Let’s get this out of the way at the outset: if you are a lifelong Mount Tam diehard/know-it-all, knowledgable of every nook and cranny of the brilliance that is the Sleeping Lady, the watershed, trails, campgrounds, incredible hiking and biking and historic foot races, you probably can miss this post.
Mount Tamalpais State Park is tops for hiking, according to a poll conducted by the California State Parks Foundation.
The state’s park system has 280 parks and about 5,200 miles of trails. The poll, conducted this spring, garnered more than 1,300 responses from the foundation’s members and supporters.
Rachel Norton, the executive director of the foundation, said the effort was about introducing places to people who might not know about them. The survey featured 10 categories, including best for dog-friendly adventures, best for birdwatching, most kid-friendly, best for camping and best for wildflowers.
“To people in San Francisco and in southern Marin, Mount Tam is not a secret, but it could be to someone from Southern California who is visiting the area for the first time, or somebody from the East Bay who hasn’t been over the bridge in a while,” Norton said.
Norton said parks and public natural spaces provide economic and health benefits to the public. Living near public parks increases property value, and having recreational parks increases tourism, which has an economic multiplier effect for local economies.
“And then there’s the health benefits, both mental and physical, of just being outside in nature,” Norton said. “All of those things together are why we fight so hard for parks. They are just essential places.”
Hillary Colyer, an educator for the state park, said Mount Tam offers something for everyone.
“You like rocks? We got cool rocks,” Colyer said. “You like wildflowers? We’ve got lots of wildflowers and an extended wildflower season. You like ocean views? We got that. You like hiking by a creek? We got that. You like tall trees? We have that. You don’t like trees? We’ve got trails that go through chaparral or coastal scrub.”
Mount Tam wasn’t the only Marin park to be recognized. China Camp State Park earned an honorable mention for best picnic spot.
The San Francisco resident said her favorite hike in the park is the Steep Ravine Trail from the Pantoll Ranger Station down to Stinson Beach.
“It’s just so beautiful, but also so accessible to pretty populated areas,” Norton said.
That said, for the thousands upon thousands of visitors coming to our little stomping ground year-round, longtime Bay Area writer Kelly O’Mara has cranked out an all-encompassing guide to just about all of it for SFGate, from the incredible history, the varying jurisdictions between Muir Woods National Monument and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
There’s more: It’s the kind of roundup that simply allows you to forward the link the next time a friend comes in from out of town wondering the outdoor-centric must-do’s of our region.
We have no notes.
But we will add: You’re going to need to eat – and there are amazing array of options.
You will also likely pack too light – here are some incredible shops that have got you covered.
Staying over? You’re in good hands. And if you love live music and brilliant cultural breadth and depth, you might want to book an extra night or two.