Inverness & Tomales Bay Oysters: West Marin's Slow Coast

Inverness occupies the western shore of Tomales Bay in a canyon of Douglas fir and Bishop pine — a village of Victorian and Craftsman cottages perched above the water, where the main commerce is oyster farming visible from the shore. The Inverness Public Library (1908, the oldest free public library building in California still in its original location) and the Inverness Store anchor the minimal commercial core; the waterfront trail north of town provides direct views of the oyster cages in the bay.

The Bay Area's most celebrated oyster operation, farming Sweetwaters and Kumamotos in the cold, clear water of Tomales Bay since 1983. The Marshall picnic area on the eastern shore provides picnic tables above the water with a self-service shucking station — bring bread, a lemon, hot sauce, and wine, and the oysters (pulled that morning from the bay) will be the best you have eaten. The bay's temperature averages 55–60°F year-round; the Pacific flow through the bay's mouth delivers clean, mineral-rich water to the cages.