Marin County Hiking, Biking, Camping (and some of the Best of the North Bay, Bay Area, and California)

kylefrazierAbout Marin

Few have it better than us. Marin is a wilderness lover’s haven from the rest of the World’s chaos. With 80% of Marin’s lands preserved, it is no wonder that outdoor enthusiasts from hikers & bikers, kite-flyers and lepidopterists, all flock to our wonderful area in the North Bay. Below is a list of bests, as determined by Tom Stienstra of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Here are Tom’s picks for the Best in the Bay Area:

Hikes:

  • Skyline to the Sea, headquarters to Berry Creek Canyon, Big Basin Redwoods
  • Coast Trail, Point Reyes
  • Montara Mountain Trial, San Pedro Valley
  • Trail Camp Loop, Castle Rock State Park
  • Steep Ravine Trail, Mount Tamalpais

Bike Rides:

  • Bay Bridge Trail, Crystal Springs
  • Skyline to the Sea, Rancho del Oso up Waddell Creek
  • Tennessee Valley to the ocean, Marin Headlands
  • Golden Gate Promenade to the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco

Campgrounds:

  • Tomales Bay boat-in, Point Reyes
  • Sunset hike-in, Big Basin
  • Wildcat hike-in, Point Reyes
  • Sky Camp, Point Reyes
  • Pantoll walk-in, Mount Tamalpais

Waterfalls:

  • Berry Creek/Golden Falls, Big Basin
  • Alamere Falls, Point Reyes
  • Cataract Falls, Mount Tamalpais
  • Carson Falls, Marin Watershed

Dog Walks:

  • Sunol Preserve, Sunol
  • Point Isabel, Berkeley
  • Fort Funston, San Francisco
  • Kent Pump Trail, Marin

Below are Tom’s picks for the Best In California:

Prettiest Lakes:

  • Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe
  • Donnell Reservoir, Stanislaus Nat. Forest
  • Tenaya Lake, Yosemite

Prettiest Rivers:

  • McCloud River, Shasta County
  • Smith River, Del Norte County
  • Rush Creek Headwaters, Ansel Adams Wilderness

Hikes to Prettiest Views:

  • Yosemite Point, Yosemite
  • Mitchell Peak, Jennie Lakes Wilderness
  • Glacier Point to Sentinel Dome, Yosemite

Family Destinations:

  • Camp Richardson, Lake Tahoe
  • MacKerricher State Park, Fort Bragg
  • Lake Siskiyou, Mount Shasta

Fly Fishing for Trout:

  • Sacramento River, Redding (by boat)
  • Fall River (by pram)
  • Pit River
  • East Walker River

Rafting Rivers:

  • Main Stem Tuolumne
  • Salmon River
  • Forks of the Kern
  • Upper Klamath