Connie is our go-to person at Ducey's on the Lake. She is awesome and provides great service every…read moretime we go up there. We are going up again Memorial day 2026 to stay in one of the suites overlooking the lake. We love this place. -Randy & Carol

Great place to go if you like noisy, trashy hicks who scatter their trash everywhere and try to…read moreoutdo each other on the obnoxiousness level. Stayed here once and can't see any reason to ever, ever, come back.

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.

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 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.

My favorite bike park for families in the Bay Area! It's got pump tracks for toddlers, teens, and…read moreadults. It's got skills loops and flow trails for the family. It will keep every member of the family happy for most of the day.

My son had a blast at the kids bike trail. Since we went when no one was there he wandered through…read morethe whole park and just had fun. Amazing place for picnics with the kids, hikes and disc golf.

Great trail with smaller off shoots. Go when it's not hot,…read moreas this area can be warm with little shade. Go after rains to see the waterfall gushing! But really, go anytime as the area is beautiful, and it's a peaceful, serene area. Lots of newts, frogs, raptors, birds, and other wildlife. Dog friendly trails are marked as such. We've come twice now and each time it looked gorgeous, and different due to various water levels. Leave no trace =)

Beautiful area with lots of fun and challenging side quest trails. My only complaint is that…read morethere's a LOT of horse poop everywhere so you need to look down to avoid it.

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.

Fun. Spectacular. Seasonal. Summer swimming. Now salmon are spawning…read more Beautiful nature at its best

Nice spot but beware that the water is often dirty!!! As of June 2021, the Marin County Department…read moreof Environmental Health Services advice is to avoid Inkwells due to poor water quality (i.e. excessive bacteria levels). You can get current updates here: https://www.marincounty.org/depts/cd/divisions/environmental-health-services/beach-monitoring

This is one of the more beautiful lakes, but also one of the more difficult to get close to…read more The day that I visited, I parked at Alpine Dam, and took Kent Pump Road. It's a very level journey for most of the way, and at the end you get to see little peek vistas of Kent Lake. At the end of the road, you get a much better View.

Beautiful lake tucked away in the Hills of Marin county and a nice little hike to get to so be…read moreready to strap on your hiking boots and plenty of water for your trip out here. Roughly about 1.5 miles from the main road and parking lot you'll find yourself in a quiet quaint location to catch some fish or a beautiful place to do some yoga and meditating.