It was absolutely Beautiful. We hiked around the lake. It was an easy hike and so fun. They have lots of picnic tables and so many trees. You have to pay for parking and it's at the station a little before you actually park I gave the lake five stars but the road to get up there two stars. It's a very skinny road and only one car can pass with two way traffic. Yikes.....But we made it and it was worth the trip! read more

Lake Lagunitas - Lake Lagunitas - Hiking Near Me - Fairfax, California

Such a cool place -- and it's one of those locations that not too many people go to unless they are in the area. Somewhat of a "locals" spot for hiking, biking, and trail running. In addition, it's also a beautiful drive up! The road eventually becomes one-lane, so drive slowly when the road bends. People like to drive a little faster than they should on it, unfortunately. The parking is ample. After you pay the entrance fee, you'll see several opportunities to park on your way down the road. The main Parking lot is all the way at the end where the bathroom and shelter/picnic area is. There's also a neat creek and man-made waterfall over here as well that comes from the reservoir up top. The hike itself is really fun. We hiked up to the top where the reservoir is and really loved the view. My Apple Watch says that our walk around the perimeter of the reservoir was roughly 2 miles. I wouldn't call it a hike, per se, but it was a nice, leisurely walk in a beautiful place which is just as nice! There are tons of redwoods, oak trees, and wild flowers here, but also poison oak. The trails seem pretty well-maintained, so there isn't much need to worry about poison oak as long as you don't wander too far off the trail. Great for kids, as there isn't much incline on this trail. I would definitely come back and try more of the trails here. read more

Lake Lagunitas - Hiking Near Me - Fairfax, California

Well if Phoenix lake is the most beautiful lake in the world, Lagunitas Lake must be number two. I rode my mountain bike around the Three Lakes and ended up by Lake Lagunitas. There's a nice trail that goes right around the lake. Absolutely gorgeous views. The Watershed is managed by The Marin Municipal Water District. They also employ Park Rangers, who regularly go around making sure everyone is safe. I had a chance to visit with one park ranger, who was extremely helpful and conscientious. There's a large parking area with bathroom and drinking faucets. read more

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Such a beautiful place! Very nice and very well maintained. I went here for a hike on Black Friday to #OptOutside instead going shopping and had a great time, despite the first big storm of the season! As far as location goes, as you enter the park, you will see an automated parking ticket area to your right. There are several areas within the park that you can go to, which are labeled with signs, including Bon Tempe Lake. I chose to go to Lake Lagunitas this time. On to the hike! I parked at the Lake Lagunitas parking lot and pretty much just started walking until I saw the lake. Such beautiful scenery here! And since it was storming, I almost had the park to myself! I only encountered 3 other hikers on the 2 mile loop. I encountered several bridges on the way, and tons of puddles and mini streams due to the storm. The good thing is the trail never really got muddy, despite the heavy rains. All in all, this was a beautiful, easy hike, and I will definitely be back again when the weather is better, lol. I'll also try to add Bon Tempe to my hike next time. read more

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Beautiful lake at all times of day, in all types of weather. You can walk the loop for a full 2-mike hike with some rolling hills and views of the lake. Lots of birds to see here as well. On a rainy hike, I once spotted several banana slugs, newts, and even the native redwood snail! The trail is open to dogs on leash, people on horseback, cyclists, and of course hikers. People of all ages can do this easy hike. There are some spots with stairs though, as well as a couple bridge crossings, so be prepared for that. Parking is $8 per vehicle, per day. read more

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I typically give nice nature trails five stars, but this falls a bit short for two reasons: 1) The hike is way shorter than I'm used to and 2) the entrance fee, especially given the short hike, is kind of steep. If you bring food, like we did, fuck with some good herb (I ate a double dose of something homemade, so I spent the first couple hrs starring at the waterfall and munchin'), and spend time sitting around to take it all in, I feel you'll get your money's worth. The penis tree is funny, there's water to dip your feet into, and the waterfall is pretty kickass. read more

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Great hike with my family , surrounded by Redwood Trees and friendly hikers. I'd encourage taking the loop. read more

Lake Lagunitas - Hiking Near Me - Fairfax, California

It was so nice to walk and see so many adults with children fishing and enjoying life! Doggies and so many different birds . Singing songs I had never heard before. Wildflowers galore. Bass and trout. The only issue I had was you spend so much money on stupid expensive covid signs, but not clean the overflowing garbage dumpsters or clean the porta potties!!!! We pay for entry and pay taxes. Keep the parks clean! I think we are all adult enough to know about the flu season! A mom with a little girl does not want to use a full toilet. read more

Very easy 2 mile walk that can be done in about an hour. Lake Lagunitas is good to walk around in all weather. It's beautiful in the sunshine where you can sit on a lakeside bench looking out but I also love it when it's foggy and misty around. It feels mysterious and kind of reminds me of Camp Crystal Lake in Friday the 13th. Sounds from birds and woodpeckers are abundant, it's really quiet and peaceful out here. The terrain changes from views right along the lake to redwood forest with running streams (in winter). There are many other options to add if one wants to make this hike longer. Bon Tempe Lake is next door and there are about 4 different trails that intersect the main loop. You can even hike to Mount Tam from here. It's very similar to Phoenix Lake in distance, difficulty, and the possibility of adding other trails to the loop. Personally I think it's worth the drive and worth paying the $8 to forego the parking hassle at Phoenix Lake. read more

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Lake Lagunitas, how I love you. I discovered this beautiful lake by mistake one afternoon last spring. My friend and I were driving around Fairfax searching for a specific trail, which we never found. We must have spent hours looking before we picked up our map and discovered that Lake Lagunitas was close by. That afternoon we explored the hidden paths and ended up wandering along the trail around Bon Tempe. It was a lovely afternoon filled with sunshine, stories, and happy memories. I have only returned a few times, but each time I walk the trails around the lake I feel at peace. It's not a strenuous hike by any means, it's a just a simple walk with a few hills here and there (you can make it longer if you decide to walk to Bon Tempe, or take some trails off the beaten path.) I've brought my doggie, friends, family, and everyone enjoys it. I have to say that I really think that there's something about this lake that feels magical. Perhaps it's because I frequently visit Phoenix Lake and I need a change, but I'm not sure that's it. I'm just going to convince myself that this place is special. Take my advice and bring a picnic, camera, partner, yourself, a journal, or whatever you'd like and enjoy the scenery. Once you check out the lake for yourself, let me know if you love it as much as I do :) read more

Lake Lagunitas - Redwoods - Hiking Near Me - Fairfax, California

It's a great place to spend the day with family i.e., hiking, fishing, picnics, running, wildlife, etc. While strolling around the lake, look for the family circle tree & take a picture (nice keepsake). Try counting how many bridges you cross & how many creeks. See if you can find a newt & hold it in your hands (bring sanitizers). The drive is scenic through the small town of Fairfax. There is an entrance fee of $7 with plenty of parking. The park ranger gave us a nice tour and lots of information. read more

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This is the absolute best part of Fairfax!! We moved here only three years ago and we have loved coming here all the time!! read more

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I think Lake Lagunitas is the jewel of the MMWD lakes. It's small,but it is so beautiful and peaceful. It's a great place to just relax and hang out. The fishing is outstanding, and there are benches along the lake. There are also picnic tables, so you can sit and have lunch. It's a very mild hike good for all ages. It's always been my favorite along with Phoenix lake. read more

Has been our go to spot for generations. Great hike for kids and a great picnic spot

Perfect little one hour hike in Marin County -- mostly flat and easy (except for the little uphill part at the beginning). Really nice. Entrance fee is a little steep at $8 so better to try to make an afternoon out of it by bringing a picnic or checking out some of the other trails. read more

Nice mild hike around Lagunitas and Bon Tempe Lakes! The water is gorgeous. Too bad there's no swimming! There is an $8 park entry fee. read more

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Ahhh.... one of my favorite places in the Bay Area. It is our Walden Pond. It's where I go to shake the cobwebs of stress off.

I came here for some hiking based on a Bay Area hiking book recommendation for this and neighboring Bon Tempe Lake combined. Lagunitas is the smaller of the two lakes. In fact, when I pulled into the picnic area parking lot, I couldn't even see this lake. Later I found out you have to climb up one of two trails neighboring a spillway to access the lake itself. A hike around this lake is, in my guess, about two miles. The entire lap consists of a fairly wide fire trail and some steps along the way. (This is in contrast to Bon Tempe for which much of the trail is a narrow path right above the edge of the lake, which can serve some nervousness about losing footing and falling in at some tight spots). It costed $8 to go in (payment made at a self-serve machine as you drive thru the gate). It's a decent hike with some nice views, but it's somewhat doubtful that this will be a recent destination (at least not sometime soon) given number of other places I like to go repeatedly for hikes, along with the entrance fee. read more

So we hit the lake lagunitas/lake bontempes(is there an e?) area this past Sunday. Got the backpack ready, dog on the leash and it was time to get moving. Not too much to say. Pretty lake, with nice woodsy trails. The hiking was very unchallenging, but peaceful nonetheless. Good company helps. I had been informed this was a "secret trail" but can only remember maybe 1 minute of a several hour outting with no other people in sight. It was, afterall, Sunday, so I guess it is what it is. If i go back it'll definitely be during the week. I'd recommend it, especially if you have a dog. Don't know if they're allowed in the water, but I saw one there regardless. Also, there's fishing (though the guy we met said he ain't caught a damn thing yet! womp). I feel like there's A LOT of this area that we didn't bother exploring. ...i WILL next time.. read more

Awesome place for short hike around the lake.. Can say more walking than Hiking... Really convenient for all age groups... Took us around 1 hour .. read more

Did you say you want an easy 2 mile hike, a mix of oaks and redwoods, a starting point for a long hike on Mt. Tam, a place to take the kids, walk the dog or have a picnic? Lake Lagunitas is the place for you. Lagunitas is almost Phoenix Lake's twin because their habitats are similar, they are almost the same size and they are both popular with locals, especially families. The only main difference is the drive. Phoenix Lake is just a few minutes from downtown Ross while Lake Lagunitas is about 20 minutes from downtown Fairfax. This makes Lake Lagunitas less crowded though. The people who are at Lake Lagunitas are friendly locals. Sometimes, Lake Lagunitas has its crowds too as it becomes more popular. Directions to Lake Lagunitas: Turn left on Fairfax Bolinas Rd from northbound Sir Francis Drake Blvd, continue until you go up into the hills and see Sky Oaks Rd on the left. Make a left on Sky Oaks Rd and stay on it until it ends at a parking lot near a redwood grove. Go through the picnic area there until you reach the creek, follow the creek upwards until you reach Lagunitas Dam. If you look closely at the Dam, you may see you are not alone because of some freshwater turtles sunning themselves. Look to the right for the cute sign made by a 3rd grade class asking people to be nice to newts during mating season which is in early spring. You have two options: You can either loop around the lake by going to the right or to the left. I prefer going to the right because almost immediately, the forest becomes a mixed forest with redwoods which always makes a hike more beautiful. Once walking to the right, Rock Spring Lagunitas FR rises to the right. It heads to the top of Mt. Tam, steeply at first. The habitat is mostly mixed forest. While walking around Lagunitas Lake, you will soon intersect with the Coiler trail in a redwood filled canyon. Do not be fooled because after hiking Coiler trail for a few minutes, it turns into a war against gravity where you will have to use your hands to push you up Mt. Tam at a few points. Continuing around the lake, you will reach Lakeview FR which does not have a view of Lagunitas Lake (or other lakes.) It is a connector between Eldridge Grade and Lagunitas Lake. Eldridge Grade is a popular biker trail and it offers a more gradual route than Coiler trail to the top of Mt. Tam. Some parts of Eldridge Grade are no cakewalk though. As you loop back toward the Dam, the habitat has changed to a drier woodland with a few Douglas Firs and hardwood trees. There are a few nice picnic spots along the lake as well as a restroom. The habitat and terrain remain the same until you complete the loop at the Dam. Overall, Lake Lagunitas is a great alternative to Phoenix Lake if Phoenix Lake is packed or you want to visit a new lake closely resembling Phoenix Lake. read more

Crowded and loud. Granted I went on the weekend, and it's not the fault of the space that people are the source of noise pollution, but you can **literally** hear someone from across the lake. Also I used the stress measurement based on HRV on my fitness tracker while there, AFTER sitting for a period of time on a bench, actually having fell asleep but not due to relaxation but exhaustion I guess and it was the highest it's ever been - like 74. (I presume out of a 100) When I got back to the car it was instantly ten points lower, and after I drove somewhere testing again in the parking lot it was 47. Think about this for a second, this is an objective measurement of stress. Long story short, don't try to go there to get away, because you know people won't change and won't be able to be quiet to save their life. If you find a spot that is quiet and nice I suggest you never post it online in a review and only tell people that won't ruin it by being a typical chatterbox. read more

Beautiful hike! Easy 5 miles when combined with Bon Tempe Lake, beautiful scenery! Nice side view of Mt. Tam nearby! If you are like me, bring wine, cheese, crackers, salami, and fruit to make an amazing picnic at the end! read more

I just loved the trail we hiked! We started at Lake Lagunitas and then to the right and went up the hill on the Rocky Ridge trail, which looped back down to Bon Tempe and back down to Lagunitas. There is really excellent variations on this trail, upwards, downwards, level and down by the lake it is mostly level as well probably 4-5miles in total. Great views of the bay from the top of the trail! The trail around the lake looks to be great for jogging. read more

This is my new favorite place to explore in Marin. You can fish here and picnic. They even have signs telling you to lock up your valuable since people like to break into cars here and steal your belongings. Hey I like honesty. It's $8 to park for the day which is a little steep but if you go online I think you can buy a year pass for $60. read more

I love the hike here. Lake Lagunitas is so pretty and it has a very clear trail around the lake. You constantly have a view of the beautiful lake. Some hills but overall great hike! read more