Pacifica → Stinson Beach → Point Reyes → Bodega Bay → Return | ~140 miles round trip
Show Image Highway 1 carves the Marin Headlands above the Pacific — pure riding bliss.
You’ve just landed at SFO. The Pacific is calling. Within 20 minutes of the airport, you’re picking up your cruiser in Pacifica, the ocean already glittering off your left shoulder, the salty air filling your helmet. One day. One road. A lifetime of memories.
This is what California was made for.
The Route at a Glance
| Leg | Distance | Riding Time |
|---|---|---|
| Pacifica → Stinson Beach | 18 miles | ~40 min |
| Stinson Beach → Point Reyes Lighthouse | 28 miles | ~1 hr |
| Point Reyes → Bodega Bay | 30 miles | ~1 hr |
| Bodega Bay → Pacifica (return via Hwy 1/101) | 65 miles | ~1.5 hrs |
| Total | ~140 miles | ~5–6 hrs riding |
Depart: 8:30 AM | Return: 6:00–7:00 PM
The Ride: Mile by Mile
Starting Line — Pacifica, CA
Mile 0
There’s a reason riders from across the world make the pilgrimage to this stretch of California coast. It starts here, in Pacifica — a sleepy beach town that feels a thousand miles from the Bay Area chaos, yet sits just 12 miles south of San Francisco and 20 minutes from SFO.
Pick up your motorcycle and point the front wheel north on Highway 1. The road immediately rewards you: the Pacific Ocean unfolds to your left, sea stacks rising from the surf, waves crashing against the cliffs with theatrical force. You are exactly where you’re supposed to be.
First Stop — Stinson Beach
Mile 18 | ~40 minutes from Pacifica
Highway 1 climbs through Marin’s coastal hills before descending into the sun-drenched sweep of Stinson Beach — three miles of golden sand backed by eucalyptus groves. Pull over, breathe the salt air, let the horizon remind you how small your inbox is.
Breakfast or first coffee stop:
🍳 Parkside Café — A Stinson Beach institution. Crispy calamari, house-made chowder, eggs Benedict with a view of the dunes. parksidestinson.com
The Big Detour — Point Reyes National Seashore
Miles 18–46 | ~1 hour of riding
From Stinson, Highway 1 winds north along Bolinas Lagoon — one of those stretches where you’ll need to remind yourself to watch the road instead of the view. The lagoon mirrors the sky on calm mornings, blue herons standing stock-still in the shallows.
You’re now entering Point Reyes National Seashore, a 71,000-acre sweep of wilderness that feels like the edge of the world. Take Sir Francis Drake Boulevard west — the road narrows and the landscape opens into rolling golden grasslands dropping to sea cliffs.
🏛 Point Reyes Lighthouse — Built 1870
Show Image The lighthouse has warned mariners of these treacherous rocks since 1870.
Perched 294 feet above the Pacific on the windiest point on the US West Coast, the Point Reyes Lighthouse is one of those places that reorders your priorities. Park the bike, walk the 300 steps down (wind jacket recommended — gusts can hit 60 mph), and stand where mariners once feared to sail.
“The lighthouse stood there on the edge of the continent, warning ships away from the rocks, indifferent to the centuries.”
🌐 NPS Point Reyes Lighthouse 📍 End of Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Inverness, CA 94937 ⏰ Thu–Mon, 10am–4pm (closed when winds exceed 40 mph)
While you’re in the area, keep an eye out for Tule Elk grazing the Tomales Point Trail and elephant seals hauled out at Chimney Rock beach.
Lunch — Point Reyes Station
Mile ~50 | Back on Hwy 1 heading north
The tiny town of Point Reyes Station is a West Marin gem — one main street, art galleries, and some of the best local food in the Bay Area.
🍕 Cafe Reyes — Wood-fired pizza named after local landmarks (try the “Bolinas”). The patio in full sun, post-lighthouse, is one of life’s great pleasures.
🥩 Side Street Kitchen — Farm-to-table comfort food. Their spice-rubbed rotisserie chicken and mac & cheese are legendary among weekend riders.
Tomales Bay & the Oyster Run
Miles 50–65
North of Point Reyes Station, Highway 1 hugs the eastern shore of Tomales Bay — a long, narrow inlet that cuts deep into the Marin coast like a silver blade. The road runs right at the water’s edge, curves tight and satisfying.
🦪 Hog Island Oyster Co., Marshall — Pull over. Order a dozen on the half shell. Eat them looking at the bay. This is not optional. 🌐 hogislandoysters.com
Final Destination — Bodega Bay
Miles 65–80
Where Tomales Bay ends, the open Pacific roars back into view and the road arrives at Bodega Bay — a small fishing town with a cinematic past. In 1963, Alfred Hitchcock chose this surreal, wind-scoured landscape as the setting for The Birds. You’ll understand why the moment you arrive.
Show Image Bodega Bay’s harbor at golden hour — Hitchcock knew what he was doing.
🦀 The Birds Café — Outdoor tables, fresh oysters, fish tacos, clam chowder. Named after the film. Essentially perfect.
🐟 Fisherman’s Cove — Family-owned, classic seafood. The fish and chips after a day of riding hits different.
Stop by the Bodega Head overlook — a short trail leads to a clifftop perch above the harbor where gray whales pass on their migration route.
The Ride Home
Miles 80–140
As the afternoon light goes gold, point south. Highway 1 back through Tomales Bay and Stinson is a different ride at dusk — the ocean turns copper, the cliffs glow, and you’ll wonder why you don’t do this every weekend.
Optional: cut inland via US-101 through Novato for a faster return to Pacifica.
Essential Info
| Starting point | Pacifica, CA (20 min from SFO) |
| Best months | May–October (fog lighter, temps warmer) |
| Gear tip | Always pack a wind/waterproof layer — coastal temps drop fast |
| Gas stops | Stinson Beach, Point Reyes Station, Bodega Bay |
| Luggage storage | Leave your large bags at the rental shop in Pacifica — we hold them! |
Book Your Ride
Ready to make this happen? Rent your cruiser in Pacifica — just 20 minutes from San Francisco International Airport. We store your luggage while you ride and have the bike fueled and ready when you land.
Book your motorcycle with Pacifica eBike & Motorcycle Rentals Andrew Z will help you out.
[Reserve your motorcycle →]
Distances and times are estimates. Always ride within your ability. Check nps.gov for Point Reyes Lighthouse current hours before departing.
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