Stinson Beach Tides: Tide Chart and Times
Marin County, California · Pacific time · feet
The tide at Stinson Beach today starts with a high of 5.0 ft at 5:18 AM, falls to a low of 3.4 ft at 9:40 AM, climbs to a high of 6.1 ft at 3:27 PM, then falls to a low of −0.4 ft at 10:46 PM.
The falling tide is now 5.8 ft
Next high
13h 58m
5:23 AM
Next low
6h 21m
10:46 PM
Stinson Beach is a long sand beach on Bolinas Bay with Bolinas Lagoon behind it. The tide decides how much sand you get to walk on, and the surf decides whether swimming is a good idea.
Also covers Seadrift, Red Rock Beach, Steep Ravine.
Saturday, October 31
Saturday, October 31
- ▲ ▲ High tide5:18 AM5.0 ft 5.0 ft
- ▼ ▼ Low tide9:40 AM3.4 ft 3.4 ft
- ▲ ▲ High tide3:27 PM6.1 ft 6.1 ft
- ▼ ▼ Low tide10:46 PM−0.4 ft −0.4 ft
Sunday, November 1
- ▲ ▲ High tide5:23 AM5.1 ft 5.1 ft
- ▼ ▼ Low tide10:14 AM3.3 ft 3.3 ft
- ▲ ▲ High tide3:42 PM5.7 ft 5.7 ft
- ▼ ▼ Low tide10:54 PM−0.1 ft −0.1 ft
Monday, November 2
- ▲ ▲ High tide6:18 AM5.3 ft 5.3 ft
- ▼ ▼ Low tide11:41 AM2.8 ft 2.8 ft
- ▲ ▲ High tide5:04 PM5.3 ft 5.3 ft
- ▼ ▼ Low tide11:56 PM0.1 ft 0.1 ft
Tuesday, November 3
- ▲ ▲ High tide7:04 AM5.6 ft 5.6 ft
- ▼ ▼ Low tide12:51 PM2.1 ft 2.1 ft
- ▲ ▲ High tide6:26 PM5.1 ft 5.1 ft
Wednesday, November 4
- ▼ ▼ Low tide12:50 AM0.5 ft 0.5 ft
- ▲ ▲ High tide7:43 AM5.9 ft 5.9 ft
- ▼ ▼ Low tide1:49 PM1.4 ft 1.4 ft
- ▲ ▲ High tide7:40 PM5.0 ft 5.0 ft
Thursday, November 5
- ▼ ▼ Low tide1:37 AM0.9 ft 0.9 ft
- ▲ ▲ High tide8:18 AM6.2 ft 6.2 ft
- ▼ ▼ Low tide2:38 PM0.7 ft 0.7 ft
- ▲ ▲ High tide8:46 PM5.0 ft 5.0 ft
Friday, November 6
- ▼ ▼ Low tide2:19 AM1.3 ft 1.3 ft
- ▲ ▲ High tide8:51 AM6.4 ft 6.4 ft
- ▼ ▼ Low tide3:22 PM0.2 ft 0.2 ft
- ▲ ▲ High tide9:46 PM5.0 ft 5.0 ft
Today and Tomorrow at Stinson BeachThis Week at Stinson Beach
Feet above MLLW · Pacific time · shaded = night
Tap the chart for the height at any time. The full week is in the table below.Hover or tap the chart for the height at any time.
Predicted vs Actual Water Level
NOAA Point Reyes gauge · last 2448 hours
Tide predictions cover only the pull of the moon and sun. NOAA's Point Reyes gauge, about 19 miles away, measures the real water level every 6 minutes, so the gap between the two lines is the weather: storm surge, wind, air pressure and runoff. The same gap usually holds across the Marin coast and Tomales Bay.
Loading live readings from NOAA…
Predicted Measured
Today at a Glance
Tidal range today
6.6 ft
Typical this month: 6.2 ft
Spring and neap cycle
Between springs and neaps
Next spring tide Nov 9, next neap Nov 3
How they work →Moon
Waning gibbous
60% lit, waning. New moon Nov 8
Sunrise and sunset
7:35 AM / 6:13 PM
10h 38m of daylight
Stinson Beach Tide Table, Next 7 Days
From today · Pacific time
Today, Oct 31
- ▲ High 5:18 AM5.0 ft
- ▼ Low 9:40 AM3.4 ft
- ▲ High 3:27 PM6.1 ft
- ▼ Low 10:46 PM−0.4 ft
Sunday, Nov 1
- ▲ High 5:23 AM5.1 ft
- ▼ Low 10:14 AM3.3 ft
- ▲ High 3:42 PM5.7 ft
- ▼ Low 10:54 PM−0.1 ft
Monday, Nov 2
- ▲ High 6:18 AM5.3 ft
- ▼ Low 11:41 AM2.8 ft
- ▲ High 5:04 PM5.3 ft
- ▼ Low 11:56 PM0.1 ft
Tuesday, Nov 3
- ▲ High 7:04 AM5.6 ft
- ▼ Low 12:51 PM2.1 ft
- ▲ High 6:26 PM5.1 ft
Wednesday, Nov 4
- ▼ Low 12:50 AM0.5 ft
- ▲ High 7:43 AM5.9 ft
- ▼ Low 1:49 PM1.4 ft
- ▲ High 7:40 PM5.0 ft
Thursday, Nov 5
- ▼ Low 1:37 AM0.9 ft
- ▲ High 8:18 AM6.2 ft
- ▼ Low 2:38 PM0.7 ft
- ▲ High 8:46 PM5.0 ft
Friday, Nov 6
- ▼ Low 2:19 AM1.3 ft
- ▲ High 8:51 AM6.4 ft
- ▼ Low 3:22 PM0.2 ft
- ▲ High 9:46 PM5.0 ft
Minus Tides at Stinson Beach
Daylight low tides below zero in the next 60 days, the best times for tidepooling and walking the low beach. More on what a minus tide is.
- Saturday, Nov 7, 4:01 PM−0.2 ft
- Sunday, Nov 8, 4:38 PM−0.5 ft
- Monday, Nov 9, 5:14 PM−0.5 ft
- Sunday, Nov 22, 3:25 PM−0.5 ft
- Monday, Nov 23, 4:08 PM−1.1 ft
- Tuesday, Nov 24, 4:53 PM−1.5 ft
- Saturday, Dec 5, 3:10 PM−0.2 ft
- Sunday, Dec 6, 3:49 PM−0.5 ft
Stinson Beach Tides: What Changes Between High and Low
Stinson Beach tides change two things you notice right away: how wide the beach is and how hard the waves hit the sand. The beach runs about 3.5 miles along Bolinas Bay. At low tide the firm, wet sand is wide and easy to walk. At high tide the waves push up toward the dunes, and the walk gets softer and narrower.
The southern end is the national park section. North of it is county-run Upton Beach, then the Seadrift sandspit, which separates the bay from Bolinas Lagoon. Seadrift is a gated community with no public parking. Walkers can pass along the sand there, but they’re asked not to stop.
Swimming, Rip Currents and Sneaker Waves
Stinson is the one beach in Golden Gate National Recreation Area meant for swimming, and lifeguards work here part of the year, mostly in summer. The rest of the year you are on your own. The National Park Service beach safety page warns that sneaker waves can sweep across the beach without warning and roll heavy logs. Rip currents can pull swimmers away from shore. If one catches you, swim parallel to the beach until you are out of it.
None of this depends on the tide alone. A big south swell at low tide can still be rough. Check both the tide and the surf forecast before you go in.
Tides for Stinson Beach are predicted from NOAA’s Point Bonita (Bonita Cove) station, about 8.5 miles southeast near the mouth of the Golden Gate. NOAA keeps a separate station inside Bolinas Lagoon, so if you plan to paddle or watch seals on the lagoon side, use the Bolinas forecast instead.
Tides Near Stinson Beach
All Marin tides →How the tide is running right now at the closest spots.
Also close to Stinson Beach: Muir Beach 4.6 mi · Rodeo Beach 7.5 mi · Corte Madera Creek 7.7 mi · Richardson Bay 7.8 mi · Alamere Falls 8.3 mi
Where the Stinson Beach Tide Station Is
37.8183, -122.5283
Tide times for Stinson Beach come from NOAA's Point Bonita, Bonita Cove tide station (9414906), about 8.5 miles away.
About Tides at Stinson Beach
How the tide works at Stinson Beach
Stinson Beach gets mixed semidiurnal tides, the usual pattern on the California coast: two highs and two lows most days, with one high noticeably higher than the other and one low noticeably lower. The lower low is the one that uncovers the most shore.
A typical day here swings about 6.2 ft from low water to the next high. The biggest spring tides of the next month stretch that to about 9.0 ft, and the quietest neap days shrink it to about 3.4 ft. The next spring tides peak around Nov 9.
Where the Stinson Beach predictions come from
Every time and height is a NOAA prediction for NOAA's Point Bonita, Bonita Cove tide station (9414906), about 8.5 miles away. It is a subordinate station: NOAA predicts its highs and lows by applying time and height offsets to the San Francisco (Golden Gate) reference station.
The curve between each high and low is drawn with the standard cosine method, so heights between the turns are close estimates. Weather can move the real water level: strong onshore wind and low air pressure raise it, and offshore wind and high pressure lower it. Read more on how tide predictions work.
Reading the tide clock, table and chart
The tide clock's hand sweeps from high tide at the top to low tide at the bottom and back, one full turn per tidal cycle of about 12 hours and 25 minutes. The countdowns on either side show the time to the next high and the next low.
The day picker and the 7-day table list each turn of the tide with its time and height. On the chart, each crest is a high and each trough a low; shaded bands are night. Heights are feet above mean lower low water, so a negative number is a minus tide. Our guide on how to read a tide chart goes further.
Stinson Beach Tide Questions
Does Stinson Beach have tide pools?
Not really. Stinson Beach is a sand beach, so a low tide mostly gives you more room to walk. For real tidepools, the National Park Service points people to Duxbury Reef at Agate Beach in Bolinas, a short drive around the lagoon. Go during a minus tide and get there about an hour before low water.
Is Stinson Beach safe for swimming?
It is the only beach in Golden Gate National Recreation Area set aside for swimming, and it has lifeguards for part of the year, mostly in summer. The park asks people to swim only when a lifeguard is on duty and never alone. Rip currents and sneaker waves happen here at any tide.
Can you walk the whole length of Stinson Beach?
The sand runs about 3.5 miles, from the national park section in the south past county-run Upton Beach to the Seadrift sandspit at the lagoon mouth. Seadrift is a gated private community. Walkers may pass along the beach there but are asked not to stop. A lower tide leaves a wider, firmer strip to walk on.
What time is high tide at Stinson Beach today?
The panel at the top lists today's highs and lows at Stinson Beach with their times and heights, and the tide clock counts down to the next high and the next low. Times are Pacific time and heights are in feet above mean lower low water (MLLW).
How big is the tide at Stinson Beach?
Over the next 30 days the daily swing at Stinson Beach runs from about 3.4 ft on the quietest neap days to 9.0 ft on the biggest spring tides, with 6.2 ft on a typical day. Like the rest of the California coast, most days bring two highs and two lows of unequal size.
Where do the Stinson Beach tide times come from?
They are astronomical predictions from NOAA's Point Bonita, Bonita Cove tide station (9414906), about 8.5 miles away. Wind, storms, river runoff and air pressure can push the real water level higher or lower than predicted, so treat them as a planning guide, not a guarantee, and never use them for navigation.