Marin County

Discover one of the parks' richest wetlands along the lush coast west of Mt. Tamalpais. Bolinas Lagoon is a 1,100-acre tidal estuary between the eccentric village of Bolinas, Highway 1, and the sandy arc of Stinson Beach. Its pristine, water-snaked marshes are home to a fascinating diversity of bird life.

Endlessly explore the vast wilds here, one of the most stunning oceanfront parks in the world. This 70,000-acre peninsula north of San Francisco stretches from the wild and wind-chilled great beaches on the northwest side (where Sir Francis Drake landed in 1567) across forested ridges to the south.

You'll imagine you're in the English countryside while strolling the rolling hills of Bolinas Ridge, a 10.5 mile trail through pastoral farmlands in lovely western Marin. Before you stretches Olema Valley, the San Andreas Rift Zone, and to the north Tomales Bay, the entry to Point Reyes.

Imagine yourself on the coast of Scotland. At this glorious, rocky bluff off Highway 1 near Stinson Beach you can park and hike down to Red Rock Beach. The Pacific roars, winds stir the chaparral, and if you make reservations far in advance you can spend the night at rustic cabins here.

Start at the charming 17th-century-style Pelican Inn at Muir Beach in Marin and head up the chaparral-covered Dias Ridge. The five-mile trail loops across former dairy ranches and rises 700 feet. At every turn there is another dazzling panorama of the Pacific and the Marin Headlands.

Windswept, exhilarating, and covered with unique red and green pebbles, this beach is just three miles northwest of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Tucked almost directly beneath the Golden Gate Bridge, this former army post is on the threshold of the dramatic coastline of the Marin Headlands. Fort Baker now houses Cavallo Point (the first national park lodge of the 21st century).

Rich with wildlife habitats, Rodeo Valley winds through the heart of the Marin Headlands and is edged by grassy, wind-swept hillsides. Where it descends to the Pacific, there is a lagoon and shallow wetlands home to shorebirds including egrets and ducks, as well as butterflies and occasional bobcats.

Explore this remarkable environmental makeover near the Marin Headlands coastline. Formerly an army installation, Fort Cronkhite at the end of the Rodeo Valley is now a magnet for science and the arts.

Amble along the alabaster sands here, one of the most perfect beaches on the California coast. Find it 35 minutes north of the Golden Gate Bridge via Highway 1, which unwinds atop heart-stopping cliffs.