I'm thinking of taking my family out to California for a week in April. Visit Point Reyes, redwoods, and San Francisco. We're thinking of renting a house out on Stinson Beach. The water is probably too cold to swim, but is it a nice vacation spot or a dump?

Stinson is a small beach community -- no large hotels or resorts. The rental houses range from deluxe to funky, so you will probably get what you pay for, bearing in mind this is one of the most expensive areas in the US to live (not Stinson Beach, but the entire Bay Area). If your rental house is in Seadrift (a private gated community), it will probably be a bit more upscale.

While the redwoods (Muir Woods) and Pt. Reyes are nearby, it is quite a drive to SF (@45 min.) and most other places due to the 2-lane winding road that connects Stinson to everywhere else.

It should be lovely in April, but IMO the water is too cold for swimming most of the year. If you enjoy kayaking, hiking, beach walks, etc. then you will love it.

Spent one night in Stinson Beach between other stops in July a year ago. Not only was the water cold, the wind was fierce on the beach, and we spent virtually no time on the beach because it was either too cold and cloudy (morning) or too windy (afternoon.) I had wanted to be able to walk the beach, but it was far from my idea of a nice place to walk and relax. Maybe it was just July, but I was glad, frankly, that we were there for only 1 night. The town is very small, but quaint and we enjoyed walking around a bit, but the highway goes right through it, so you have to be careful crossing it.

One place we wished we could have stayed longer was Gualala. It's a while north of Stinson (I want to say 2 hrs. or so.) We stayed at the most beautiful inn there on the ocean, and the price was reasonable considering how gorgeous the rooms were, the oceanfront location, and the included breakfast. If you're going to be traveling through there to get to the redwoods (aside from Muir Woods), I'd highly recommend a stay there. I can't remember the name of the place, but would come up with it if you want.

One more comment, I'm not sure I would classify Stinson Beach as a dump or nice vacation spot, but rather somewhere in between. It appeals to the younger surfer crowd.

Steph -- July and August are not the greatest months for anywhere in the SF Bay Area. Especially August tends to be overcast and cool. It's too bad you had this sort of weather the night you were at Stinson. When the sun is out, it's lovely! But it is definitely a risk, any time of year. We have this coastal fog...keeps us cool in the evening year round.

Leslie,
Stinson Beach is at the western "foot" of Mt. Tamalpais. The beach there is sweeping, great for long walks. I've never been tempted to swim there because the water is cold year-round and there have been a couple of shark incidents. The surfers who flock to Stinson don't seem to be deterred by any of that, though.

The actual town of Stinson Beach is extremely small. It has a few casual restaurants and a grocery or two. As a base for exploring the nearby Pt. Reyes area, it's fine. You would be about a half-hour drive from Olema, Inverness and the town of Pt. Reyes station. Personally, I would prefer a house in Inverness. From Stinson Beach to S.F., it's about 45 minutes. The road over Mt. Tam is marginally preferable to the coast road, although both are winding and deserve attentive driving.
Muir Woods would be an easy destination from Stinson. So is Muir Beach - I personally love Muir Beach for its smallness and the fact that in good weather, you can see San Francisco from there - it looks magical and dream-like.

If you're going to get bitten by a shark in California it will most likely be at Stinson Beach. Every year you hear reports of the swimmers/surfers being bitten. Doesn't much happen anywhere else. Maybe northern Californians taste better? : )

I'm sure the people of San Jose taste better.