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Taking in the sunset from Mt. Tam's East Peak
Parks

Mount Tamalpais

Marin County
It is awesome atop this 2,500-foot high mountain in Marin with its 360-degree view from San Francisco Bay to the Pacific. But anywhere on "Tam" you can find nature at its most glorious. Miles and miles of trails ribbon the mountain, crossing redwood valleys, creeks, waterfalls, and wide-open grasslands. It...
Fire pits at Ocean Beach
Parks

Ocean Beach

San Francisco
Picture a 3.5-mile stretch of white beach with few tourists and no highrises. It's just you and the waves and the seabirds at Ocean Beach, on the westernmost border of San Francisco, adjacent to Golden Gate Park. Great for strolling and flying kites, but the water is frigid and the...
Welcome to Olema Valley
Parks

Olema Valley

Marin County
You're in another world here, a picture-perfect rural valley bordering both the Golden Gate National Parks and Point Reyes National Seashore. This pastoral landscape stretches for nine miles, its ribbon of Highway 1 unspooling between the slopes of Bolinas and Inverness Ridge. Here you have an opportunity to experience two...
Redwoods in Phleger Estate
Parks

Phleger Estate

San Mateo County
See a verdant redwood forest reborn here at the southern tip of the Golden Gate National Parks. This tranquil park was once severely logged and century-old redwood stumps and remnants of steam mills are still in evidence.
Wildlife of Point Reyes National Seashore
Parks

Point Reyes National Seashore

Marin County
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. Find plentiful...
Rancho Corral de Tierra
Parks

Rancho Corral de Tierra

Marin County
Ready for a challenge? This 4,000-acre park above the San Mateo coast is a former Spanish colonial land grant. It boasts miles of winding public trails, important watersheds, diverse wildlife, and, atop 2,000-foot Montara Mountain, a breath-taking 360-degree view from the Bay to the Pacific.
Rocky Point
Parks

Rocky Point

Marin County
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...
Rodeo Beach
Parks

Rodeo Beach

Marin County
Windswept, exhilarating, and covered with unique red and green pebbles, this beach is just three miles northwest of the Golden Gate Bridge. Sheltered by cliffs and bounded by a lagoon, it offers good picnic sites and is ideal for kite flying or just watching the roaring Pacific.
Rodeo Lagoon
Parks

Rodeo Lagoon/Valley

Marin County
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.
Stinson Beach
Parks

Stinson Beach

Marin County
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. Stinson's long sandy strand is an outstanding spot for swimming and surfing (a wetsuit helps) as...