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.
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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.
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.
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.
Erik Velasquez, left, Oscar Ordonez, center, and Cesar Vicente grill burgers and hot dogs at China Camp State Park in San Rafael, Calif., on Thursday, May 15, 2025. China Camp received an honorable mention as a picnicking site in a poll conducted by the California State Parks Foundation. (Alan Dep/Marin Independent Journal)
Norton noted that what many consider to be Mount Tam actually involves three parks — the state park, the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and the county area — that create a seamless natural area for visitors. Brian Muir, president of the Friends of Mt. Tam, agreed, saying many people don’t realize they’ve entered a different park because the transition is so fluid.
Muir was not surprised to hear the park was voted best hiking location. He moved from San Francisco to Marin to be closer to the mountain and volunteers at East Peak Visitor Center.
“Everyone just seems to love it,” Muir said. “No one says a negative thing about it. I don’t know many places like that. Usually people have something to complain about.”
Colyer said the mountain can be hiked year-round, offers trails for people of all abilities and has a wide range of ecosystems and habitats.
“With all the microclimates here, and all the different weather patterns, this park changes week to week,” Colyer said. “You could hike the same trail every week and see different things.”
Colyer’s favorite hike depends on the season. Right now she loves the Bolinas Ridge Trail, which overlooks the ocean while passing through “waving grasslands” full of wildflowers. West Ridgecrest Boulevard is a great place to catch the sunset, she said.
Fred Runner, a historian with Friends of Mt. Tam, said he believes more people are becoming aware of what Mount Tamalpais State Park has to offer.
“It’s a moment for busting your buttons as they used to say, to be proud of this wonderful asset,” Runner 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.”