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Marin Outdoor
Magnificent Marin Outdoors
Golden Gate Recreation Area Muir Woods Marin Headlands Beaches/Tides Mt. Tamalpais Angel Island Alcatraz Samuel P. Taylor Park
Bolinas Lagoon Pt. Reyes Learning Observatory Whale Watching Marine Mammal Center Elephant Seals/Harbor Seals & Sea Lions Spawning Salmon Wildcare
Bird Watching Butterflies Wild Flowers
Enjoy nature in one of the most unique natural settings in California. Millions of tourist head to Marin from all over the world to experience the nature here. Places such as Marin Headlands, Point Reyes National Seashore, Muir Woods National Monument, Mount Tamalpais State Recreation area, Samual P. Taylor Park, Alcatraz Island, Angel Island, Olompali State Park, and China Camp State Park - with many more, are all here in Marin County. Experience whale watching, salmon spawning, the great Seqouia Redwood Forests, the Pacific Ocean Coastline, incredible “postcard like”, skyline vista’s of the bay area, including San Francisco, and even sustainable Organic Farming, here, in Marin County.
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Golden Gate National Recreation Area:
- Fort Baker - Former Army post located on the northern side of the Golden Gate
- Headlands Center for the Arts - Set in artist-renovated military buildings in the Marin Headlands, Headlands Center for the Arts is an internationally renowned artist residency program that promotes the role of artists in society. Headlands Center for the arts has Public Programs, including performances, discussions and lectures, and its Project Space, an 1800 square foot work space with a rotating roster of artists, is open 5 days a week to the public.
- Marin Headlands - Includes Nike missile site SF-88, The Marine Mammal Center, Fort Cronkhite, Fort Barry, Rodeo Lagoon, Rodeo Beach, Muir Beach, Tennessee Valley and Gerbode Valley
- Muir Woods National Monument – Huge Coast Redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens) fill this forest, along with Coast Douglas-fir(Pseudotsuga menziesii), Bigleaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum), Tanbark Oak (Lithocarpus densiflorus), and California Bay Laurel(Umbellularia californica).
- Oakwood Valley - bordered by Marin City to the north and the Marin Headlands to the south,[1] Oakwood Valley contains the largest untouched woodland of Coast Live Oak and California bay trees in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. [1]
- Olema Valley - 10 miles (16 km) of grassland and forest that stretch from Tomales Bay to Bolinas Lagoon
- Point Bonita Lighthouse - An active lighthouse maintained by the United States Coast Guard
- Stinson Beach – Shark-laden beach north of San Francisco and south of Bolinas Lagoon
- Muir Beach Overlook - A former Navy base-end station with a clifftop view of the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco, on State Route 1
Muir Woods:
Only a few miles north of San Francisco, located in Marin County, in an isolated canyon, grows the ancient coast redwood forest known the world over as Muir Woods. Come stroll through 1000 year old giant trees towering 260 feet high! Famed naturalist John Muir called this, "...the best tree-lovers monument that could possibly be found in all the forests of the world." It is truly remarkable and shouldn't be missed!
Website: http://www.visitmuirwoods.com/index.htm
Hours: 8am-to Sunset.
Marin Headlands:
Marin Headlands is part of the Golden Gate Recreation area and offers incredible Views for visitors and locals alike. Along with historical sites such as from the Miwok Indians to the Military, including historic Fort Barry and Fort Cronkhite, the NIKE Missile site and the 150 year-old Point Bonita lighthouse, this area is exciting. Other attractions include vast hiking trails, dog friendly Rodeo Beach, and astonishing views of the coast and the city. The explosion of wildflowers in the spring and raptor migration in the fall fill the headlands with year round excitement.
The Marin Headlands is an example of one of the last open spaces still available in the Bay Area for visitors to enjoy. View of the Golden Gate and San Francisco are to die for!
Here are some great areas to visit:
- Bolinas Ridge
- Fort Baker
- Fort Cronkhite
- Gerbode Valley
- Kirby Cove
- Marin Headlands
- Muir Woods National Monument
- Muir Beach
- Muir Beach Overlook
- Nike Missile Site
- Olema Valley
- Point Bonita Lighthouse
- Stinson Beach
- Tennessee Valley
Website: http://www.nps.gov/goga/
Mt. Tamalpais State Park: Marin County
North of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge is Mount Tamalpais, Marin's backdrop mountain. It has redwood groves, waterfalls, and oak woodlands with a spectacular view from the 2,571-foot peak. Activities such as hiking, sight seeing, picnicking, hang gliding, and mtn biking are part of the everyday recreation here.
On a clear day, visitors can see the Farallon Islands 25 miles out to sea, the Marin County hills, San Francisco and the bay, hills and cities of the East Bay, and Mount Diablo. On rare occasions, the Sierra Nevada's snow-covered mountains can be seen 150 miles away.
Website: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=471
Angel Island, San Francisco Bay/Marin.
Angel Island is a hilly, grass and forest-covered island, the largest in San Francisco Bay. It is located one mile from the Tiburon Peninsula. The park covers 740 acres and is 788 feet high at the top of Mt. Livermore, its mountain center. Spectacular views of Marin County, San Francisco, and the Golden Gate, and the entire Bay Area can be viewed from here. Recreational facilities (hiking, biking, camping, boating), is allowed. The island has rich in historical significance.
For over six thousand years, it was used b The Miwok Indians were a part of this island for over six thousand years, fishing and hunting. For almost 100 years - stretching from the Civil War to the Cold War - the island housed a variety of military installations, including supporting troops on their way to and from the Pacific Theaters in WWI and WWII. It also played a major role in the settlement of the West, serving both as a Public Health Service Quarantine Station, and an Immigration Station.
Today, trails and fire roads provide easy access to the whole island, including many historic sites and breathtaking views. Tours are available at many of the historic sites, especially on weekend days during the high season from April to October or November. A cafe, tram tours, and bike rentals are available seasonally, see website for details.
Website: http://www.angelisland.org/
Alcatraz: San Francisco Bay.
Alcatraz or locally as the Rock, though not technically Marin or San Francisco, is a small island located in the middle of San Francisco Bay. Visited my millions of visitors a year, it is part of the Marin/San Francisco scenery. In the past it served as a lighthouse, then a military fortification, then a military prison followed by a federal prison until 1963. Famous prisoners of the island include Al Capone as well as George "Machine Gun" Kelly and many others, along with some great escapes.
Today, it is operated by the National Park Service as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and is open to tours. Visitors can reach the island by ferry ride from Pier 33, near Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. The views are incredible!
Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcatraz
Marine Mammal Center: Rodeao Beach, Marin County.
The best time of year to visit this mammal rehabilitation hospital, located in the Marin Headlands on Rodeo beach, depends on what you would like to see. Examples of ocean animals rescued along the Pacific Coast of the western U.S. and rehabilitated at the center include the California Sea Lion, Northern Elephant Seal, the Pacific Harbor Seal, dolphins, stranded Whales, and Sea Otters. This facilities primary function is to rescue and rehabilitate ocean species for release into the wild when able. It is a great example of how people work to make a difference for the animals that live in our beautiful seas.
Please note that the number of animals on site varies dramatically from season to season, month to month, and year to year. Winter is usually the quietest time at The Center, often with only 1-2 animals on site. Spring is pupping season and one of the busiest times of year for The Center. Between February and June we care for orphaned or abandoned northern elephant seal and Pacific harbor seal pups. During summer and fall we generally have more California sea lions on-site.
For up to date details, visit the website: http://www.marinemammalcenter.org/index.asp
Salmuel P. Taylor Park: Lagunitas, Marin County.
In the wooded countryside of Marin, along the steep and rolling hills north of San Francisco and just 15 miles from Marin's central downtown, is this beautiful park which features a unique contrast of coast redwoods groves and open grassland.
The most common animal in the park is the black-tailed deer. There are also raccoons, striped skunks and gray foxes. Silver salmon and steelhead trout which migrate up Papermill Creek to spawn.
Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_P._Taylor_State_Park
Salmon Spawning: San Geronimo, Marin County
Join SPAWN Naturalists for explorations along Lagunitas and San Geronimo Creeks in Marin County to look for spawning coho salmon and other protected streamside species. Led by experienced guides, you will learn about the ecology of Marin's magnificent coho salmon, our local streams, and what you can do to help restore local watersheds.
WHEN: Creekwalks run November 15th through January 18th with 2 TOURS DAILY Saturdays and Sundays at 10 am and 1 pm. SPAWN is also organizing special trips on weekdays over the thanksgiving and christmas Holidays!
Check out the calendar of trips and reserve you space!
Check out outings offered via:
Website: https://treesfoundation.org/cgi-priv/CreekWalks.pl
Email Creekwalk@SpawnUSA.org,
or Call to (415) 663-8590 ×207.
Bay Area Discovery Museum: Sausalito/ Marin Headlands.
An indoor/outdoor family museaum that offers numerous activities for children 8 & younger that explore hands-on art & science in a fun, educational style. The views are fantastic of the city and the Golden Gate Bridge! Makes a great family destination!
Website: http://www.badm.org/
Bolinas Lagoon Preserve: West Marin
Open to the public during the spectacular heron and egret nesting season from the third weekend in March through the second weekend in July on the following days and times:
Hours:
* Weekends and holidays: 10am to 4pm, no appointment necessary.
* Tuesday - Friday: by appointment only.
Mondays: Closed.
This is a 1,000 acre wildlife preserve that supports a major heronry of Great Blue Herons and Snowy Egrets. The egrets and herons nesting at Bolinas Lagoon Preserve are a main attraction of this preserve, but you can also find black-tail deer, bobcat, badger, gray fox, raccoon, brush rabbit, meadow mouse, etc. There are also numerous landbirds, reptiles, and amphibians. The Preserve's frontage along Bolinas Lagoon brings more than 60 species of water and shore birds into view - from sandpipers to osprey to pelicans - as well as some of the resident harbor seals. It is really a beautiful place to visit and picnic with family. Bring your camera!
Website: http://www.egret.org/bolinas_lagoon.html
Wildcare: San Rafael, Marin County.
A truly urban wildlife rehabilitation center, located near downtown San Rafael—Marin’s largest city. WildCare’s mission: “to advocate wildlife for a sustainable world, through nature education, wildlife rehabilitation and community outreach”.
Website: http://www.wildcarebayarea.org/site/PageServer?pagename=NatureEducation
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Wild Flowers of Marin
Each year, thousands of wildflower enthusiasts converge upon the Marin Headlands to experience the park’s spectacular floral display. Long recognized as a Bay Area botanical hotspot, the Marin Headland’s ridges, valleys, meadows, and sand dunes are carpeted with blooms of every hue and color from late winter to late autumn.
Photo Credits: www.marinopenspace.org
Marin County is home to a number of rare wildflowers, many of which are found in the county’s 33 open space preserves, the Golden Gate National Recreation area and the Point Reyes Seashore. Ring Mountain Preserve’s unique geology and microclimate provide a home for a number of rare plants. The Tiburon Mariposa Lily is found on the upper slopes of Ring Mountain and nowhere else on earth. Spring wildflowers on the trailhead from Paradise Drive to the top of the preserve are breath-taking.
As you enjoy the wildflowers, please remember that you may be in a national park, and natural and cultural resources are protected by law. Do not pick the wildflowers!
The 117-acre Old St. Hilary’s Preserve in Tiburon is the only place to see the extremely rare Tiburon Jewelflower. This odd member of the mustard family, usually seen in mid-May, has dark maroon petals that appear almost black. Other rare plants like the Dirca Occidentalis grow naturally only in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Marin County has five or six known small populations of this wildflower that are associated with basaltic greenstone rocks in a mixed evergreen forest. White Wakerobin can be found in the northern part of the Pt. Reyes Peninsula.
Patches of serpentine soil in the Loma Alta Preserve provide one of the best late-season wildflower displays in the county. Douglas Iris can be spotted in the Bald Hill Preserve, and the Bush Monkeyflower and Dwarf Checkermallow inhabit the Camino Alto Preserve.
The below resources give information on the many species of wildflowers that grow in Marin County and where they can be found:
The Marin County Open Space District’s website lists all of the open space preserves in the county and describes the plants and animals that can be found there. Please visit www.marinopenspace.org for more information.
The Marin Branch of the California Native Plant Society provides information on Marin County’s rare plants and field trips. Please visit www.marin.edu/cnps for more information.
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Photo Credit: www.marinopenspace.org
Marin County observers have identified 76 species of butterflies in various areas throughout the county. The Pipevine Swallowtail inhabits Cascade Canyon; the Acmon Blue is found on Mt. Burdell and at Old St. Hilary’s; and the Western Pygmy-blue can be seen at Bolinas Lagoon. Spotters have found the Anise Swallowtail and the Western Tiger Swallowtail on San Pedro Ridge.
The Marin County Open Space District’s Website identifies all 76 species. It also lists the county’s 33 open space preserves and the species of birds, butterflies, mammals and reptiles found in each preserve. Please visit www.marinopenspace.org and click on Nature and then Butterflies.
Every fall Monarch Butterflies west of the Rocky Mountains move to coastal California. Marin County has its share of Monarch Butterfly overwintering sites. To reach the Muir Beach site take Highway 101 to Highway 1. From Highway 1 turn at the Muir Beach Road (at the Pelican Inn). Continue past the Inn and look for steps leading up into the pine grove on the hill. It is safest to park at Muir Beach and walk to the site. Butterflies are best seen near the top of the stairs. This spot is known as Terwilliger Grove. At Stinson Beach the Monarchs can be seen in the eucalyptus trees around the bank of Highway 1 at the north end of town. In Bolinas they can be found in trees at Park Drive and Terrace Avenue.
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Marin County offers some of the best bird watching on the Pacific Coast. The Point Reyes National Seashore offers some of the finest bird watching in the United States. The Park’s 70,000 acres of habitat are host to almost 490 avian species, both in the park and on adjacent waters. The park’s coastal location and unspoiled habitats attract many migrating and wintering birds. The Point Reyes area consistently reports one of the highest tallies in the county every year during the Christmas bird count.
Some of the best places to view birds in the park are: Five Brooks Pond, Estero Trail, Muddy Hollow Trail, Abbotts Lagoon, the Lighthouse rocks and cliff areas and Bear Valley. For more information, please visit www.nps.gov/pore.
Researchers at the Pt. Reyes Bird Observatory (PRBO) catch and band birds daily from April 1 to November 30. The most likely times to find birds are during the breeding season in June and July. Visitors are welcome to visit all four of PRBO’s centers in Marin. For directions, please visit www.prbo.org.
Key bird watching areas include:
Hawk Hill in the Marin Headlands
Just beyond the Golden Gate Bridge lays the Marin Headlands, location of one of the best places to view hawks. During the fall migration, September and October, 2,000 hawks a day pass over this area. They gather here to catch the thermal wind currents necessary to cross the waters of the Golden Gate. To reach the Headlands take Highway 101 to the end of the Golden Gate Bridge, then take the Alexander Avenue exit and follow signs for the Marin Headlands and Conzelman Rd. Continue on the road up to its high point, Battery 129. From there, walk up to the hilltop for the best viewing.
Las Gallinas Ponds in San Rafael
The Las Gallinas Sanitary district has created freshwater and saltwater ponds that, along with the nearby tidal marshes, have produced an exception bird habitat. Observers have sited more than 180 species of birds, including the endangered clapper rail. From Highway 101 in San Rafael take Smith Ranch Road east to McInnis Park. Turn left on Smith Ranch Road and travel to the end.
Other areas for bird viewing include: Angel Island State Park, Bolinas Lagoon Preserve, China Camp State Park, Corte Madera Ecological Reserve, Mt. Tamalpais State Park and Watershed, Muir Woods National Monument, Olompali State Historic Park, Samuel P. Taylor State Park and Tomales State Park.
Pt. Reyes Bird Observatory: http://www.prbo.org/cms/376
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Marin County Historical and Natural Parks Contact Summary:
Historical/Cultural
Belvedere-Tiburon Landmarks Society
P.O. Box 134, Belvedere-Tiburon, CA 94920
(415) 415/435-1853
http://www.weblink.com/landmarks/
China Camp State Park
Route 1, Box 244, San Rafael, CA 94901
(415) 456-0766
http://parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=466
Fairfax Historical Society
P.O. Box 622, Fairfax CA 94978
(415) 454-3615
http://www.marindirect.com/fxhistory/
Novato History Museum and Archives
815 Delong Avenue, Novato CA 94945
(415) 897-4320
Old Timers Museum
11 Knolltop Ct., Novato CA 94945
728-1160
Falkirk Cultural Center
1408 Mission Avenue, San Rafael, CA 94901
(415) 485-3328
http://www.falkirkculturalcenter.org/
Sausalito Historical Society
420 Litho Street, Sausalito, CA 94966
(415) 289-4117
info@sausalitohistoricalsociety.org
Marin Heritage
P.O. Box 1432, San Rafael CA 94915
(415) 454-2168
Olompali State Historic Park
P.O. Box 1016, Novato, CA 94948
(415) 892-3383
http://parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=465
Nature Preserve
Mount Tamalpais State Park Visitor Center
801 Panoramic Hwy, Mill Valley CA 94941
(415) 388-2070
http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=471
Belvedere-Tiburon Landmarks Society
P.O. Box 134, Belvedere-Tiburon, CA 94920
(415) 415/435-1853
http://www.weblink.com/landmarks/
China Camp State Park
Route 1, Box 244, San Rafael, CA 94901
(415) 456-0766
http://parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=466
Tule Elk State Reserve Visitor Center
Point Reyes National Sea Shore, Point Reyes Station, CA 94956
(415) 663-1092
http://www.sfgate.com/getoutside/1996/aug/elkintro.html
Olompali State Historic Park
P.O. Box 1016, Novato, CA 94948
(415) 892-3383
http://parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=465
Learning Museums
Bay Area Discovery Museum
East Fort Baker 557 McReynolds Road, Sausalito, CA 94965
(415) 289-7266
http://www.badm.org/
Marin County Historical Society
1125 D Street, San Rafae,l CA 94901
(415) 454-8538
http://www.marinhistory.org/
The Bolinas Museum
48 Wharf Road, Bolinas, CA 94924
(415) 868-0330http://www.bolinasmuseum.org/
Marin Museum of the American Indian
2200 Novato Boulevard, Novato CA 94948
(415) 897-4064http://www.marinindian.com/
Old Timers Museum
11 Knolltop Ct., Novato CA 94945
728-1160
Global Virtual Museum
P.O. Box 93, Ross, CA 94957
(415) 456-1849
http://www.art-life.com/MOCA/index.html
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