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.

Okay, so here's my story. Film Night In The Park was showing "Rocky" one Saturday night in…read moreSeptember. Neither the Hunny nor the girl wanted to see it, so it was just me going to Central Marin to see this cheapo movie that became one of the most inspirational and biggest moneymakers of the 1970s. But I got there early so I could get some hiking in. The goal: White Hill. I drove down Glen Drive to the end, hiked for roughly half a mile, and at the fork in the trail, took the wrong fork: I went right instead of left. And ended up on this sharp uphill fire road that took me to some big, wide views of Fairfax. Nothing really special here, if you don't count the reservoirs as special. What you do have is a place to work those quads, build that cardio, and test your endurance as you attempt to get to the top of those hills to the north. And the trail does take you to the top, if you can make it. An unobstructed view of Mt. Tam, several neighborhoods of Terra Linda and San Anselmo, and the open space of San Geronimo Valley can all be seen from this trail. So really, it's typical Marin County outdoors, more unshaded grasslands than dark forest. This could be a good picnic area. Either you or your special someone can go for a few hundred feet, then down a narrow trail to your left, to come to a dense flat forest where you can spread out the blanket, pour the wine, and enjoy your vegan sandwich and organic fruit (hey, this is Marin County). Or you can huff and puff for as far up as you want, and then put out the blanket and eat something more substantial as you two enjoy the view. Fairfax Open Space Preserve is another option for outdoors lovers, but there are better choices out there. BTW, I had to turn around after an hour, the movie was about to start. But I did have that famous Bill Conti song on my mind. Because going up that hill is tougher than the staircase leading to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

Awesome place to visit if you live close to the area! It's…read morequiet and you get spectacular views of the baby and the mountains and hills around

Start with breakfast at Shoreline Coffee Shop, then follow it up with this hike!read more

This is a half mile connector trail to other hikes in the headlands. I like it because you don't…read morehave to go through that creepy tunnel to get to the Marin Headlands. Parking can be limited since it's a commuter parking spot for the bus if you walk under the overpass across the highway, it's not so bad. It's a fairly trail steep surrounded by eucalyptus and oak trees. On a clear day can see all the way to Mount Diablo, the East Bay, and Angel Island.

The Morning Sun Trail is a short hike located right off Hwy101…read more Overall, it's a brisk and charming little trail--you can enjoy a nice cool breeze even in the hot summer. The path is easy to follow and shaded by many large eucalyptus trees, adding to the pleasant atmosphere. Morning Sun Trail 是一条位于101号公路旁的短途徒步路线。 整体来说，这是一条轻松又迷人的小径，即使在炎热的夏天，也能享受凉爽的微风。步道非常好走，沿途有许多高大的桉树，增添了舒适宜人的氛围。

If you have never been here, you were really missing one of the crown jewels at the San Francisco…read moreBay Area. Long Beach is smooth the brakes of water not that bad but you should still be careful because it's always sneaky anywhere you go near the ocean. If you get a nice sunny day, you're about a half hour out of San Francisco to get to this place. It's a perfect place to take your friends and family and easy access to the beach whether you're in a wheelchair or whether you are able to walk down on the many different routes.

A beautiful area with views, hikes, and history! We saw dolphins in the water, river otter in the…read morelagoon, and plenty of heron and other birds on the shore. You can hike up to the old lighthouse or World War I battery, around the lagoon, and any number of trails. Just watch out for poison oak! With a beautiful array of succulents, trees, and flowers, there is so much to see and experience. The sunsets over the water are beautiful, we had a great time.

Inside Presidio Park, I got a lovely view of the Bay on a clear winter day. It was perfectly…read morelovely. Please come and create your own adventure.

This is a nice stop while hiking in the presidio. But there's a pay parking lot here for…read moreconvenience, too. There are several different maps on site, featuring the golden gate national recreation area (beaches, wildlife, historic former military installations), points of interest in the presidio, hiking and biking trails, and transit options. A couple of benches allow for seating, and it's certainly a lovely space for relaxing among nature. But it's hard to just sit back when there are such lovely views all around, to explore. Looking over the concrete edge, you can see the water in the distance with sailboats floating by and the islands of the SF bay adding to the scenery. Beautiful landmarks can be seen, like The Palace of Fine Arts and Alcatraz. Toward the right, former military buildings of the presidio, as well as SF residences lining the hills. And trees and greenery. LOTS of trees! You would think they are partially blocking the views. But the way I see it, they make the views what they are... captivating!

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.

I've always been a fan of the outdoors. But within about the last year or so, I've become a real…read moreenthusiast of the outdoors. Over that time, my favored outdoor activity has evolved from hiking to trail running. It's a matter of conditioning. It's not the trails, it's me. I cut weight, got more wind & now love the sensation running through all that beauty & splendor that is Nature. & there's a whole lot of that in Marin. In my ever-expanding quest to run the beautiful Earth, I found Yolanda Trail as a way to reach Phoenix Lake from San Anselmo. The point A was a bit out of necessity. Downtown San Anselmo has charging stations for my EV. The point B was a product of time & morbid curiosity. I hadn't been out to Phoenix Lake in a while & had read online that it was badly depleted due to our historic drought. Might as well go for a run to check it out. Going this route meant taking Oak Ave., a steeply-inclined residential road that eventually led to a gate & private community beyond. At this point, cars are a no-go but hikers, runners & bikers are OK. So long as you don't act like a total A-hole on someone else's street. Oak Ave. ends at Worn Springs Road & then the trail begins right across. Be ready for the Sun & have enough fluids. From this point to Lake Phoenix, there's partial shade in places but there's a lot of exposure to wide open sunshine too. The trail itself is mostly narrow but not technical. I ran it in regular street running shoes (rather than hiking boots or trail running shoes) & did just fine. There are decent inclines/ declines, but nothing too challenging for hiking & moderately challenging for trail running. From Worn Springs Road, the scenery stays interesting by constantly changing from valley vistas to hillside views to spread out tree canopy. Apparently, Yolanda Trail may also be a lesser-known route to Phoenix Lake as I didn't come across many other folks. All the way, out & back, from where I parked the car was almost 8 miles. From Worn Springs Road to Phoenix Lake & back was about 1/2 that. It was a beautiful day. It felt great to be outside. It was a solid workout. Yolanda Trail is a nice addition to my ever-expanding catalog of ways to run the Earth.

Next to the Rose garden lies a grove of Redwood trees. It's a bit secluded and I don't think a lot…read moreof people know it exists. I think it's best for a hot day because it's completely shaded and cool. San Francisco doesn't get blistering hot that often, but the 4 days a year it does people are scrambling on where to go because no one has air conditioning. I come here any time I'm at this part of the park. It's good to sit and read or meditate, or just walk through.

A hidden oasis in the urban desert of San Francisco! Overall, Golden Gate Park is beautiful…read moreeverywhere but this woods is especially secluded and tranquil. Great spot for photos - kids photos, family photos, even wedding and special occasion photos. Every where you look there's a picturesque scene. Parking in this area is always challenging, especially on weekends. See my tip for a lesser known parking spot.