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.

We live close by and hike here often. It's beautiful and you can access hundreds of miles of…read moretrails. Some are pretty easy and others are very challenging. Things to consider: there is no water; no rest rooms; regular bikes and off-leash dogs are allowed on fire roads. Some trails allow bikes and some allow dogs. There are signs that alert you to what is allowed. Rangers patrol the area and enforce the rules (warnings and fines). If you have a dog, please pick up after your dog and take the poo bag (tickets for littering are expensive). Also, while not allowed, there are some people on very fast e-bikes who ride in groups, sometimes recklessly, and have hit elderly people. The majority of people are delightful and friendly. It's been my favorite hiking spot for almost 30 years.

What a gorgeous spot for a hike! There were so many options of trails to choose from. Stunning…read moreviews all along the way- Mount Tam in the background & views of the bay. Most trails were wide and I never saw any trash left behind. Looking forward to returning and giving some other trails a try!

"Me and my, me and my, me and my, me and my, me and my friends"…read more---Red Hot Chili Peppers Me & my friends left the City aka San Francisco for Fairfax for a hike. Deer Park has lovely trails. It is truly a choose your own adventure as some trails are more challenging than others. The Deer Park Trailhead is a short drive from lovely downtown Fairfax. One thing I love about this hike is it has a densely forested mountainous vibe to it. For those that like trees & hills this hike is for you. Two thumbs up!

This is really an unusual Trailhead. There's an old school nearby, and you have to take the trail…read moreto the left of the school. When I came out of the open space, it wasn't clear where the trail went. The trail goes beside the old school and Childcare Center. There are two restrooms as well as a drinking fountain. I counted about four picnic tables as well. If you are on a bike the trail beside the school is skinny and steep but just for a short while. So just be careful about the other hikers.

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.

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 farther one because you go under the bridge and there's always some graffiti.

Dawn Falls Trail is a 2.3-mile out-and-back trail near Larkspur, California. It's considered to…read morebe a moderately challenging route. It will take about an hour to walk through this beautiful redwoods round trip to the Dawn Falls. This is a very popular area for birding, hiking, and running. The best part of the Dawn Falls trail is that it's not crowded but you may still see a few other people while exploring. This trail is open year round but the best time is from January through November. Dogs are welcome, but must be on a leash. However, I do see local dogs roaming without their leashes. Only a few parking spots deter many visitors. However, if you will be willing to be patience, there will on a parkingspot for you. This trail is maintained so clean here, so please no littering! Enjoy!

*****pay attention *****…read more Word, to the ignorant drivers who have never been on switchbacks DO NOT come here. As you blast down the very single car lane, not paying attention and laughing away isn't cute. Be mindful of cars and pediatricians. Believe it or not its not all about you! The road to the trail is all kinds of messed up. It's a single lane through a neighborhood with very little turnouts. Believe it or not, there are huge redwoods along this road. If you have never been on a road like this, please park at the bottom of the road!!! PLEASE! Even the folks who were walking up the road to the trail aren't alert. It's sooo fun to be surrounded by people who believe it's all about them yes, im being harsh, but it was that bad!

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.