The Best Hiking Trails in Marin County

The Point Reyes lighthouse dates back to 1870 when it warned ships of the rocky Point Reyes Headlands. It is today replaced by an automated light, but the National Park Service maintains the old lighthouse as a historic and scenic landmark....

Rodeo Beach is a top destination in the Marin Headlands, popular for its uniquely dark-colored sand, surrounding cliffs, and sea stacks rising from the waves. When visiting Rodeo Beach, you can take a short hike to Tennessee Point for even better coastal views....

Tennessee Valley is a glen of green among rolling hills, with a stream that trickles with water toward the sea. Where it meets the blue waves is a dark-sand beach cradled by golden cliffs, one of which has a natural window through to the sky....

Point Bonita is perhaps the most dramatic spot in all of Marin Headlands. It’s a rocky spine jutting into the mouth of the Bay, tipped with a natural arch of black basalt....

If you are looking for a short and easy hike with stunning views of the Bay Area, the Verna Dunshee hiking trail is a great option. This 0.7-mile loop trail circles around the East Peak of Mount Tamalpais, the highest point in Marin County....

Beginning at the Bodega Head parking area, the Bodega Head Trail winds its way along the rugged coastline of Bodega Bay, providing panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean. The trailhead is easily accessible from Highway 1, and as you set off on the Bodega Head Trail, you'll be immersed in the natural beauty of the Sonoma Coast, with its dramatic cliffs, crashing waves, and abundant wildlife....

Tomales Point is the remote, northernmost tip of the large peninsula that is Point Reyes National Seashore. Its windswept hills and wave-battered bluffs receive the brunt of Pacific Ocean force, sheltering the calm Tomales Bay behind it....

This short but somewhat steep loop leads from the state park visitor center to the top of Mount Tam’s East Peak. Along the trail you will get great views in all directions around the mountain....

Muir Woods National Monument is a small plot of public land that protects some of the oldest and largest trees in the Bay Area. The famous residents are coastal redwoods, which grow to be taller than any other tree on Earth....

Cataract Creek is a very popular hiking destination near Mount Tamalpais. This loop includes some of the waterfalls on the creek, but also utilizes lesser-traveled trails to explore more of the mountain’s slopes....

Angel Island is the largest island in the San Francisco Bay. Though it’s not as famous as its much-smaller neighbor Alcatraz, Angel has much more to offer in activities and scenery....

This is one of the best moderate hikes in Marin Headlands. Clear weather is ideal, so you can see the distant views, but foggy days can be enjoyable, too. Apart from the vistas, it features war bunkers, hillside rock outcrops, spring wildflowers, and a chance at spotting wildlife....

Covering over 1600 square miles, San Francisco Bay ranks as one of America's, and the world's, most recognisable sections of shoreline. From the Golden Gate bridge to the steep streets of San Francisco city and the natural wonders which lie close to both, this is a waterway which every hiker should explore one day....

The Sonoma Overlook Trail is a lovely little hike offering fantastic views of Sonoma Valley and the surrounding countryside. The trail is around 3 miles (round trip) and you'll need a couple of hours to do it....

Chimney Rock Trail in California offers outdoor enthusiasts a captivating journey through the stunning landscapes of Point Reyes National Seashore. The trail is relatively short, approximately 1.75 miles round trip, and is considered to be a straightforward hike....

Dipsea is well-known by trail runners in Marin County, and by many in the greater Bay Area, as the course of an annual race as well as an every-day favorite for fitness....

This out and back hike links two of the best beaches in the Marin Headlands, and all of the green rolling hills in between. You’ll enjoy views along the craggy coast, over the boundless ocean, and to Mount Tamalpais—all on a clear day, that is....

Cataract Creek, in the Mount Tamalpais Watershed, is one of the loveliest streams around because of its abundance of waterfalls. Countless small cascades, and quite a few bigger ones, tumble through lush, mossy forest on their way down to Alpine Lake....

This trail combo packs a lot of Marin County’s best scenery into a relatively compact, moderately challenging loop. There’s a sandy beach, elevated ocean views, mountainside meadows, redwood forests, and (after recent rainfall) lots of little waterfalls....