On our last full day of our San Francisco trip we decided to spend our time on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge in Marin County. When we travel I love having a day that we spend hiking, exploring and just enjoying nature and that is what we had planned for this day. Marin County has several beautiful places to explore like Muir Woods, Mt. Tamalpais, Point Bonita, Marin Headlands and many more. We had already visit Muir Woods 2 years prior and while I would have been thrilled to visit again we decided to explore a new area.I wanted to fit in as many of these spots as possible so we started our day in Mt. Tamalpais State Park. After driving through the park we found a Ranger Station and asked for some trail recommendations. She directed us to Cataract Trail for a hike out to the lake with beautiful waterfalls along the way.

I will admit it was a much more intense hike than we had planned for (hence the jeans…). The ranger had told us “its an easy hike with a few steps down to the bottom”, when she really meant it was there were so many steps we covered a 2,000 foot elevation change on our way down. Needless to say, the 3 miles down to the lake was a breeze! They climb back up was just a tad tiring!

Luckily it was a gorgeous day and there were so many beautiful spots along the trail to admire different water falls and the flowing stream.Mt. Tam State Park is filled with several trails suited for just about anyone! If you are in or near San Francisco and need a day of fresh air and exploring I would absolutely recommend taking a hike in the park. Not only is the park beautiful but there is plenty more to do in the area as well!