Great views, great trails. If you plan on camping, please…read morecheck the website for limitations on type of camping and spaces. The park has no car camping, just tent camping and the available sites are very limited. I also suggest checking the weather before you go as conditions on the mountain can change dramatically ( like going from over 80° and no wind to 56° windy and foggy so bring layers no matter how warm it is.

Overall B: Bootleg Jack trail, great views, easily accessible, neighborly hikers, and of course…read moreMarin weather exquisitely mild. About 10% elevation gain.

Beautiful hidden gem needs more parking.Has a restroom and a Taco Bell which is convenient.read more

It is 100% a nude beach, with a bit of a hike down a slope. There is no facilities or fresh water…read moreaccess down there so plan ahead. I went alone and no one bothered me, families come there also. Overall, really great experience, I had the beach to myself for a while. It's enjoyable, even on a foggy day

This trail is lush trail with lots of greenery, ferns, and streams in the winter. It's canopied for…read moremost of the trail but there are some clearings with views of Stinson. I think it's easiest to park at the Pantoll campground. It's about 4 miles to Stinson Beach from here. This hike can be done as an out and back or a loop with the Steep Ravine Trail.

I just hiked this whole trail yesterday, and it was pretty hard…read more The first mile uphill from the Stinson Beach Fire Station was killer. Have you ever just wanted to walk up steep, slippery stairs for a mile straight? If so, this may be the hike for you. That being said, the scenery is unreal. The redwoods are covered in so many deep, thick layers of lichen and mosses, it's like a mini forest on each tree. The canyons, which can be hundreds of feet high, are filled to the brims with ferns, buckeye, and rhododendron. Many of the underlying rocks are serpentine. Mini waterfalls dripping through moss over serpentine looks like something out of a fairy tail. Imagine you're staring at one, and a red fox trots up. I've had a few of these follow me, especially at dusk. I've never heard of one attacking a human, but they can be annoying and kind of hard to scare off. Some other animals I've seen on this trail over the years include deer, coyotes, rabbits, squirrels, and all kinds of birds. I also saw a few white butterflies with gold streaks on their wings. The flowers are too numerous to name in a review, but some of my favorites that I saw this time were the Calypso orchids, poppies, lupine, irises, lilies, shooting stars, blooming grasses and miners lettuce, and more. By the time I finished hiking this trail, I could barely walk. Mission accomplished, I guess. The signs are pretty easy to follow, and I had an easy time figuring out how to make a loop from Pantoll to Stinson Beach and back. There was no water anywhere on the trail, and the closest food stores are the convenience stores and restaurants in Stinson Beach. One of the hardest but also most beautiful hikes I've done. The whole trail is just over four miles long, but took me nearly two hours to complete since I was going uphill and had done Steep Ravine first.

Come early people take the very few picnic tables quick. Picnic tables have bbq pits but some areas…read moreare shared bbq pits. It was a bit windy but not cold during the 4th of July. Stinson market is in walking distance and have items you may need for bbq ing. Great help at the market. Thank you! Bathrooms had little to no soap. Smelled like urine from the morning time. Bring your own hand soap!

Stinson Beach is one of the more lively and crowded beaches in the bay, so definitely not down here…read moreyou'd go if you wanted privacy. There are plenty of life guards around. There are plenty of restaurants and cafes nearby where you can grab a quick bite. There was plenty of parking.

Nice beach with a hiking trails as well. It's a pretty clean beach, and when we were there some…read morepeople were walking around looking for trash to pick up, so it's nice that there seems to be locals looking out for the well-being of the environment. Free parking lot. Empty when I arrived in the morning, but no spaces by the afternoon. It is a pretty peaceful beach. It doesn't really have a tourist feel that some beach areas have since it's just the beach itself (no shops/food or anything like that). It's not a huge area, but we came during low tide and walked around the more rocky area before the tide started rising. They do have restrooms at the parking lot. Although, the restrooms were disgusting when I was there, so I'd avoid it if possible. (Not flushing toilets.)

Muir Beach feels like the California people imagine, but quieter and more honest…read more Instead of a crowded boardwalk or lines of shops, you come down a winding road through coastal hills and suddenly the land just opens up. The ocean isn't bright blue like postcards, it's deep gray-green, powerful, and constantly moving. The waves don't gently roll in... they crash. You feel it in your chest before you even step on the sand. The sand is darker and softer than most beaches, almost cool even in the sun. Behind you are tall grasses and weathered driftwood, not hotels. In front of you is nothing but horizon. There's a small creek cutting through the beach and a wooden bridge crossing it, which somehow makes the whole place feel more like a nature preserve than a tourist stop. People aren't blasting music or playing volleyball, they're walking, breathing, taking pictures, or just sitting quietly watching the water. If you want a loud beach day, this isn't it. If you want to slow down and actually feel the ocean, this is one of the most peaceful places near San Francisco.

Beautiful overlook of the water and rocky landscape. It was really windy when we visited, so we…read moredidn't stay long, but it was absolutely worth the drive. The coastal views are stunning, and the scenic drive getting here makes the whole experience even better.

Beautiful spot along the coast. There is a short walk on a path to the lookout point. It's…read moreconnected to a couple of trails you can walk along. There is a bathroom that has no sink or water. The parking lot has a good amount of spaces. Note that this is federal and the parking lot is closed during shutdowns. You can park nearby and walk in there is no entrance or fee. If you are in the area and driving by I recommend stopping by for a few minutes.

I had forgotten just how gorgeous this hike is--the scenery is incredible the entire way. Be…read moreprepared for a steady climb through most of the route, with plenty of wooden stairs, gnarly roots, and rock steps, but the stunning views make every bit of effort worth it. There are many great spots to stop for photos, take a break, or enjoy a picnic--we did all three. Thanks to the recent rain, there was still plenty of water flowing, which made the trail even more beautiful. The picnic area at Laurel Dell is especially serene, with a babbling brook nearby. There's even an outhouse, which is always a welcome sight. I actually found climbing up much easier than descending as one has to really pay attention to their footing. We were happy seeing Alpine Lake again knowing we were close to end of hike.

A scenic trail, the winding uphill drive to reach the trail sets the mood and makes one start…read morefeeling the adventure even before one gets on the trail. The Cataract trail is medium difficulty level so one must be geared up well especially wearing the right shoes. It's along the stream of water and is quite narrow, has nice views. We were there before the sunset and the colors around looked so pretty! Quite close to the Fairfax downtown. There was no parking near the trail so people mostly park along the road.

This was our first visit here. My daughter is obsessed with all things beaches and oceans. This…read morebeach is very easy access from the parking lot. I checked the time of low tide so we could arrive when she would get a chance to see all that is the tide pools. She had an absolute blast and I was so happy to just watch her go about her way exploring and creating more memories.

Bolinas is a strange little town. The downtown, what there is of it, looks like it hasn't been…read moreupdated in 80 years, except for a few newer buildings on Brighton. Go west, young man, and it has the feeling of Carmel with smaller trees. Its history is what makes it strange: in the late 1960s, the hippies moved in, the water supply got maxed out so no more new water permits have been granted since then, and residents started tearing down the signs on Highway 1 that pointed to this town. I've been told that, as the hippies are dying off, families and wealthy people are moving in, so it's slowly becoming more normal. But Bolinas is still a world apart, and intends to stay that way. It does have one unusual feature, though: Agate Beach Park. "Beach" is almost false advertising. The sand is a longish walk north. You don't come here to laze in the sun or barbecue some weenies. You come here to explore the tide pools, gaze in wonder at the cliffs, notice that you can see San Francisco from here, and enjoy the remoteness of the place. Marin County takes care of the place, but when you get to the bottom of the stairs, there is NO development at all. Any development would take away from the natural features. And, in a way, the unique flavor of Bolinas add to the charm. No signs point the way, just as no signs tell you to turn here to get to Bolinas. Agate Beach Park is the edge of town, as far away from tourists as you can get. Driving here is like getting immersed in Bolinas counter-culture. There are no crowds here, and not likely to ever be any. If that interest you, then you'll like this park a lot. By the way, you can also climb to the top of the bluff and get some good views and photos. Basically, Agate Beach Park is where you can explore another place where the Great Eternal Artist did some of His best handiwork, and not fight the crowds to do so.

Magical coastal place. Open to the public. Educational programs available. Reservations required…read morefor overnight camp.

The three stars are for my experience at an event. It looks like a great place to take kids to…read morelearn about the environment and animals, etc. I would give it an extra star for the gorgeous views. It loses stars for the reasons stated below. For a more formal event, it's not ideal for older people especially. (those over 80 and those with any disability) There is a somewhat steep and uneven slope down to the Yurt area where the ground is flat but again, uneven and covered with hay. This caused shoes and feet to be covered in dust soon after arriving. This would be ok if wearing proper sneakers or others made for walking on that type of surface. Wearing the clothes we did, gave us no protection from ticks which the website indicated are prevalent there. In addition, the only restrooms are porta potties. This is a little rustic for a formal event and not so easy for people in wheel chairs. There is no lighting on this path back up to the parking lot. This is entirely unsafe after the sun has gone down. All of that said, I would recommend this venue for a school field trip where students are dressed appropriately and are visiting during daylight hours. I would not, however, recommend it for a formal event.

Book your parking before you go. So lucky we did because we saw others being turned around because…read morethey did not. We were able to find parking without any issues. Two people in our group has the American the Beautiful annual membership passes so they were able to bring 3 guests each in free. We spent about 2 hours here. Most of it was spent walking the main loop amongst the tall beautiful redwood trees. It is very peaceful there, even on a weekend. We did hike off the trail to see the hibernating lady buga. So many people walked right past them. There is a small gift shop right inside the entrance and a large gift shop plusa little cafeteria a short walk down the main trail too.

"Let me bring you songs from the woods To make you feel much…read morebetter than you ever could" (Jethro Tull) Muir Woods is 550-acres of old-growth forest with enormous redwoods wherever you look - they are the tallest type of tree in the world. We walked through their well-marked paths and over the wooden bridges and generally stared in awe at the majestic scenery. It is designated as a National Monument, and admission to the park runs $15. But if you have a National Park pass (like we did), you can enter Muir for free.