Nice Ring to It

Hike Ring Mountain in Marin County

Hike Ring Mountain Tiburon Peninsula Marin

When wildflower season starts to wane, don’t tell Ring Mountain. The tiny but mighty open space preserve on the Tiburon Peninsula can often exhibit a wide range of wildflowers late into the season, not to mention one of the most jaw-dropping views of the bay. Take a nice, moderate 2.5-mile hike on the Loop and Phyllis Ellman trails and be glad that its 367 acres weren’t turned into McMansions, thanks in part to the Nature Conservancy.

Starting from the trailhead on Paradise Drive, the trail dips, dives, and climbs across grassy slopes, through coast live oaks, and up to a windswept ridge where you’ll find Turtle Rock, a popular boulder for rock climbers.

Take a quick breather near the rock, or climb to its top. Either way, you’ll enjoy a great vantage, with San Francisco, the Bay Bridge, Sausalito, and the tips of the Golden Gate Bridge all in view across the bay.

Directions: From Hwy. 101 in Corte Madera, take the Paradise Dr. exit. Go east for 1.5 miles. The entrance to the park is on the right side of the road. Park on a dirt pullout along the road. At the first fork in the trail, go left onto the Loop Trail. At the second fork, go right onto the fainter (and unmarked) trail. This takes you up to Turtle Rock. From there, head west on the fire road for a short distance, then turn right onto the Phyllis Ellman Trail. This takes you back to the trailhead. For more information, directions, and a map, visit Ring Mountain’s website. Dog-friendly!

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Picnic and a Pedal

    West Marin has all the right stuff for an afternoon getaway: bike paths, babbling brooks, canopy forests, and secluded picnic spots. Combine a picnic and a pedal at Samuel P. Taylor State Park by biking the easygoing Cross Marin Trail.

    View
  2. Hike the Oursan Trail alongside Briones Reservoir in the East Bay

    Opt for Oursan

    Hike the trail less traveled in the East Bay's Briones Regional Park. The Oursan Trail is pure serenity on a wide hiking path skirting the northern shores of Briones Reservoir.

    View
  3. Most Peaceful Hike of All

    Is this the most peaceful one-hour hike in the Bay Area? It's got our vote! Lake Lagunitas is the smallest lake in a series of five found on the north side of Mount Tam, so it’s got that tiny but mighty charm. Do a 1.5-mile loop around the lake's shore-hugging trail.

    View
  4. Sebastopol Food & Wine Roll

    One apple farm, three charming towns, multiple wineries, and infinite natural beauty. Savor a perfect autumn day in Sonoma County by biking the West County Regional Trail from Sebastopol to Forestville via Graton. It’s a 17-mile (round-trip) adventure. 

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Wine Down, Dine Out in Lake Chelan

    The fertile soil around Washington State's Lake Chelan is ripe for more than just the amazing apples. Vineyards here yield high quality grapes, and some of the country’s best less-discovered wineries. Locals know it, and you will too when you start choosing from the more than 30 wineries in the region.

    View
  2. Lace Up for Lacy

    Lacy Park in San Marino is a hidden gem that may very well be the most pristine green space in greater Los Angeles, and a concealed pair of nearby stairways makes it all the more appealing.

    View
  3. Hiker amid trees at Oak Glen Preserve in Yucaipa Southern California

    Apple of Your Eye

    That fall feeling is definitely in the air and on display at the Oak Glen Preserve. Apple orchards and colorful leaves are a bonus, as are the apple cider donuts and slushies you can enjoy post-hike.

    View
  4. Hike San Diego Volcan Mountain Wilderness

    Planet of the Oaks

    Let us count the number of oak tree species in the Volcan Mountain Wilderness Preserve near Julian: coast, scrub, canyon, black, and Engelmann. Five! The preserve’s Five Oaks Trail is a 3.2-mile hike that boasts all five.

    View