Marin Municipal Water District

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The bulk of Mt Tamalpais' natural areas are managed by the water district. The five reservoirs provide water to Marin County residents, and are beautiful for walking or cycling. Phoenix Lake in the town of Ross is the easiest to access but the tiny parking lot doesn't accommodate visitor numbers; you could wait up to an hour for a space. Lagunitas Lake (up Bolinas Rd from Fairfax) is equally lovely but its $8 parking fee means there's always a space.

Kent, Bon Tempe and Alpine lakes are all more remote.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • An aerial view of Golden Gate Park from the Pacific Ocean. Golden Gate Park is the third most visited city park in the US.

    Golden Gate Park

    14.57 MILES

    When Frederick Law Olmsted, architect of New York's Central Park, gazed in 1865 upon the plot of land San Francisco Mayor Frank McCoppin wanted to turn…

  • APRIL 24, 2018: Victorian-style homes in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco.

    Haight Street

    15.52 MILES

    Was it the fall of 1966 or the winter of ’67? As the Haight saying goes, if you can remember the Summer of Love, you probably weren’t here. The fog was…

  • SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA. 15th August, 2017: historic san francisco chinatown neighborhood

    Chinatown Alleyways

    15.7 MILES

    If you look close today at the clinker-brick buildings lining these narrow backstreets, past the temple balconies jutting out over bakeries, acupuncture…

  • SAN FRANCISCO - SEPT 2, 2017: The Beat Generation lives on at City Lights bookstore in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco.

    City Lights Books

    15.61 MILES

    No one could have predicted the cultural force City Lights would become when it first opened in 1953. Sure, it had a proletarian ethos suggested by its…

  • SAN FRANCISCO, USA - December 8, 2019, visitors are similar in color to the artifacts in question at the California Museum of Modern Art, a girl walks past the picture.; Shutterstock ID 1622086819; your: Meghan O'Dea; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI page

    San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

    16.4 MILES

    When the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art expanded in 2016, it was a mind-boggling feat that nearly tripled the institution's size to accommodate a…

  • Coit Tower on Telegraph Hill Boulevard, San Francisco, USA

    Coit Tower

    15.42 MILES

    If you want to really see San Francisco, head to Coit Tower, a 1933 art deco beaut designed by Arthur Brown, Jr. and Henry Howard that sits high up on…

  • Golden Gate Bridge at the golden hour from Baker Beach.

    Golden Gate Bridge

    12.21 MILES

    Few cities boast a structure so iconic as the Golden Gate Bridge, commemorated in everything from films like The Maltese Falcon to not one but two emojis…

  • Dolores Park - San Francisco, California

    Dolores Park

    16.76 MILES

    Welcome to San Francisco's sunny side, the land of street ball and Mayan-pyramid playgrounds, semiprofessional tanning and taco picnics. Although the…

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Nearby attractions

1. Marin Museum of Bicycling

3.01 MILES

It should be no surprise to find this small, friendly museum in Marin County, where the sport of mountain biking was born on the slopes of Mt Tamalpais…

2. Mt Tamalpais State Park

3.25 MILES

Mt Tamalpais State Park encompasses 6300 acres of parklands and 60 miles of trails. Get a map and don't miss the summit of East Peak. Panoramic Hwy climbs…

3. Martin Griffin Preserve

3.57 MILES

One of four regional Audubon Canyon Ranch preserves, this place hides in the hills above Bolinas Lagoon. It's a major nesting ground for great blue herons…

4. Stinson Beach

3.96 MILES

Stinson Beach (3 miles long) is a popular surf spot, with swimming advised from late May to mid-September only. For updated weather and surf conditions…

5. Red Rock Beach

4.31 MILES

Red Rock Beach is around 1 mile south of Stinson Beach. It’s clothing-optional and attracts smaller crowds, probably because it can only be accessed via a…

6. Bolinas Museum

4.59 MILES

This courtyard complex of five galleries exhibits local artists and showcases the region’s history. Look for the weathered Bolinas highway sign affixed to…

7. Muir Woods National Monument

4.64 MILES

Muir Woods National Monument is located just a few miles north of San Francisco in Marin County, and is a prime peaceful destination for reflection within…

8. Old Mill Park

4.69 MILES

Several blocks west of downtown is Old Mill Park, perfect for a picnic. Here you’ll also find a replica of the town’s namesake sawmill, and a small…