The 1,000-acre Martin Griffin Preserve near Stinson Beach is open to the public Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from mid-March to mid-July following the annual return of nesting Great Egrets to one of the most significant and well-studied heronries on the West Coast.

Created following a successful effort to stop development of a freeway and a marina in West Marin, the preserve offers visitors several hiking trails to explore the canyons and their diverse ecosystems, including forests of Douglas fir, coast redwood and California bay.

Open hillsides support grasslands and coastal scrub, while chaparral, streams, ponds and freshwater marsh habitats nestle in the canyon floors. Martin Griffin Preserve serves as ACR’s headquarters and is home to resource management, conservation-based research and environmental education programs that are conducted throughout the year.

For over 40 years, the Martin Griffin Preserve was known as the Bolinas Lagoon Preserve of Audubon Canyon Ranch. In July 2010, The ACR Board of Directors formally renamed the preserve the Martin Griffin Preserve in honor of L. Martin "Marty" Griffin’s lifelong commitment to the environment and in recognition of the critical role he played in permanently protecting this unique section of the Marin County coastline.

Frequently asked questions about visiting Martin Griffin Preserve.

The Birds: the Heronry of the Martin Griffin Preserve