Rodeo Beach ( ) is a beach in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area located in

Marin County, California Marin County is a County (United States), county located in the northwestern part of the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 262,231. Its county seat and ...

, United States, two miles north of the

Golden Gate Bridge The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the strait connecting San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The structure links the U.S. city of San Francisco, California—the northern tip of the San Francisco Pen ...

.GGNRA Rodeo Beach Trailhead Marin Headlands, National Park Service, Marin County (2006)
/ref> It is characterized by a spit of around 50 meters width at the mouth of a long embayment, known as

Rodeo Lagoon Rodeo Lagoon is a coastal lagoon located in the Marin Headlands division of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which is in southern Marin County, California. This brackish water body is separated from the Pacific Ocean by a sand bar that f ...

; for much of the year the

lagoon A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into ''coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons'') a ...

is cut off from the ocean, making the beach spit a baymouth bar. Part of the beach is sheltered by cliffs. 'California Coastal Access Guide'', California Coastal Commission, University of California Press (2003)/ref> Rodeo Beach is known for its dark, pebbly sand, its uses for

surfing Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitabl ...

and sunbathing, and its locale as a place for viewing, but not collecting, semi-precious stones.Rodeo Beach Surfing Information (2005)
/ref> This beach is unique among California beaches in that it is largely made up of coarse, pebbly

chert Chert () is a hard, fine-grained sedimentary rock composed of microcrystalline or cryptocrystalline quartz, the mineral form of silicon dioxide (SiO2). Chert is characteristically of biological origin, but may also occur inorganically as a prec ...

grains, both red and green in color. Its mineral composition sets it apart from every other beach in the stateSan Francisco Estuary Institute
Wetland Habitat Changes in the Rodeo Lagoon Watershed, Marin County, CA, October 2004. akeley, J.R., 1970. The unique beach sands at Rodeo Cove. Mineral Information Service 12 (vol. 12): 238-241/ref> Surfing is possible throughout the year and at all tidal stages, but is best in summer — although there is a risk of

shark attack A shark attack is an attack on a human by a shark. Every year, around 80 unprovoked attacks are reported worldwide. Despite their rarity, many people fear shark attacks after occasional serial attacks, such as the Jersey Shore shark attacks of ...

s. Due to the North bar offshore of this beach it results in big waves in the winter months with the big swells that come in.abc7news.com: Shark sighting off Rodeo Beach prompts closure 11/20/07
/ref> Strong currents make swimming dangerous. The beach features free entrance, free parking, wheelchair-accessible public restrooms, showers, and picnic tables. Dogs are allowed, but must be leashed or voice-controlled.
/ref> In November 2007, oil from the wreck of the Cosco Busan washed up on Rodeo Beach, prompting its closure for several weeks.

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Photo of Rodeo Beach
Beaches of Marin County, California San Francisco Bay Area beaches West Marin Beaches of Northern California {{MarinCountyCA-geo-stub

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