With the
weather these days getting ever-so-slightly warmer, you might be thinking about
an early getaway this spring. And with so many great attractions—nature in
particular—in and around Marin County, your options can often seem overwhelming.
Out near
Tiburon is one particularly beautiful locale ripe for a weekend trip: Ring Mountain Open Space Preserve.
Known for
its stunning wildflowers and its panoramic views of San Francisco and the Bay
Area, the early spring is perhaps the best time of year to visit Ring Mountain.
Pamela
over at MarinMommies.com blogged about her family’s trip to Ring
Mountain earlier this month—she provided some really helpful information and
some really fun facts about this great local attraction:
This preserve on a hill above Tiburon and east Corte Madera was
saved from development back in the 1990s, and is home to a number of rare
plants like the Tiburon Mariposa Lilly, which is found nowhere else in the
world. Large boulders and rocks are scattered throughout the hillside, giving
it an otherworldly appearance. You'll even find remnants of Native American settlements
here in the way of petroglyphs and a grinding rock.
Numerous trails criss-cross the 367-acre Ring Mountain Preserve.
The Phyllis Ellman trail leads from Paradise Drive up to the top of the
mountain; you can return to the Paradise Drive trailhead via the loop trail.
Most families will want to head for the fire roads on top of Ring Mountain.
They're largely smooth and flat (some sections are even paved) and are fine for
sturdy jogging strollers, as well as mountain bikes.
Best of all, Ring Mountain is a short distance from almost
anywhere in Marin County. It feels like it's a world away, though. From
mid-March through April the whole hillside is often carpeted in flowers. I like
to think that my photos are pretty good, but they really don't do the view
justice—you have to go there and see it for yourself.
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