Hiking Marin: 133 Great Hikes in Marin County

As a Bay Area local, I've always stood in awe of the breath-taking views and natural wonders of the Marin coast. Attempts to conquer and explore this piece of jewel have never been better with the aid of this Marin hiking guide. It provides clear and detailed descriptions of over 120 trails in Marin, with illustrations, maps, and level of strenuousness. Featured in each trail are points of interests, what-to-see info, plants guide, and milestones. I found the sections on Point Reyes National Seashore particularly useful. A land in motion, the Point Reyes Peninsula is an unusual, dislocated land that long baffled geologists. The rocks of this craggy coast match those of the Tehachapi Mountains some 310 miles to the south due to the constant motion of the Earth's crust. The varied surface patterns of Point Reyes are more obvious than the normally slow changes underground. You can see streams and estuaries cutting through the landscape of folded hills and valleys. Awaiting visitors are many miles of beaches within sight of Douglas-fir and Bishop pine forests. Whether you're impressed with the motion of Point reyes and want to explore the San Adreas fault, of just a family planning on a weekend trip to Stinson Beach, or just a ride showcasing the beauty of the Pacific Ocean in Marin Headland, this Marin hiking guide has got the info you'll need. It is one of the best and thorough guide especially devoted to hiking in Marin.

I use an older copy of this book (it only lists 121 hikes), and I have found it a great guide. Grouping trails by the various geographies of Marin County, and Appendices that group some of the hikes in the book--like a listing of all the hikes that have great waterfalls, or places to see wildflowers in a particular season--are very handy. One thing I would have liked is to see the flowers in color: black-and-white line drawings are less effective representatives of what a hiker should see out on the trails. All in all, however, it is an excellent companion as one hikes a trail, describing major sights and milestones along the hike while marking out the distances and heights one might climb. Another useful item is that the hikes can be done in parts if, say, you can't do a whole 10-mile hike at the moment. The countryside around Marin is so wonderfully varied--seashores, redwoods, great views of the Bay Area--that this would be a great book for nature-types who like to explore.