review

Small but scenic, this beach—a rocky patch of shoreline off Highway 1 in the northern headlands—is a good place to stretch your legs and gaze out at the Pacific. Locals often walk their dogs here; families and cuddling couples come for picnicking and sunbathing. At one end of the sand is a cluster of waterfront homes (and where nude sunbathers lay their towels), and at the other are the bluffs of Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The beach itself has an interesting history. Janis Joplin's ashes were scattered here among the sands, and this is where author Ken Kesey hosted the second of his famed Acid Tests. Amenities: parking (free); toilets. Best for: solitude; nudists; walking.