How to contact us and a bit about the History of Dogtown
PHONE:
(415) 868-2811
ADDRESS:
5905 Highway 1
Bolinas, CA 94924
HOURS:
Monday thru Friday 9:00 to 4:30
CONTACT US:
OUR SHOP IS LOCATED IN DOGTOWN CA. – Population 30
Dogtown (originally named Woodville) is an unincorporated community in the rural West Marin region of coastal Marin County, California in the San Francisco Bay Area’s North Bay. It lies at an elevation of 187 feet (57 m). With a population of 30, the town is located beside the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and Point Reyes National Seashore, in the Olema Valley west of the Bolinas Ridge mountain range.
DOGTOWN HISTORY:
The village, founded by miners and lumberjacks, is located within the original Rancho Punta de los Reyes Sobrante land grant. It was a stagecoach stop along the north-south route. The village includes the historic Nelson Hotel, which was connected by the old North Pacific Coast Railroad to the Bolinas Station, en route to Point Reyes. That railway ran between Mendocino County and a ferry service to San Francisco at Sausalito. The hotel, with nearby guest houses, was later used by the U.S. Army during both World Wars as barracks. There was also a K-8 school, with about 50 pupils. The schoolhouse was located south of the village towards Bolinas, the nearest town. An early 20th-century pastime was a trip and picnic to the Copper Mine Gulch, which runs through the town.
The town was originally known as Woodville due to its timber industry, although the sawmills closed by the 1870s. The name was changed to Dogtown, as that was a popular name among locals. Until the name change, the hamlet was simply nicknamed “The Dogtown” by Bolinas residents, because the town’s residents kept a large number of hunting dogs. The location continues to be labeled “Woodville” on some maps. The area’s economy is agricultural and tourism-based.