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.

The hike is about 5.5 miles and around 2-2.50 hrs…read more It encompasses a loop of the Rodeo Valley Trail, Alta Trail, and the Bobcat trail. The Bobcat and Rodeo Valley both have views of the headlands and a steady incline. That's one of the things I liked about this trail, the incline wasn't too much. You kinda forgot how far you were going because there weren't any strenuous parts. Alta trail goes over the ridge where you can see Tiburon and the bay in the distance. It also veers out to other trails in the headlands and Mill Valley. Marin Headland is beautiful with its wide-open space that's always green even in the summertime when the rest of Marin's hills are yellow. The Headlands is usually always cool but if it's one of those hot summer days with no clouds I'd avoid it as there isn't much shade on the trail.

First time ever to this location. Went through a one way tunnel. Easily found the Smith road…read moreturnoff to the parking lot. Also great clear signs further up to find the Visitor center near the top of the hill. There are more restrooms there if you need to go. I am not sure if the Visitor Center is open now? But I know there's a nice mini history of natives Museum inside. Anyway my group decided to find easier parking if we just all drove to Smith Road to begin our hike at that main location instead since parking is very limited at Visitor Center. Half the section is only 30 minutes parking. FYI- no cell phone reception in this area since you are surrounded by nature. Make sure your entire group carpool or know the spot to meet up. There's one restroom here. At start of trail we looked at map and we were going to do the 3 hour Gerbode Valley Loop from Bobcat Trail, Milwok Trail and Rodeo Vally Trail. We crossed the nice wooden bridge and started the light incline easy walkable, which was good. Surprised to see a ‍ running back down and a cyclists coming up. No shade in this section. I see views of mountains and to the right the tip of a Golden Gate Bridge pops up and you can see some of Downtown SF on right side. Eventually we came to a fork in road. We stopped for photos and then went back on the Bobcat Trail where got some nice shaded part of trees! Nice ! Thank you for the shade! Felt like we were in an another part of a forest, feeling cool, calm collective with fresh air! I loved the views of the Sausalito Bay and Hwy 1. You can just chill and relax here. Then rest of the hike is a nice gradual decline with not shade, so make sure you wear your sun hat. I was happy eating my apples, nuts and snacks and my water bottles to make sure I am well hydrated. I am proud I completed this hike with my buddies. Exercise is important to be healthy! Great hike with good views. Marin has pretty landscape! Will love to come back to explore more like Rodeo Beach and lighthouse!

Loma Alta Ridge. I keep going back for more!!!…read more https://youtu.be/zPq7GUQO7uw https://youtu.be/Urm8R-MALw0

There are a few open space preserves in Fairfax: Loma Alta, White Hill, and Cascade. This one is…read moretechnically Loma Alta. There are many trails that go up in the hills and intersect or if you go to the other side of the street it is the White Hill Preserve. These preserves are really popular with mountain bikers in Marin. During the winter there is a waterfall, it's not as great as some others in Marin but it's also not as crowded. The waterfall is located on the Old Railroad Grade trail. For a shorter hike that's about 2.5 miles I do a loop Of Old Railroad Grade-Hunter Creek Court-Baywood Canyon. Parking is 2 turn outs. I like the closer one (to Fairfax) because you go under the bridge and there's always some graffiti.

Easy in and out, old fire road .Dense and secluded. Easier to approach from behind the school.read more

Trail starts from pullout just south of pullout with call box, then branches left to stay low…read more Some slippery wading and climbing over and under large blowdowns. Trail still collapsed near the end and very tenuous and exposed.

We decided to go up to Alamere Falls this Saturday morning. Parking lot was not that full yet at…read more8am, maybe about 8-10 cars. There are lots of parking at this trail but by afternoon, good luck!! I would definitely come here super early to beat the crowd like we did! The road going here is very zigzag roads and some may get sick. Also, the road is very narrow and lots of loose gravel and lots of potholes so drive with caution. The trails are very well maintained. Lots of people traffic though. We got there early so there was barely anyone there but by the time we started going back, I stopped counting after a hundred people! Very popular trail as everyone wanted to go to Alamere Beach Waterfalls! We didn't go to the campgrounds as it was too far. Just going to Alamere Falls and back was already over eight miles! Alamere trails is another different review! I really enjoyed this trail as it goes along the coast and see the ocean views! Just beware there is a lot of poison oak! I saw a lot along the trail! It's part shade so wear a hat. Some parts of the trails goes up and down and lots of loose rocks so you can sleep. I would rate this trail moderate to hard as it's a long trail! Good workout!! I totally enjoyed this trail but recommend to come really early if you come on the weekend!! [31st R]

Can I go back to last Thursday when I hiked this trail?! I couldn't have asked for better weather,…read moresunny, light breeze, mid-70s, and best of all, pretty empty! I'm not sure how anyone can find this place because there are no marked signs or paved roads to get to the parking lot or base of the trail. As a passenger, I was oblivious to driving directions. I must say that all the twists and turns left me a bit car-sick and thankfully that quickly passed. There are about 4 restroom stalls in the parking lot that stunk badly. Now onto the positive aspects of Palomarin. Many reviewers have mentioned that this trail to the falls is about 8 miles round-trip. I think I finished in about 4.5 hours with stops here and there at a leisurely pace. I bet the sunset would have been beautiful, but I left around 6:30pm. What I love about this hike is that there's a little of everything in terms of views and things to see. I saw the ocean, a lake, a fox, waterfalls, nature, and fresh air. I wonder if the waterfalls are always flowing, even a few years ago during the drought... A great pit-stop before coming to Palomarin is to stop in Stinson Beach for lunch or dinner. I'm glad lunch was eaten before the hike. Next time I'll bring snacks. Luckily I had brought lots of water. Still having Palomarin withdraws... #53/2018

They're really not kidding about this being an open space because I'm not sure what makes this area…read moregeologically unique. A lot of trees and a lot of rocks. That pretty much summarizes my informed opinion of Loma Alta. Marked by an overpass bridge, it's off Sir Francis Drake Blvd just past Fairfax - though you need to slow down to turn off on the broadened shoulder to park comfortably. Don't let the speed-obsessed morons behind you feel bad about wanting to stop here. The underbelly of the bridge is saturated by graffiti, which actually makes it a visually interesting start to your hike. Now you can be adventurous and hike up Sunrise Fire Road almost right away and get to Loma Alta peak that much faster. That ain't me. I just followed the relatively flat, somewhat circuitous Old White Hill Grade to the Fox Hollow Trail. Very woodsy and on the edge of Marin suburbia, but you can get back to nature by following another fire road on Smith Ridge. Yes, your thighs get a workout during this uphill stretch, but it's not nearly as traumatic as the Sunrise route. The views were nice but truthfully not that extraordinary as Loma Alta felt a bit more enclosed than other similar open spaces in Marin like the adjacent Big Rock area. One unexpected treat occurred when I got back to the car and noticed there was a path aptly named the Sherwood Forest Trail. Here I was surrounded almost cocoon-like by a grove of big redwoods. Lovely. RELATED - Up for a hike? Here's a collection of trails I've walked and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2OrC8nU

Fantastic place for a hike, but do not try to follow the trail maps. There is private property…read morepeppered throughout this preserve. Trails end at Gates that threaten law enforcement action if you passed through. Scenery is quite pretty, and be sure to learn a little bit about the geology of the area.

Sky trail is a peaceful escape from the crowds at Point Reyes. While you can access it via several…read moretrails that climb up from Bear Valley, the actual trailhead is along the road Limantour Road, about 3.5 mile mark. There's a small dirt lot on the left hand side. On Labor Day, the lot wasn't full and the trail itself was very peaceful. I followed Sky Trail towards Sky camp but turned off prior to the camp on to Horse Trail, then Z Ranch to the Mt Wittenberg spur. On the return trip turned right on the Mt Wittenberg trail which loops back to Sky and takes through the rest of the loop past Sky Camp and back down to the trailhead. Mt Wittenberg is the highest point in Pt Reyes but don't expect sweeping or epic views. It's a quiet woodland trail where you can get some peeks out at the bay. Taking Sky Trail here involved less elevation gain than if you climbed up from the trails near Bear Valley. NPS has a good description of the trail here: https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/hike-to-mount-wittenberg-from-sky-trailhead.htm The hike along Sky Trail is about the journey as it meanders through lush forest and occasionally offers some ocean or bay views. It was impacted by the 2020 Woodward fire and a few sections lack shade due to the canopy burning but overall, the forest seems to be recovering nicely. I enjoy this trail for the quiet and to be in the forest. Late summer, there were a few wildflowers and things have stayed amazingly green. Although my loop was shy of 5 miles, Sky trail connects with many others. The visitor center at Bear Valley offers decent maps and guidance from rangers if you're looking for any other ideas. Point Reyes has so many options for hikes and lesser known park trails-after 12 years of visiting, I'm still finding new adventures to enjoy. Sky Trail will now be a regular for me.

When it comes to local hiking trails, there are three elements that will steal my heart away just…read moreabout every single time; a heavily wooded forest, lush green foliage, and beautiful coastal views. The Sky Trail has all of this. So naturally, I fell in love with this trail right off the bat. The Sky Trail is a lightly trafficked hiking trail that runs through Point Reyes National Seashore. You can connect to this trail from a few different trails within the park. I started my hike from the parking lot near the Bear Valley trailhead and made a right onto the Mount Wittenberg trail. From here, it's about 2 miles until you reach the Sky Trail. The hike from Mount Wittenberg to the Sky Trail is pretty intense, and starts off immediately inclining through the forest. It's mostly uphill until you reach the Mount Wittenberg summit. Once you've made it to the summit, you'll see a few trailhead signs and a trail split. From here you'll continue on the Mount Wittenberg trail for about a half mile until you reach the Sky Trail. You'll start to decline as you get closer to the trail. And my oh my is this trail gorgeous! This section of the Sky Trail is surrounded by a plethora of tall trees. As you continue down the path, you'll start to notice a break in the trees and the stunning views of the coastline will hit you like a ton of bricks. There are also sections of the trail that are plant heavy and vibrantly green. Once you pass this, you'll end up descending down a steep and narrow pathway until you reach the Coast Trail. It's about a 3 mile trek until you reach the connecting trail, and about another mile or less if you want to get down to Kelham beach. So, roughly 6 miles from the parking lot to the beach via the Sky Trail (and that's one way). Going down the Sky Trail can be tough because it's super steep on the way down, but coming up is a real challenge. If you want to skip the treacherous hike all the way back up the hill, you can take the Coast Trail back to Bear Valley, and this will loop you back to the parking lot. It's also a more scenic trek along the coastline, and you'll get to walk amongst pretty Redwoods and a beautiful stream along the Bear Valley trail on the way back. Point Reyes has so many incredible hiking trails, but because the Sky Trail requires some additional trekking to get to, it's far less traveled. Would highly recommend the Sky Trail for people who are looking for a challenging hike without much foot traffic.

Cascade Falls in Cascade Park, Mill Valley is different from Cascade Falls in Fairfax which are…read moreclose together. The Cascade Falls in Cascade Park still have water unlike the Falls in Fairfax in July 2025. The road to get there is cascade drive would take us all the way to the park. There aren't many parking lots for spaces around the area. We're lucky to find one right in front of the Cascade trail. People parked along the Cascade Drive and walk up to the trail. It's a very short hike to the Falls, on the right hand side by the little bridge. The trail is really nice, you can walk up hills pass the Falls. In the rainy season, we can see the water running along the creek on the right hand side. From here we can take a drive to Muir Beach or Muir Woods National Monuments which is very beautiful but we need to book a parking permit in advanced. It's always booked unless we book a week in advance. This Summer we're trying to visit all the beautiful places in Northern California.

This hike is easily accessible from the parking lot and has gorgeous falls and streams straight…read morefrom the beginning. There is a bigger, more challenging loop if you want more exercise and is the quintessential hike to see redwoods and falls in their splendor.