The drive into the area lets you know you're entering an absolutely gorgeous and special place…read more We haven't camped here yet, but we do have camping reservations for later this summer. Have been to the day use area a handful of times, and love it. Immersed in redwoods, it's a perfect place to enjoy reading a book, picnicking with loved ones, and learning about the days past of this former outdoor resort/gathering place. Bathrooms are simple and not stinky, so that's a win. Sometimes, there are bees aplenty, but that's nature so...deal with it and eat in your tent or van or ??

8/31/2026: Exploring the majestic, towering, Samuel P. Taylor's redwoods then, off I go . . . To…read moresee the Wizard of MRI/CAT SCAN. Augh--I can't seem to obtain a hiatus from attending VA Hospital appointments! More importantly, it's imperative purchasing TOKENS at the Ranger's Kiosk BECAUSE of the inability taking a shower, i.e., one token equals $1.00!!!! BTW: The Combination Disabled Shower/Restroom by Disabled Campsite #58 which I reserved camping at Campsite #58 was stinky so, I cleaned it. Campsite #58's fire pit and barbecue were unkept and definitely not sanitary cooking ANYTHING on the grill. Moreover, I noticed so many Non-Disabled Campers were just using the Combination Disabled Shower/Restroom rather than the designated male/female restrooms flanking the Combination Disabled Shower/Restroom. Worse, the Non-Disabled Campers were staring at me as I pass by heading towards Campsite #58 and also, when I would pass on the road heading towards the Combination Disabled Shower/Restroom . . . Frustratingly, the non-disabled Campers would sneakily spy on my Truck's license plate investigating whether I had the "right" qualifying camping at Campsite #58, i.e., NOT COOL! Who ARE these Campers "clerking" me, eh?

The trail is around a 2-mile loop nestled in Samuel P. Taylor Park…read more Parking is $8 so I think this hike is better if you are already at Samuel P. Taylor Park. Not that many people are here on the weekdays so it might be worth the parking fee for some extreme calm because the trail doesn't get as busy as some other trails in Marin. I felt it was very serene, and you were really away from it all here with just the sounds of the running creek and woodpeckers. Visually it's very shaded with lots of greenery and ferns. I always get a sandwich at Lagunitas Grocery store beforehand and eat it in the park.

When my son suggested I hike the Pioneer Tree Trail he described it as easy and empty; he had never…read morebefore seen anyone on the trail and surmised that bringing my dog, whether permitted or not (he was unsure) would thus be no problem. He had obviously never been on the Pioneer Tree Trail on a summer weekend during a pandemic. Pioneer Tree Trail is a 2.1 mile loop trail that isn't flat but neither is there any significant elevation. It winds around and back and forth through beautiful Redwood groves and it's got a lot of charm. The fact that most people enter the trail from Samuel P. Taylor Park probably accounted for its popularity during my weekend, summertime visit. Children and families and groups who I'll assume were in some sort of Covid-bubble all seemed to be enjoying this hike on a sunny day. And even though she wasn't technically allowed, my dog enjoyed the easy to follow trail as well. If all you're looking for is a mellow stroll, go ahead and enter from the park. If you want more of a challenge though still no elevation, park on Sir Francis Drake Blvd. at Inkwells, cross the bridge on the north side of the road, and follow the flat, bike-friendly Cross Marin Trail to your left. When you cross the second bridge, do a u-turn and you'll encounter the entrance to the Pioneer Tree Trail. I have it on good authority that you can have this trail to yourself at most times, but I'd not rely on it during a summer weekend when people are itching to break out of their homes after months of sheltering in place.

Checked out Roy's Redwood Preserve in San Geronimo, CA. Free street parking on Nicasio Valley Rd…read moreby W. Nicasio Rd. We started on the right Redwood Loop Trail, little shade, mostly sun on this side. Saw the prescribed burn on some hills, then we took Mossy Rocks Trail down the stairs, to the boardwalk trail. Lots of nice redwood trees, I like the Fairy Ring Trees. We did about 3 miles there, can be extended to nearby parks. One pit toilet near the boardwalk trail. It was super full when I used it Sunday 6/28/26. I emailed Marin County parks to tell them, not sure anyone saw it. Worth going.

What a gem this spot is. There are multiple trails & loops you can choose from. The trails are very…read morewell maintained. The diversity of the landscape is fantastic. Truly appreciated the areas for kids & also ADA friendly. We enjoyed seeing some majestic old and tall redwoods. Large detailed map at start of trails- we took a screen shot which was a big help. Thank you, Marin County Open Space District for keeping this park in tiptop shape!

What a somewhat hidden gem! Definitely lesser traveled than a lot of other NPS places. When we…read morewent, in the beginning of July, it was cold and windy - about 55F but with windchill. I ended up buying a sweater at the visitor's center and used it during the entire trip! Our itinerary included the Bear Valley Visitors Center, Chimney Rock, Elephant Seal Overlook, Lighthouse, Drakes Beach, Cypress Tree Tunnel, then back to the Bear Valley Visitors Center. The entire trip took about 6.5 hours - it was great! The visitors center was clean, well-stocked, and informative. Bathrooms on the outside, plenty of parking. Inside there's a shop with lots of goodies including clothing, totes, stickers/pins, first aid supplies, and more typical goodies. Rangers were very friendly and informative. Lots of interactive displays as well. Chimney Rock was a quick hike. There's a bathroom and a bench or two at the trailhead. We thought the hike was pretty easy. Lots to see including wildflowers, bugs, birds, and deer! Plus, the view at the end is gorgeous, and there's a geological stamp there too. No elephant seals at the overlook, but it's not peak season, so we weren't expecting any. The lighthouse was a nice surprise! According to the website, it should have been closed on a Tuesday, but the ranger told us that summer hours are different, and it was open! We went to the small visitors center, then walked the 313 steps down to see the lighthouse. It was super windy. There are several rest points along the staircase in case folks need it. While we couldn't climb into the lighthouse, we could go inside and peak around, which was pretty cool. There was a ranger there who answered questions, and we saw some people looking for whales. Drakes Beach was gorgeous. We ended up staying for about 1.5 hours because the kids had so much fun digging in the sand and watching crabs scurry along the beach. There was barely anyone else there, so we had a huge part to ourselves. And there are a bunch of sand dollars! That was so cool to see. Most of them were cracked, but occasionally we saw some whole ones. The visitors center here was closed, but looked like it was well-stocked with unique goodies. Bathrooms were open, big, and clean. Cypress Tree Tunnel was every bit as beautiful as I've seen in photos. Quite a few people there walking the tunnel and taking photos. The boys earned their Junior Ranger badge at the end of the visit. And we got our stamps! Fun times - we'll definitely be back!

How fortunate we are to have Point Reyes National Seashore. The headquarters is fantastic- maps,…read morerecommendations, nice restrooms & plenty of free parking. Today we chose the Bear Valley hike trail. The path is wide and mostly flat and even includes a bathroom midway. As you walk you are able to hear the beautiful sounds of the babbling brook along the route. Being late Spring we were able to spot a good amount of wildflowers- buttercups, poppies, bleeding heart, foxglove and more. We encountered several equestrian's throughout our hike.

Fun easy hike under shade. Good for young kids. We saw Salmon in December 2023 and all kinds of…read morenature. Good short hike for any time of the year.

Fishay, fishay! Stop…read morethe car! I must see the fishies! Even though it was a pretty inconvenient stop to turn around, my driver happily did so at my request. We went back to where the sign had caught my eye "Fish Viewing Area". I didn't know what this place was, but I liked it. It's exactly what it says it is. No tricks. It's an area to view fish! Most specifically, spawning (endangered) coho salmon. Hells yes. From November through February the Lagunitas Creek will see salmon and ask that park visitors be quiet as they view and not make sudden movements. The park is open from sunrise to sunset. West Marin is a beautiful area and this is one of the healthiest creeks for salmon spawning. It's a really great spot to stop, whether or not you see fish. There is a great trail you can walk down under a shaded path along the creek. Marin Municipal Water District has implemented a variety of environmentally friendly habitat improvements to this area. They also maintain a bulletin board in the parking lot with information about the fish, their preservation, and volunteer opportunities related to the same. So glad we turned around and went back to check this out!

If you don't mind hiking between 12 and 14 miles in a day with some incline, this is well worth the…read moretrip from the parking lot. Great views along the way for the coastal trail and you could turn this into a loop trail if you take the unofficial shortcut. This is one of the beauties of California. Recommended activities: Hiking, Running, Walking Parking options: Free parking lot

People who have never been to Oregon will tell you that this is one of only two tidefalls (a…read morewaterfall that flows into the ocean) on the entire West Coast. People who believe AllTrails will tell you that this is one of only two tidefalls in California. (If you use Alltrails, you aren't allowed to hike with me, by the way.) Neither of these statements are anywhere close to true. As a matter of fact, there are at least two tidefalls on this one beach, and there are many more in areas that are not easily accessible to the public. Tidefalls are common along the coasts of Oregon, Washington, and Canada. There are several tall tidefalls in Cape Perpetua alone. That being said, Alamere Falls might be the biggest, prettiest publicly accessible tidefall in Northern California. I recently hiked Alamere Falls for the first time in nearly ten years, and I couldn't believe how much had seemed to change. First of all, the road to the Palomarin trail was hell in a compact vehicle. Even going like two miles per hour, I got a little motion sickness from the thousands of deep potholes. The road is so bad that it almost seems beyond repair. At this point, it's probably only suitable for high clearance vehicles, although I did not notice any signs warning of such. Secondly, I'm pretty sure I was the only sober person on the trail. The vibes were so, so weird. Consider packing your (legal) weapon of choice. Thirdly, I was certainly the only person to take the 'legal' trail down, although I gained some new perspective on this. While the trail that I took is ostensibly the trail recommended by NPS, one does have to wonder why it is so overgrown. It feels like, "Obviously, no one ever really hikes this trail," because it's nowhere near clear or well-trodden. Certain areas of the trail were so overgrown that it was impossible to see my feet, and difficult to find my footing. These areas were chalk full of poison oak, stinging nettle, poison hemlock, and a wide variety of (harmless) snakes. By contrast, much of the "social" trail was four feet wide, flat, and clear. Which made me wonder-- which trail is really safer? The cliffs at the end of the social trail are constantly crumbling. The risk of falling, breaking a leg, or at least spraining an ankle, seems high. But by contrast, the risk of spraining an ankle on the recommended trail seems high, too. And the stinging nettle hurt a lot, but only for a few hours. My personal recommendation is to take the recommended trail, but wear solid boots, long pants, and tall, colorful socks. Tuck your pants into your socks, or wear gaiters. Use permethrin or your tick repellant of choice. While the official Palomarin Trail may be very long and difficult, it's also worth the trouble. The ocean views and wildlife were unbelievable. I actually saw a mother deer nursing two spotted fawns in the middle of the trail. On the beach, I found agates, fossils, shells, giant bull kelp, snowy plovers, and lots of by-the-wind-sailors jellyfish in multiple stages of life and decomposition. The waterfall itself is pretty-- but make sure to check the tide!! I never do, and I almost always get stranded. The first time I ever hiked this trail, I actually had to climb up a cliff in terror and wait 3 hours for the tide to recede. But that doesn't need to happen to you if you remember to check the tide before you come out, while you still have service.

What an amazing place to visit. Fun for the family. They have area for kids too. The store have…read morelot have memorible gifts. I found my seal lion. A must visit.

Visited Point Reyes Lighthouse after five years, and it's just as stunning as I remembered. The…read morecoastline and ocean views are amazing. We stopped by the visitor center, a big raven kept us entertained by making a lot of noise while perched on the building's skylight. I like the numbered staircase. It lets you know how far you have left to go, so you know exactly what to expect. The lower level of the lighthouse has been remodeled and is now open to all. It was fascinating to see the original gears, machinery, and equipment that once kept the lighthouse working.

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

Fog is burning off. He fires up the Jetboil…read more She probes him: "Say, What is this little rat-tail thing you've got going on?" He has a short braided thing of hair hanging off the back of his head, like he's a Padawan apprentice or something. "What, this?" he laughs. "Party in the back?" In a thicket by the creek, they sip coffee. Song of the thrush ascends. Seems to spiral to heaven upward like a shell. They gaze through a seven foot tall cow parsnip at the sky. The umbels are bobbing galaxies in a vast universe. Ever expanding. Wielding a magic wand, she identifies the plant: "Heracleum maximum!" It has gigantic leaves. Each one is connected to a thick, hollow, densely-haired stem. She steers the huge leaves on their thick stems in her slender arms. Swipes away the poison oak. "Found a path to the creek," she says cheerily. Clear water riffles and splits around a shoal. It's sandy with willows and cattails. There is a great blue heron in the reeds. The heron saunters forward deceptively, like a starlet at the Croisette, then recoils its long neck and strikes. "Bill stab!" he exclaims. He purses his mouth, throws his arm up and makes a fist. Taking a beat, she observes the scene, and says wryly "Sick, huge fan. What a bird." The impaled fish writhes on the heron's spear in the sun, scales glinting. It has met its immutable fate. They sit on a bank dotted with Cyperaceae. Lady beetles fly about. They turn and face each other. "F#$%#g sh*# show that was..." he moans. "What do you mean? We shucked a thousand shells. You have to respect your aunt's stamina, it's a Vibe!" she says, grinning. The moment is fleeting. The song and the chirping and the thrum of insects in the morning heat. They kill the coffee. It's time to pack up their tent and go. "Check out time!" she says. "Pack it up!"

Beautiful campground and hike in, I took coast trail from bear valley and it was 8 miles... trail…read morewas very secluded after bear valley fire road... magical forest and garden surrounds the campgrounds. Camped at 2ab and it was ok, it was not very private and near the bathroom/water spigot so I felt like it was more people interaction than I cared for but that was what was available! The beach was a great place to relax after my hiking days and I loved it. I was there 3 days mid week in June and it was 75 one day and foggy/wet 60 degrees the other days, recommend rain fly for tents, and exploring the singletrack trails , they are so beautiful, full of wildlife

This is a lovely public pool in Marin! We came for a holiday weekend and it wasn't as busy as I was…read moreexpecting. There are ample life guards and the toddler area is perfect with some toys, shared area and showers. Will be coming back! Lots of grassy areas for kids to play and then swim:)

Pro: It's an objectively lovely pool and space to hang out. The pool didn't seem to be highly…read morechlorinated like public pools tend to be. Cons: They don't allow pool toys because babies could get ahold of them and choke, and they don't allow nose clips or snorkel masks because they're a drowning hazard, both rules we've never encountered at any of the multitude of other pools we've been to. Some neurodivergent individuals and/or those who deal chronic ear infections or severe allergies may need nose clips to swim so that rule in particular seems unnecessarily restrictive. I also found nothing about nose clips being a drowning hazard when I googled it. Lastly, as we were making a snack bar purchase I watched as a customer came to talk to the staff about an issue and then when the person left to go back to their blanket, facility staff and lifeguards openly joked and laughed about it. Super uncool.