I've loved coming to Phoenix Lake since I moved to Marin in the 70's…read more I used to ride my bike from my house in San Rafael hitch up my bike when I got to the lake and then do a run around the lake and then ride my bike home. Trust me, I only hike it now! Today I added in a few new to me trails including the Yolanda Trail, 5 Corners & Shaver Grade. A mix of open exposed trails to a gorgeous canopy of redwoods & terrific views of Mt. Tam

A really lovely hike around a small reservoir that is pretty family friendly. While you can't make…read moreit around with a stroller we did made it around with a 6 year old on foot and a 2 year old on my back. The main issue here is the parking as there are less than 20 spots and the rest of the potential overflow spaces are marked tow away. The nearby very fancy neighborhood has marked everything permit only and/or tow away, so we had to backtrack about 1.5 miles to town to park and then walk back in - NIMBYs be damned! Others just idle in their cars in the tiny lot and hope for a space to open up. Minus one star for not being more visitor friendly in the neighborhood.

Secret Trail! This…read moreis one of my favorite areas for mountain biking. All of the lakes are are incredibly beautiful. You should know, however, that the parking is a real problem at Greene Park.. Even if you get there at 7 a.m. there are only a few spots left. Today, when I arrived promptly at 7 am, there were only two spots left. They were gone in a few minutes. The Coffin families have a great history in this area. If you get a chance you can research. It's a very interesting story. I recently discovered something unique about the Watershed. There is a secret way from this Watershed into the Cascade waterfall! Here's the secret way--please don't tell anyone else. Up above Concrete Pipe path, you can access Pine Mountain Tunnel Road. From there, there's a secret path--completely legal, to go to the Cascade Falls. There's one hitch however. You can't take your bike through Carey Camp Trail. You have to leave it there and hike in to go see the waterfall. Plan on an hour round-trip.

Great place to come on a bright sunny day. The parking lot is small but it didn't take long to find…read morea spot. Most of the hike is pretty exposed so if you are looking for a more shaded hike this is not the one. Still it's a great beginners hike made even more enjoyable by the lake which you can follow the trails around. The views are beautiful but as Janell mentioned, not so many high elevation views.

I had forgotten how lovely this hike is. As we had some recent rain, there is still a creek…read moreflowing. However I think I would have to rename Dawn Falls to Dawn trickle. Although I don't own a dog, it was nice to see that this was a dog friendly trail. The head of the trail is in the depth of a forested, beautiful neighborhood. Parking can be challenging, but being a weekday we lucked out. We ended up doing a 5 mile out and back with maybe 500 feet of climbing. If we had more time, we would've continued up to King Mountain. Between the redwood trees, the creek the beautiful rocks and ferns the entire hike was delightful.

This is such a lovely trail in the heart of downtown Larkspur. But be aware they only have street…read moreparking, and it fills up pretty quickly on weekends. I love hiking here because the trail is easy and beautiful, and we can have our dog join us. People should have their dogs on leash, but unfortunately, we've encountered folks who flout that rule. Oh well! The scenery is beautiful, and the trail is less busy than other local comparable destinations. The bridges and redwoods make Baltimore Canyon a nature lover's paradise. There's just so much beauty to take in. I recommend coming in the late morning to early afternoon on a weekday when parking is still available, and the trail is sparsely traveled.

This is actually just one of several reservoirs that make up the Mount Tamalpais Watershed. There…read moreare also creeks and a dam that add to the features. One of the main roads to get up there is just above the town of Fairfax in Marin County. It is a windy road but short, like 10 minutes or so. There are also a lot of bikers who like this area, so watch out on those narrow roads. Once you get closer to the park, the pavement stops and you will have to drive on large gravel for quite a bit, so don't be bringing your high end luxury car here. Lol Once there, an $8 parking fee through a kiosk awaits. I did a 6 mile loop starting at the dam and starting on Alpine lake. Easy start for the first mile or so, with most of it being lakeside. Then the middle 3 miles goes deeper into the forest cover and is more strenous, a constant climb that will speed up the heart rate. Love doing this amongst forest air. Deep in city confines...not so much. The descend will bring you back to where Alpine Lake and Bon Tempe Lake meets, by the dam. The top of hike is exposed and rocky but still gorgeous. Actually reminded me a bit of Tahoe with rocky trails and exposed blue skies. There will be a view of the lower elevations of Southern Marin County. There will also be many glimpses of neighboring Mt. Tam. And after that great morning workout, I was able to have a nice relaxing outdoor meal at one of the many charming independent restaurants in Fairfax, just 10 minutes down the road. Great way to start my stay-cation.

A post on NextDoor.com caught my attention. Someone had just moved to the neighborhood and was…read moreasking how they could hike without paying the $8 parking fee they'd noticed in some areas. The deluge of responses made it clear: if you're paying to park in Marin County, you're doing something wrong. With only a single exception in memory, I don't think I've paid to hike anywhere in the county and these days all I do is hike. But, if you want to hike the grounds of the Mount Tam Watershed it is true that there's a $8 cost to that. You can get around this by purchasing an annual parking pass or checking a pass out from the Marin County Library system. Bon Tempe Lake is my favorite hike within this area of the Mt. Tam Watershed. With an easy to follow, well-trod, 4.8 mile path around the lake's perimeter, and situated only minutes from downtown Fairfax, Bon Tempe is a quintessential Marin experience. You're in nature, beside a gorgeous, placidly serene lake yet only 10 minutes from a good brunch or latte. There's nothing difficult about the hike around the lake and though it isn't flat, it's elevations are quite gentle. If you need more, add a loop around Lake Lagunitas (the two paths intersect) to increase your hike by another 1.2 miles. Fishing is allowed here (but no swimming) and the parking area - for Bon Tempe in particular - fills up early on weekends. All the more reason to make time for Bon Tempe on a weekday. There's lots of hiking options here in the Watershed but for my money, the half-shaded-half-sunny path around Bon Tempe is the loveliest of them all.

This scenic drive is pretty neat. You can see the whole city from the top of this hill. The walk…read moreisn't long but the view is worth the hike. The drive is short, not much to see but trees. It's the hike that counts.

What a great find. I was driving along the Robert Dollar scenic drive enjoying the beautiful view…read moreand saw a fire road so I decided to explore. This hike is only about 25-40 minutes down and back so it's great if you don't have a lot of time but incline levels are good so you'll definitely still get a workout. What amazed me was the numerous views. It was so beautiful, you saw Mt Tam, the bay, San Rafael, Dominican Hills, Sleepy Hollow hills, the city, even the Transamerica Pyramid at the top of the hike. I would come for the view and glute workout. I didn't see too many people either but there were a couple of benches here and there where you could enjoy the view and chill out.

Hidden gem sandwiched right between Fairfax and San Anselmo! The trail has a good amount of…read moreclimbing into the hills. You can also reach the cemetery on an off-shoot trail. Great place for bringing your pup on a leash. There's a variety of shady / open parts of the trail. Watch out for the poison oak! Parking is a breeze as there is a small dirt lot, but if it's full, street parking is nearby as well. Right the beginning of the park, there's a very small and short shaded trail along the creek with a couple picnic tables and benches. Lovely place for lunch on a hot day. Watch out for the poison oak! The trail is sometimes wide enough to walk side-by-side someone, but at other times, I'd recommend single file due to the healthy poison oak.

Such a peaceful vibe hiking here. It was a pretty easy hike…read moretoo although I didn't make it all the way up since I locked eyes with the .

It was absolutely Beautiful. We hiked around the lake. It was an easy hike and so fun. They have…read morelots 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!

Such a cool place -- and it's one of those locations that not too many people go to unless they are…read morein 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.