Great trail with smaller off shoots. Go when it's not hot,…read moreas this area can be warm with little shade. Go after rains to see the waterfall gushing! But really, go anytime as the area is beautiful, and it's a peaceful, serene area. Lots of newts, frogs, raptors, birds, and other wildlife. Dog friendly trails are marked as such. We've come twice now and each time it looked gorgeous, and different due to various water levels. Leave no trace =)

Beautiful area with lots of fun and challenging side quest trails. My only complaint is that…read morethere's a LOT of horse poop everywhere so you need to look down to avoid it.

I did the weekend-long silent meditation retreat here after wanting to do one for several years and…read morethe time finally came. They certainly delivered and exceeded expectations. The facilitators, Nira and Elizabeth were both so soothing and comforting with their voices and instruction. They gave informative and entertaining anecdotes, riveting and practical lectures and lessons along with hatha yoga and different forms of breathing. The nature walks were amazing too and this center is situated in a stunning location with nature and views all around to see. The food is incredibly delicious. Like a fellow retreat goer had mentioned, I could certainly come back for the food alone and the overall experience was life changing. I feel even more serenity and at peace than I did when I first arrived at the center and I am continuing to feel the deep effects of silence, stillness and being in deep thought. This experience has truly allowed me to notice every small, subtle detail in the environment around me and I feel life has become more vivid and vibrant than before. Overall, the experience felt like a warm bowl of soup; deeply comforting for the soul and subconscious.

Just had the most beautiful retreat here. Everything about the people, the food, the hospitality,…read morethe grounds was superb. I was given so much on all levels, it was truly the most beautiful, full experience. Thank you 100 million fold!!!!

What's kinda funny about this trail is how it starts on Lucas Valley Road. There's no parking lot…read more(no restrooms either), so you just park on the shoulder near a big rock. As it turns out, that big rock is the Big Rock, so the hiking-averse among us will likely take a pic and drive away. Talk about premature climax. But you should keep going as the uphill climb wasn't that strenuous, mostly a gradual incline, and it affords nice views along the way. One view you'll have is of Skywalker Ranch, George Lucas's production facility although from a distance, it looked more like an upscale private resort. You might presume Lucas Valley was named after George, especially since he donated the land that led to the formation of the back-and-forth trail. However, it's named after a 19th-century Irish immigrant unrelated to George. The meandering, gravelly trail was mostly exposed so bring water and a hat. If you make it to the radio towers, you can pat yourself on the back for reaching the second highest summit in Marin next to Mt. Tam. You also might be lonely up there as I ran into exactly one bicyclist and two hikers on my entire journey. Instead, put in your AirPods and play a song like Peter Gabriel's "Big Time". Just replace 'Time' with 'Rock'. The lyrics still work: "I'm on my way, I'm making it / I've got to make it show, yeah... Big, Big, Big, Big, Big, Big, Big, Big ROCK!" RELATED - Up for a hike? Here's a collection of trails I've walked and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2OrC8nU

This is the perfect hike. I started at 4 p.m. on an August afternoon, and finished with plenty of…read moretime to spare. The grade is perfect for some uphill cardio, without going overboard. The downhill is not slippery and dangerous. at the top, adjacent to the radio tower oh, there's even a porta potty. The view from the top is fantastic. Look toward San Pablo Bay. You'll see the Carquinez Bridge off in the distance toward the northwest. look toward the Southwest and you'll see the finger fog pushing through the San Francisco Bay toward the Richmond and Albany Hills. There's a small place for parking right off of Lucas Valley Road.

Visitor Center was closed. Sign said open on Fridays. It was not. Wandered around a little. Not…read moremuch to look at. Would be a nice place to hike, but not for $8.00 parking fee

Well, I definitely have some things to say. This was our first time at the park on Sunday, April…read more28. We took the Miwok loop because we thought it was short and easy. It is not! We also did not have any water because we thought it was an easy loop. It would have been nice if the volunteer at the front desk would've told us how long the hike was and approximately how long it would take. It would've been also good if she said you probably want to take water with you. It is very beautiful and peaceful, but it's not a beginner hike.

A great option for beginners who want to experience what it's like to drive a go-kart. I highly…read morerecommend it!

Bought tickets online, showed up at noon and found out we couldn't race until 5 pm. Seems like they…read moreneed a better system. So

This park is located in a nice neighborhood in Novato CA. The parking situation is not good. You…read moreeither have to park at the end of a court, or next to the baseball fields, which is kind of far from the playground. There are portable bathrooms at this park but they were very gross and dirty when I was there. The creek is a nice part of the park. However, there was no water in it. There is a splash pad, which wasn't working. The playground is small and I could see kids getting bored with it quickly. There are wood chips underneath the playground. There are swings at this park. The grassy area is somewhat small and is not well maintained. The baseball fields appear to be in good condition. This park was underwhelming and I won't return. Have fun out there. -Dadzone

2023/123 Everytime I…read morevisit Novato , this is my to go to park for a walk with my granddaughters and their parents. This park is located nearby an elementary school. It is about 1/2 mile walk through a very serene neighborhood. It's clean and fresh atmosphere with play equipments , climbing rock sculptures, a stone bear in a sandbox and picnic tables. The creek offers a burbling sound while traveling along the beds over rocks and tree roots. A lot of trees surrounding the park give the park a feeling of a rain forest. A Tepee jungle gym and a canoe offer a make believe Indian scene plus a full size sculptured bear lurking steadily on a sandbox. Stand up Hoops that serve as water sprinkler with a push button during the hot summer months for fun.

Can finally check off skydiving from my bucket list!…read more My friends and I came here twice but were only able to skydive once. The first time we came was when there was a fire incident (not their fault), causing the airport to be shutdown. Thankfully, we were able to jump the second time we came. Upon arriving, you are required to fill out a waiver and watch a video about safety and onboarding. If you are over 200 lbs, be prepared to pay $1 per lb. The first time we came, the person helping us said that we could decide to purchase the photos/videos after recording them, since we were unsure whether we wanted them. The second time we came, they didn't allow us to do that and made us pay upfront. When we came to skydive, they were quite behind schedule. Our reservation was at 12 pm, but we didn't start until 1 pm. They can only bring up 2 people at a time due to the size of the plane, so if you're coming with a large group, expect to go in pairs. Each pair took around 30-45 minutes; we finished all our jumps around 2:45 pm. The skydiving experience itself was AMAZING! My instructor was Gus, who was super chill and explained to me all the instructions. I loved his enthusiasm and he made me feel so calm yet excited to jump. Greg is the other instructor, and he is also very detailed in his explanations. The plane ride up was smooth, although it's a bit tight and there are no seats. You get a nice view of the city and north bay once you're up in the air. You climb up to around 9000 in altitude, before the first person goes in their tandem skydive. At the end of your skydive, you get a certificate. If you want to get a skydiving license, you have to dive 25 times, and this counts as one of the dives. If this is your first time skydiving, I'd encourage you to get the video/photos to look back on. The whole thing goes by so fast. The video was a bit cringe to film and watch back, but I don't have any regrets getting it. It is $100 if you want either video or photos or $140 for both. The photos are just stills from the video, so it's bit pricey to pay an extra $40 on top for both. Overall, I had a fun time skydiving with Skydive Golden Gate. The instructors and staff were great, and the whole experience was thrilling and certainly gave me an adrenaline rush. The main downsides were the delays in schedule and the pricing for photos/videos. That being said though, I would still come back here and jump again!

Wow! Thanks Gus and Greg! A lot goes into providing a safe, educational, yet stress free and fun…read moreskydiving experience and for all of this to come through in such spades means that these guys must really love their job. We did our first tandem dive with Gus and Greg this weekend - it was unreal. You can tell they work with first timers a lot, they're calm and to the point and super psyched. The whole team created an easy-going experience and we couldn't be more grateful!

Such a wonderful experience! The guides were so attentive and funny, which really helped keep any…read morenerves at ease. The views were beautiful, and everything felt well-paced from start to finish. The whole experience lasted about 2.5 hours and included 7 zip lines, which was such a fun adventure. The location can be a bit tricky to find, so I'd recommend giving yourself extra time and arriving at least 30 minutes before your scheduled tour, as they suggest.

We stayed in the treehouses and had two Zipline adventures. The staff was amazing. From start to…read morefinish every one of our were met. The zipline guides were so friendly and knowledgeable. I brought my 10-year-old granddaughter for her birthday and they treated her careful consideration of her age and her inexperience. They made her feel comfortable and fun for her. I can't say enough about the Treehouse~I was like a 4 star hotel . Absolutely everything you needed to be comfortable and safe. They were beautiful and safe in a pristine situated in a redwood grove . The meals were over the top, deliciously prepared with fresh and quality ingredients. We celebrated my granddaughter's 10th birthday and had the best time from start to finish. I highly recommend a trip to Sonoma Canopy ~ a beautiful adventure I won't forget!

The new management has really changed things around for Sonoma Fit Novato. It's fully staffed…read moreagain, bathrooms are clean and stocked, towels are available again for workout, equipment and facility are clean and working great, and everyone is smiling again. Makes it easier to go to the gym again....

Still feels like management has abandoned or has put this place on auto pilot. All these issues are…read morenoticeable so not sure why they don't get the attention that is needed. Membership price just went up and reason is inflation and for up keep to the facilities which is fine but let's see results. Cons: Broken mirrors since December 2023 Men's showers without curtains for months Lockers have locks removed without a plan to replace them Doors propped open so friends can use the services No deep full cleaning No answer from the 18 yr old manager or 21 yr old shift leader to simple yes or no questions. Actually waiting for an answer since January Pros: Hired 2 new friendly staff members Floors get vacuumed on Saturday or Sunday

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!