I had forgotten how lovely this hike is. As we had some recent rain, there is still a creek…read moreflowing. However I think I would have to rename Dawn Falls to Dawn trickle. Although I don't own a dog, it was nice to see that this was a dog friendly trail. The head of the trail is in the depth of a forested, beautiful neighborhood. Parking can be challenging, but being a weekday we lucked out. We ended up doing a 5 mile out and back with maybe 500 feet of climbing. If we had more time, we would've continued up to King Mountain. Between the redwood trees, the creek the beautiful rocks and ferns the entire hike was delightful.

This is such a lovely trail in the heart of downtown Larkspur. But be aware they only have street…read moreparking, and it fills up pretty quickly on weekends. I love hiking here because the trail is easy and beautiful, and we can have our dog join us. People should have their dogs on leash, but unfortunately, we've encountered folks who flout that rule. Oh well! The scenery is beautiful, and the trail is less busy than other local comparable destinations. The bridges and redwoods make Baltimore Canyon a nature lover's paradise. There's just so much beauty to take in. I recommend coming in the late morning to early afternoon on a weekday when parking is still available, and the trail is sparsely traveled.

This hike offers some of the best views of Marin & beyond. You'll see the GG Bridge, Richmond…read moreBridge, Angel Island, the Belvedere lagoon, Mt. Tam and more. We were warned to watch for coyotes - I always have a whistle with me when I hike so felt OK about it. We did close to a 4 mile loop maybe about 600 feet of climbing or so. Stunning!

The views here are 5 star, it doesn't get much better than this. Hiking wise the preserve doesn't…read morehave the greatest trails but it's more geared for a shorter hike with views. The most basic is to park at the end of Vistazo Street and take the fire road to the church and back. This is an easy 1 mile walk which is good for people that aren't looking to go hiking but want to take an easy walk in nature. Another way to get to the church is from downtown which is only about 15-minute walk and has some elevation but still easy. I think that's a good idea for ferry day trippers to Tiburon looking for something more to do than just hanging out downtown. It's worth seeing Old Saint Hilary's Church because it's so historic but the open hours are extremely limited, I've never been in because it never seems to be open. Currently I think it's only open Sundays from 1-4pm. There are a few different trails in the preserve but nothing is super long, it's more about the amazing views of the city, bay, Angel Island, and beyond. It's quite breathtaking, especially in the spring with the wildflowers. A sign sits on the top saying Private Property and No Trespassing and looks like there are some more trails beyond but they don't look too maintained or stable. To make this a longer hike there is the loop that goes down to Tiburon Uplands Nature Preserve from one of the trails. This loops down to Paradise drive and adds about an extra mile.

Very soothing and tranquil spot to hike. Great views of the bay. Not too far. Good for families.read more

The hiking trails above Tennessee Valley in Mill Valley over to Muir Beach offer some of the most…read morespectacular scenery you'll find anywhere in the world. Coyote Trail which loops over to the Green Gulch and Miwok trails offer 360-degree panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean, Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, the East bay, Mount Tamalpais and Mill Valley. It is especially beautiful during springtime with the many varieties of colorful wild flowers that dot the hillsides. Scurrying quails, soaring hawks, abundant butterflies and the occasional bobcat (not to worry as they are quite skittish) are common companions on the trails. A great alternative to the many shaded redwood trails if you're looking for warmth and sunshine. http://gurmeet.net/hiking/hikes/Muir_Beach_To_Tennessee_Beach_Long_Loop.html

The Tiburon Uplands preserve is a short 1-mile loop through a heavily wooded area with nice views…read moreon the top of the bay. There is even a little bench at the top of the trailhead where you can sit and look out to the bay. The area is very canopied and looks like no one else is around. Some parts of the trail get very narrow, I would not do this hike alone as it's very remote and easier to fall off the trail. At the top there is a trail going to Old St. Hilary's Preserve which adds another mile to the hike. I think it makes more sense to add this since the views are amazing and there is no point to go down long windy Paradise drive for just a short 1-mile loop. I think it's actually better to park on Lyford or Heathcliff drive which dead end to fire roads that go to the St. Hilary's Preserve and go to the Uplands Preserve from there.

I found this place while running around Paradise Dr. and past this mysterious overgrown entrance to…read morea hiking trail. Lo and behold I looked it up and saw that it was connected to Old St. Hilary's Open Space Preserve. It has one official trail - The Loop Trail. It's less than a mile and somewhat steep and entirely wooded.Take a left at the park bench at the top of the trail and take the unmarked trail to get to Old St. Hilary's. Its pretty cool, but not very scenic. I would just go to Old St. Hilary's and call it a day. I'm not surprised that this the trail looks pretty overgrown. Tiburon Uplands is a nature preserve, rather than a developed park. Its 24 wooded acres are tucked into a canyon along a quiet stretch of Paradise Drive near Tiburon, about one mile south of Paradise Beach Park. A short but strenuous one mile loop trail winds through mature woodlands and allows visitors to enjoy a variety of native plants and animals, as well as excellent bay views from higher elevations. The property adjoins the Old St. Hilary's Open Space Preserve near the ridgeline. The preserve provides a secluded natural experience with few recreational facilities, and is not easily accessible. Dogs are allowed on leash. Directions: From Hwy 101 in Mill Valley, take exit 447 for Tiburon Blvd (Hwy 131) east 1.8 miles. Turn left onto Trestle Glen Blvd, right onto Paradise Dr, and follow for 1.5 miles. The park is on the left.

Secret Trail! This…read moreis one of my favorite areas for mountain biking. All of the lakes are are incredibly beautiful. You should know, however, that the parking is a real problem at Greene Park.. Even if you get there at 7 a.m. there are only a few spots left. Today, when I arrived promptly at 7 am, there were only two spots left. They were gone in a few minutes. The Coffin families have a great history in this area. If you get a chance you can research. It's a very interesting story. I recently discovered something unique about the Watershed. There is a secret way from this Watershed into the Cascade waterfall! Here's the secret way--please don't tell anyone else. Up above Concrete Pipe path, you can access Pine Mountain Tunnel Road. From there, there's a secret path--completely legal, to go to the Cascade Falls. There's one hitch however. You can't take your bike through Carey Camp Trail. You have to leave it there and hike in to go see the waterfall. Plan on an hour round-trip.

Great place to come on a bright sunny day. The parking lot is small but it didn't take long to find…read morea spot. Most of the hike is pretty exposed so if you are looking for a more shaded hike this is not the one. Still it's a great beginners hike made even more enjoyable by the lake which you can follow the trails around. The views are beautiful but as Janell mentioned, not so many high elevation views.

I realized I have not been on this hike in several years and decided today was the day to revisit…read more I've enjoyed this area in the past and I certainly remembered how pretty it was once we got going. Most of this hiking trail is shaded, which is helpful on the warmer days- however a few parts are out in the open. The trails are very well maintained, which is much appreciated. The views of Stafford Lake on one side of the hill and then looking towards the East Bay & Mount Diablo on the other side are both sensational. Dogs on leash are permitted.

This hiking trail is located pretty far out down Vineyard Road which goes on forever and in an area…read morethat many Novato locals don't even know exists. There is a horse stable at the end of the road and people horseback ride through the trails. Be ready to dodge lots of horse poop. It's very calm and peaceful up here, it's not nearly as busy as many other Marin hiking trails. Parts of the trail look out to views of Mount Burdell and Stafford Lake. The main loop (Upper Meadow with Big Trees) is about 4 miles and takes about 2 hours. It isn't too difficult, but it does have about a 650ft steady elevation gain so you are constantly going uphill until the top where you loop around and descent. Most of it is shaded, but I'd still skip it in the summertime, unless going early in the morning. There are a couple of trails where you can branch out more at the top. I've tried the Ships Mast which ended up on the residential Rebo Drive. I wouldn't recommend that unless you had sturdy boots or hiking poles. When it turns into Indian Tree fire road there are parts that are STEEP. This is actually good if you want something rigorous for your calves on the way up but for the descent there were some parts I thought that were downright dangerous for slipping even with running shoes. There are a couple of trails on the AllTrails app that in person are overgrown and closed with signs saying 'H Ranch keep out'. Still can't figure out who owns H Ranch but I've seen signs like that at the Fairway waterfall and Indian Valley Preserve.

I never knew of this place until I went to Target which is the most scenic Target I've ever been…read more The path is very smooth, with no inclination so it's good or even better for biking or running. It's about a mile to Jean & John Starkweather Shoreline Park and back which has a parking lot, bathrooms, and a little beach. This is worth it for the views of the bay and there is a creek on the right side for part of the way which has some birds, maybe a few pelicans. Many benches are on the path to sit and look out.

Gorgeous trail at the tip of San Rafael!…read more Hubs and I wanted to have a change of scenery and chose this park to explore. We ended up parking at a community center, walking through a strip of land surrounded by water and residential homes and ending up in Target, which was a great halfway point since I needed to use the bathroom. The walk itself along the water was beautiful and you can see the Richmond Bridge from a distance. There were several people walking, biking, hanging out along the trail which speaks to its popularity. The trail goes further than Target but we ended up turning back because our bellies were growling. We got some grub downtown- highly recommend the sandwiches and salads at Magnolia Park Kitchen!

Beautiful open space preserve. I had no clue this place existed (new to the area) and discovered it…read morebecause our photographer recommended it for photos. I'm so glad she did! There's street parking nearby, beautiful easy hikes, and lots of nature. My son loved the open space too. It's not crowded, clean, and I look forward to checking out / exploring more.

I visited this Open Space Preserve by accessing the area near the Bay Club Rolling Hills in Novato…read more On this day, I was on my mountain bike and had only hiked here one time prior as I'm new to the area. I would say this park is better for hiking than mountain biking unless you live nearby. But there are better destination mountain biking choices in the area. For that reason I only give it 4 stars. That said, its a lovely regional park for wildlife viewing, stunning vistas of the bay and just being in a well preserved swath of oak lined rolling hills of Northern California. I really had a nice time exploring the paths on my bike and may have missed one of the better single track sections to the southeast side of the park. Next time!