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