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Subregion of the San Francisco Bay Area in California, United States
Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/taylar/, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
North of the Golden Gate Bridge, in the hilly country across the chilly waters from San Francisco, lies the North Bay region of the Bay Area. Perhaps best known as the home of Napa Valley, America's largest wine producing region, here you'll find lovely natural scenery and some very pleasant small towns in the hills and valleys of the area.
Visitors to Marin County can see migrating gray whales while strolling the wind-swept beaches of Point Reyes National Seashore, take in the views of the Golden Gate Bridge from the Marin Headlands, or soak in the majesty of the redwoods at Muir Woods National Monument. The county's tiny towns are full of character, and include the artistic enclave of Sausalito, as well as Bolinas, whose reclusive residents are notorious for removing any road sign that points the way into their town.
Home to rugged scenery and wine country, as well as Santa Rosa, the North Bay's largest city. Historic towns like Petaluma and Sonoma make good bases for wine-tasting.
America's preeminent wine-producing region attracts more than five million annual visitors to over two hundred wineries, often overcrowding the roadways on summer weekends. Travelers will find world-famous restaurants to complement the wines, and lodging that includes luxury spas, B&Bs, and upscale hotels. Those uninterested in viticulture may choose to enjoy the hot springs of Calistoga or hike/bike the many parks and trails in the area's beautiful rolling hills.
Solano County is far more rural than the other Bay Area counties, and includes significant portions of the California Delta, as well as parts of San Pablo Bay. Two of the county's cities served as early state capitals: Vallejo was the capital in 1852 and again in 1853, while Benicia served as the capital from February 1853 until February 1854; today Benicia Capitol State Historic Park provides the opportunity for visitors to explore the Capitol building from that era.
By car
By bus
Major bus routes into this region include:
By ferry
Ferries run from San Francisco to Larkspur (near San Rafael), Sausalito, Tiburon, and Vallejo.
SMART (Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit) connects the main towns along the major north-south axis in Marin and Sonoma Counties by train, including Larkspur (with ferry connections to San Francisco), San Rafael, Novato,…
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A charming wine country town with excellent restaurants, shopping and wine tasting.
Home to the scenic old-growth redwood grove of Muir Woods and other beautiful nature reserves for hiking.
A historically agricultural community in Sonoma County.
The county seat and largest city of Marin County, home to a historic Spanish mission.
The largest city of the North Bay, home to a museum devoted to Charles Schulz and a good jumping-off point for exploring the region.
A charming community perched on a hillside by the bay that's an easy ferry ride from San Francisco.
A historic small town that's a popular ferry port and is the closest community to scenic Angel Island.
A prominent town at the northeasternmost edge of the bay, accessible by ferry and home to a few notable attractions.
A large town in Sonoma County.
Offers beaches, hiking, history, and spectacular views of the California coast.
From its thunderous ocean breakers crashing against rocky headlands and expansive sand beaches through its open grasslands to its brushy hillsides and forested ridges, visitors can discover over 1000 species of plants and animals. Home to several cultures over thousands of years, Point Reyes preserves a tapestry of stories and interactions of people.
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