Ring Mountain Open Space

Although Ring Mountain Open Space is far from being my favorite hike, it’s convenient to get here and the views are amazing. I used to work in Corte Madera, so it was nice to be able to get in a quick hike after work or during a long lunch.
There isn’t a ton of parking nearby, but you can usually find a spot along the road near the entrance. It gets really windy, so be sure to bring a jacket.

Nice hiking area with great views of the bay and the bridge.
A little small though and be careful not to use the private driveways. they are closed at some point.
Parking can be tough but just go all the way up and leave your car in the cul-​de-​sac.

Ring Mountain is right behind my house, so it is a great place for a hike with my dog.
The hike is easy/​moderate. The toughest part is the incline near the top, but the view is so well worth it. You can see San Francisco, the San Rafael Bridge, and water — among others.
The only reason for a reduction of 1 star is because you will get a ticket for walking your dog off leash, if caught. Did not happen to us, but it bums me out that my furry guy has to be leashed even though he fully listens to voice commands.

A short but fun hike in the hills above Larkspur. Today was my first venture into the small Marin town of Larkspur, and seeing as how it’s Marin, I shouldn’t have been surprised at how cute it is. But I still was!
The trailhead starts at a fire road in one of the upper neighborhoods. It’s very popular with dogs, but everyone seems pretty good about poop scooping. The first stretch of the trail is uphill and exposed. There were signs about «goats at work» — apparently they’re using goats to clear some of the grass/​brush. It also looked as though they’d recently cut a bunch of trees to lower the fire danger. Once you start on the Ring Mountain Loop trail, it’s much nicer overall. It’s a fairly narrow path, shaded, and really pretty. And as an added bonus, I didn’t see any poison oak the whole time!
The loop is probably a little over 2 miles, with some ups (stairs) and downs, but nothing too strenuous. Overall really nice! The only drawback I found was no good spot to stop and eat lunch (the Haight St sandwiches were burning a hole in my backpack!)
I saw the smallest and cutest lizard of my life. I wanted to take it home but I couldn’t catch it…

I am at a loss for words! This place is absolutely breath taking! If you want to feel like you are on top of the world, and feel like you are king of the bay, come here!!! The hike is a bit challenging. But we jogged up it with our dogs at about 3pm, and it was nice, and hot. We broke a sweat. We took a break somewhere near the middle of the hike, and we saw a spectacular sight, a hawk perched high atop a tree, and a little humming bird near him, just buzzing around. I’ve seen birds try and swoop on birds of prey, trying to ward them off. But that’s not what this little humming bird was doing. They both were just chillin…
So then we reached the top, and man was it amazing! We had a full 360 degree view of awesomeness! To the north was San Quentin, and the Corte Madera area, to the North east we could see The San Pablo Bay, and the Richmond, San Rafael bridge, We could see Richmond, Berkley, Oakland, The Bay Bridge, The city, Tiberon, Angle Island, The coit tower, The tips of the GG Bridge, Mount Tam and much more! It was a crystal clear day, and it was so beautiful. On our way down the hill, we came up on a coyote by accident, and we got very close with out noticing. When all of a sudden he let out a very loud Unilocal/​howl… I have never been so close to a coyote, and I was thankful to have my 3 dogs with me, because I know had that sucker tried to charge at us, my dogs would have torn him up. This startled me, and the rest of the way down I carried a large rock the size of two soft balls. Towards the end there was a huge boulder which I smashed my «smashing rock» on, and let out a huge yell. This felt amazing as I was caring a bunch of anger, and aggression from my brother being a total A*hole to me… In all this place was a spectacular experience for me, and I will without a doubt be back! I’m very glad they allow dogs!!!

Love this place. Great for kids. dogs, hiking, horses, rock climbing, and mountain biking.
Majestic views of the Bay, including Tiburon, Belvedere, Sausalito, Richardson Bay, San Francisco and the GG bridge.
Recommend this place for watching fireworks on the 4^th with wonderful views of both Sausalito and San Francisco fireworks shows.

One of my favorite hikes in the area. Amazing views is an understatement! Love bringing my dog here, but I’ve heard from friends that rangers are around and will give out tickets for off leash dogs. Glad I haven’t run into any, but great hike nevertheless.

I hiked up and up and saw the gorgeous view of the bay. It was very windy and nothing blocks the wind. I saw a lot of people with dogs. Perfect place to stop by for a short hike.

Great little place to hike especially if you have an hour lunch break. The hike to the top might be a little challenging to those who don’t hike uphills often but totally gives you a good workout. The views are magnificent and you literally have a 360 view from Mt. Tam, San Quentin, Richmond Bridge, the east bay, Tiburon and the Golden Gate Bridge. I also bet this place is great to watch the sunrise (if there is no fog). And don’t forget to checkout the other hiking trails as well.

With all of the great places to hike in Marin… this place pales in comparison. Perhaps a good place to walk your dog for an hour or so… but it is rather shabby compared to many other places in marin.

Ring Mountain has some great views of the bay and nice trails. We spent some time bouldering on Split rock and Turtle rock. Beware that Turtle rock is pretty sharp and hurts hands. I would’ve loved to bring a picnic up here and just enjoy the view.

We went on a guided Greenbelt Alliance hike to Ring Mountain OSP lead by Cathy & Tania it was a short, moderate, 3 mile loop hike with some steep sections, total elevation gain of about 500 ft.
Dogs ok On Leash — if a Ranger sees it’s not on leash you might get a ticket
There’s no bathrooms or water here. There’s flush toilets at San Clemente Park, about 5 minutes drive before the trailhead, we used it first. Parking is along the side of the street in front of the trailhead.
Stuff we saw:
Mortar & Pestle rock where Miwok ground up acorns
Views of Richmond-​San Rafael Bridge; Bay Bridge; Northern tips of the Golden Gate Bridge
Oak tree w/​frog face branch
Rock carvings from Miwok Indians — don’t know what they mean
Tiburon Mariposa Lily — they looked kinda dried up, probably best May– early June, not sure.
Rock w/​face carved out of it

Ring Mountain is a very interesting open space preserve. Who would have thought such a place existed in the midst of some highly developed residential area? It is not a park in the city. Once you have entered the ground of the preserve, you will feel like being in a different dimension. You are surrounded by nature. Even with the city still in sight, it is surprisingly easy to put all your mundane worries and troubles behind.
There are lots of connected trails in this preserve. Not everything is clearly marked but it is not easy to get lost either. Most paths will bring you to those impressive rock formations so feel free to follow your instinct. The view of the bay is fabulous.

Great views. Lots of trails. Easy to get to. Perfect adventure during the day and night. Fun!
I usually take the trail starting at the end of Endeavor Drive to Turtle Rock. It isn’t too strenuous but most of the trail is pretty steep on loose gravel. The paths are pretty straight forward and it isn’t hard to find a path if you get off track. I have been hiking here numerous times at night and have gone off the trail with my friends. As long as you have a flashlight and general direction of where you’re headed, then you’re definitely going to get to your destination. Everything is flat — no tall trees, just low grass– so it’s easy to see far into the distance. Ring Mountain is also my favorite since it seems to lead you to Tiburon onto other trails! Love this! I discovered that one particular path can lead you to «Split Rock»
FUN, USEFUL TIPS:
— Turtle Rock is the perfect place to learn how to boulder. I came here with my sister and her bf and we learned how to climb up the giant rock. Just bring chalk for your hands, a mat, and proper shoes! It’s easy to see that many people have been bouldering here before since you can see chalk marks from other people’s paths up the rock.
— Come here on Fourth of July. Although it gets crowded at Turtle Rock, the view is gorgeous! You can see fireworks from all over the Bay Area with the 360 view! Bring snacks and blankets while you wait for the fireworks!
— If you’re hiking alone, be forewarned, my friend has spotted sketchy characters around here during the day.