A tiny, unincorporated community in beautiful Marin County, Olema, California sits almost directly in the middle of the Point Reyes National Seashore wildlife area, giving it the look and feel of a secluded mountain town that appears to be worlds away from San Francisco, or any other major city of that matter. Located along Highway 1 just south of Point Reyes Station, Olema actually has a pretty rich history that dates all the way back to 1859, which is the same year the local post office first opened. In addition, early evidence also pointed to Olema being the epicenter of the infamous 1906 San Francisco earthquake—something that is actually still referenced in some of the shops and restaurants in town even today—but recent research now shows that point is likely closer to Daly City, CA, which lies just south of San Francisco.
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As one of the smallest communities in Marin County in terms of population, under 100 people actually call Olema home full-time. With Highway 1 acting and the main (and really the only) thoroughfare, there really isn’t much of a downtown Olema so-to-speak, but there you will find a small stretch of historic buildings that almost resemble that of an old western town back in the early to mid-1800s. It’s here you’ll find a few little shops, a lodge, and even a couple restaurants/cafes, which we definitely recommend visiting for just a quick little day trip if nothing else. There’s also a pretty well-known campground to the north of town as well, but aside from that, you won’t find much else here.
Real estate in Olema, CA is often clumped together with homes for sale in nearby Point Reyes Station. However, if you’re specifically looking for a home here in Olema, you may get lucky and find a house or two on the market here, which in many instances will be an older home with traditional architecture and the kind of charm and character you might expect from a historic Marin County town. It’s also worth noting that depending on where a home is located, it might actually have a Point Reyes address, even if it’s closer to the Olema community, or right within that little stretch of buildings that essentially make up downtown Olema. For anybody looking for acreage or land opportunities, you might also see a few of these options on the Olema real estate market as well.